Willow Coppice For Firewood

Down in our willow Coppice areas we’re we are growing willow on rotation for firewood.

[@tonyhussey3610]

Great advice.. I never heard about the trimming of first year, second year ect.. thanks.. Will start mine next year and was worried it will be a big mess.. but this advice solves this 👍👍👍

[@GrizzlyGroundswell]

I grow willow here and it takes time to figure it out, but it looks like your doing great in your lovely homestead there across the pond. The one head slapper moment in your video for me was when you were talking about taking cuttings from your older established bed of willow when you had a perfectly fine cutting in your hand. Just cut that bad boy up in a 12 to 20 inch cutting and stick it into those areas where your previous cuttings failed. Don't worry about the time of year, just stick them in, and if they don't grow, no worries, you have a multitude more to choose from. But time is the thing here. Get them in the ground ASAP. Sure there are great times of year to plant but the best time is when you have the cuttings in your hand! You have a lovely stand of willow and beds. I never heard of the 3-2-1 method for coppicing before, but I have never grown for firewood. I generally coppice yearly to the ground or pollard above browse line. I am trying to get all my trees in rotation for coppice or pollard, but wow, it is work and I am not getting younger. But the beauty is that I can manage it. You have a great set up. I suggest planting them closer in that new bed for a wind break and coppice rows so you always have new growth at the base, mid and tall with some in between. It is really amazing how those rods cut the wind down. I mix mulberry, black locust willow and birch in with our wind breaks . Here we have a river willow that you can't propagate by cuttings or it is not as easy as other willow species. That willow would be great for firewood as it grows so fast, maybe a bit too soft, but seems to be somewhat hard. I have never burned it but I have worked it and it is really fun to work with. A good widdling stick. I bet if you planted closer you would get straighter and more wind resistant willow. Take it with a pinch of salt, but it looks like you have such a great start and it is only time that is needed to realize your vision for your homestead. Don't beat yourself up, your almost there!

[@asmallholdinginwales]

Thank you, over here it’s always been get the cuttings in autumn early winter get finished by the start of March

[@GrizzlyGroundswell]

@@asmallholdinginwales Same here but don't let a nice cutting go to waste or fodder when you have holes to fill. Have you tried planting them more densely together?

[@janenewley6539]

Your other easy option for cuttings… cut a number of 8 inch fresh shoots, put them in a jar of water on kitchen windowsill, in a few weeks they will have lovely roots ready for planting😀Jinxy

[@combitz]

If you haven't already planted your wind break you could use Alder as it will love the water, and you could plant two rows of hazel after to help form the slope to lift the wind. Just an idea.

[@asmallholdinginwales]

Thank you

[@jimbanda]

The willow that died simply died for lack of water. Just clip rods from the other more successful trees and stick em down, no need for plastic or mulch, it will easily compete with weeds/grass etc

[@macw2234]

Looks good. I like your bodyguard squadron hehe. They are beautiful hens

[@asmallholdinginwales]

Thank you

[@judypaszek4799]

Now that I've seen you coppicing willow, I'm going to try it. My neighbor has a willow tree and I'll get shoots from her. I'm in Northern Ontario, Canada. Should I try putting them in this fall before the snow.

[@asmallholdinginwales]

Mine go in late winter early spring when the sap starts to rise

[@paulbucklebuckle4921]

The silage sheets are starving the willow of water , it's not breathable , I find willow does best on longer whips with no plastic barrier .

[@WG1807]

I've been considering firewood growing but have been looking at Eucalyptus. The cuttings are more expensive but there are some very quick varieties that suit a 5 year rotation. It's much harder and denser timber and makes good firewood,

[@asmallholdinginwales]

I have looked at Eucalyptus but our ground isn’t really suitable for a Coppice, I have the odd tree around the place but they haven’t done as well

[@WG1807]

@@asmallholdinginwales Ah, I see. Is that because of wet ground? I might be similar here in Lancs.

[@asmallholdinginwales]

@@WG1807 we are on rock bed and shale and it’s always damp

[@tonyhussey3610]

I'm in Portugal and see eucalyptus everywhere.. It's definitely a great firewood and quick grower.. Just be careful about forest fires.. but you are in the UK so not such an issue.. Also nothing really likes growing under the eucalyptus.. so won't work if you have a stand and want to plant underneath them... They coppice very well.. nearly like a weed they grow that well..

[@nikcain]

Interesting about the reducing shoots for larger stems. Where did you find that out? I'd be interested if it means lower yields or works out the same (although, like you, I want logs rather than chipping it for fuel...)

[@asmallholdinginwales]

it was just what I found when researching

[@gedhuffadine1873]

I have just put about50 1 foot whips in water I did not think they would root but they have so going to start a small coppice. How much growth can I expect in the first year? Good vid just subbed

[@asmallholdinginwales]

They can put on up to 8 foot in growth in the first year

[@vincentput]

What exact type of willow is used? Brilliant coppica patch

[@asmallholdinginwales]

3 variety's of willow A9 Viminalis, Surge and Nini

[@asmallholdersjourney3618]

White willow is it not? We have three varieties so far. White, Grey and Goats. Oh on the pine front. We are looking at Larch so it can be used as building timber. Might be an idea for you guys.

[@davejones4269]

Would weed fabric be better than sileage sheets. As willow likes water and sileage sheets are impermeable? I could do with knowing what is best as I ‘d like to plant a Coppice too 😊

[@asmallholdinginwales]

The issue with the weed fabric is it dosent give enough around the swelling trunk of the willow I have used weed fabric in other areas and it ends up strangling the base of the trunk the best solution I have found is and what I now do is silage sheets and after the first year take it all up at which point it should be established enough

[@DJ-uk5mm]

Where did you get your Jerusalem artichoke rhizomes please?

[@asmallholdinginwales]

I was given some off a friend many years ago and just grown them on and replanted new areas.

[@liam314]

Might be better to use poplar cuttings instead of willow, as poplar cuttings tend to self thin to produce a single large trunk

[@asmallholdinginwales]

Thank you

[@liam314]

@@asmallholdinginwales You're welcome. Also, I wouldn't recommend planting giant timber trees like Norway spruce as a windbreak. I think you would be much better off planting a row of vigorous, evergreen, nitrogen fixing shrubs such as Wax Myrtle (Myrica Cerifera) which are easy to grow from seed, or Elaeagnus Ebbingeii which is fairly easy to propagate from cuttings

[@SgtSnausages]

What spacing do you plant your Willow patchesm

[@asmallholdinginwales]

The willow is approx 1 meter apart