willow,,,,,,,,

crackcrack30

What is the best type of willow to sow for copiced firelogs? (400 types)

bbam

Hi..
I tried a few types and the best I got were a hybred from a company in the UK called Bowhayes, www.bowhayestrees.co.uk

In poor ground they are hitting 12-14 feet in 2 years where others have died or are only half the size...


Little more expensive though

Qwerty?

Did you go bareroot or rooted? I've bought bareroot from Mammothwillow 2 years in a row and have had little success with 1' cutting as the slugs got the leaves as they emerged. Next year was thinking of trying 3' cuttings.

crackcrack30

Can the cuttings be taken at the time of planting i.e winter, or is there a specific time of the year for taking the cuttings? as I know a guy who has plenty of hybrids that would let me take some cuttings............

BBAM -what colour stem are on your willow? ....thanks for link

bbam

Came as 1 foot cuttings. Planted in about April. Stems are green.
They recommend longer cuttings if there are any problems like undergrowth. How about foot cuttings and use nematodesmto control slugs. You'd need to work out which is more cost effective.
I plan on taking my own cuttings in Feb. I'd think planting cuttings too early might start rot in the base before growth starts.

Qwerty?

I've seen some places suggest cutting in sep/oct also. Perhaps try a few now and see how they get on.

Tried nemaslug and slug pellets, just where they are planted is overrun with slugs due to undergrowth. I have a m2 of weedblock around each cutting to prevent undergrowth affecting the cuttings.

If you have any spare cuttings let me know:D

fodda

Can i ask CC. Why if it is for logs are you growing willow or is the ground a bit wet?

fodda

bbam when you say 12-14 ft. Are you talking twig type or 3"-4" log type?

crackcrack30

Yes fodda, winter wet, About half acre+ in a corner but also because it will diversify my types of wood fuel and should compliment a turf fire in a stove,...... and because it is a type of hardwood ...and it provides a nice log size easily chopsawed for fire starting.....because it offers a fast crop rotation........and it it will have some benefits to wildlife, if it works out I doubt i'll regret it...............Im a bit obsessed with wood fuel lately as i want to be self sufficent and carbon neutral with solid fuel within 10 years.

fodda

I know someone who planted Ash whips and after 10 years they were well over 4" diameter but the ground was good.

bbam

fodda wrote: »

bbam when you say 12-14 ft. Are you talking twig type or 3"-4" log type?

Ah no..
Don't be thinking that any willow will be 4" diameter and 14 feet in two years...
Even well established regularly coppiced plants will take 4 years to acheive that diameter... And I'd say they would need to be planted in great ground too.

Its mostly shelter belt iI'm looking for at the moment..

William Powell

OP take a look at http://www.waterwillows.com/ they have a good list of species.

I grow about ~20 species as windbreaks, the tallest grow about 10 feet from being copiced each year and this year I'll be planting more of the shorter ones (coloured bark types) from my own stock (many originally from water willows) in front and behind the taller ones to cover more ground and create a better windbreak.

For fuel there are plenty of good varieties but I don't know the name of the fastest growing one I have which would might make useable firewood in 4-5years from copicing.

I "plant" foot long hardwood cuttings straight in the ground around the end of March as I have a very exposed site. Rods put in during the winter tend to desicate before they get going. I also plant through a woven black plastic geotextile (3ft wide and plant a double row at about 1ft spacing) which makes establishment very quick and saves weeding.

I also plant longer Rods of about 5ft long as single plants in long grass and establishment is slower than the shorter 1ft cuttings but saves on plastic, trouble is without the plastic weed control with a stimmer often gets the odd one Another problem with the long rods is that on our windy site they blow around which damages the newly forming roots slowing establishment.

Slugs - where do they come into it? Never had a problem with them and can't see how they'd be a problem if the cuttings are gowing well enough.

goat2

what is the fastest growing decidious tree, i have some plantedfor fire also, they are about 10 yrs old, i just cut some down to seven ft from ground level each year and take limbs off others in rotation each year, i have had a steady supply of timber with the past four yrs for my wood burner, and by just doing this kind of cutting, all the trees i started out with are still growing and giving shelter, providing wildlife with shelter and me with heat, so by spending say fifty euro now a person saves themselves hundreds of euro down the line, i also put in cuttings each year, just to keep up stock, i think if everyone found some corner of their plot for this, it would pay them handsomely, also doing good for the planet and wildlife, it should be encouraged.

fodda

Some stuff on here about planting trees for firewood www.grow-your-own.ie/forestry.html

goat2

very good, i think there is a great opening out there for people who have stoppen farming to let out land by the third of an acre to people who do not have a plot to grow their own trees, even if people got together on that one third of acre and filled it up with fastest growing trees, they would reap rewards, then there would be less enough fuel to go around for all

Qwerty?

William Powell wrote: »

Slugs - where do they come into it? Never had a problem with them and can't see how they'd be a problem if the cuttings are gowing well enough.

The problem is everytime leaves grow, the slugs eat them

William Powell

Qwerty? wrote: »

The problem is everytime leaves grow, the slugs eat them

Any particular willow as that seems a strange problem to me? In our garden/field most of the rods are planted through plastic and that creates a great enviroment for slugs but slugs aren't a problem. But the plastic "mulch" is always a good place to hid a few slug pellets if need be.

bbam

Qwerty? wrote: »

I've seen some places suggest cutting in sep/oct also. Perhaps try a few now and see how they get on.

Do you have a link for this ??

crackcrack30

I think it makes more sence to wait until feb/march to avoid them rotting