[nancyscho]

I appreciate the welcome - many thanks.

My first question is.

We have two marshy fields which get wet during the winter also a bog and have been thinking that perhaps they may not be suitable for putting pigs on, we also have a strip of woodland planted with mature fir trees and our worry there is, would pigs dig down and undermine the root system. I would be grateful if anyone has experience of either of these situations and could give advice.

[sandy]

Hello!!! thinking about it, pigs certainly make the ground boggy!!!!! well, I suppose ducks chickens etc do thier fair share of mud making too!!!! no wounder they used to put pigs in the farm yards on hard bases!!!!! Welcome

[Hilarysmum]

Permanently marshy ground is not good for pigs unless they have a good sized dry area.  They will dig for and eat the roots of the fir trees.

[polly]

Forget the pigs, plant eucalyptus gunnii for firewood. 5 year rotation, will grow in wet conditions, cut and come again.
Go with the flow !

[nancyscho]

That's very interesting, but it would depend on how easy it would be for us to harvest it. We use heaps  of wood on our 2 wood burners and a multifuel rayburn.

[Hilarysmum]

following on from Polly's suggestion of eucalyptus, what about growing willow?  Burns easily, fast growing, used by some electricity producers, easy enough to harvest. 

[doganjo]

As an aside - do willow roots drink the ground dry like other trees?  My friend has a waterlogged garden above her house and it is totally unusable.  I thought willow round the fence might work - if I'm right anyone know where to get willow shoots for her(and possibly me too as I have a water problem too) in Central Scotland

[HappyHippy]

We have willow  LOTS of willow 
It's great for wet ground and grows so easily from cuttings - just push in into the ground and wait (tho not for long as it gets going pretty quick)
I will double check cutting/planting times with my Dad (the resident tree hugger  ) and if this is the right time of year I can bring some to the meet up on the 7th.
Is that of any help Annie ?

[doganjo]

Yes, that sounds great - but would I not be better just driving down for them - I'll be on the train from Alloa on the 7th!  Not sure they'd let me on with a bunch of willow!

[HappyHippy]

The bits are generally about 6 inches long and roughly the thickness of a pencil, so will easily fit into a bag. But if you want to come and visit the madhouse (and bring the dogs for a run in the woods  ) you are more than welcome 

[doganjo]

Might just do that sometime.  Thanks for PM.  See you 7th  Off to check puppies now.

[r+lchick]

If you think of growing willow, there is a market out there for the sale of willow to basket weavers.  I had great difficulty in purchasing the stuff and ended up getting it from Kent or somewhere down south (I'm in the Midlands).  So could be a money earner.  Ros 

[Hilarysmum]

I know somewhere in Uk it is grown and sold to the electricity board.  Might be worth googling for.

[doganjo]

What do the electricity board do with it?  Burn it to make electricity? We do it with water in Scotland 

[Hilarysmum]

Yes I think its chopped into small pieces and burned.  Odd really burning trees to produce electricity to heat homes etc.