Willow vs alder coppice for free firewood forever!

[@jphalsberghe1]

Most people will tell me that willow fire wood isn.t worth the effort, but living in an area where mostly willow grows, I smile.....during the long winter months

[@Debbie-henri]

Especially Goat Willow. The one in my back garden seems to grow back its limbs as soon as you turn your back on it. It's going to need another major haircut this Autumn.

[@Pwecko]

I like your dog.

[@kelliott7864]

I like that you are collecting alder seeds on site. I have found that alder can be locally adapted to a micro level. I would suggest that if you have a few seedlings that grow exceedingly well, allow them to grow without coppicing for a future superior seed source.

[@garymaxwell3086]

Love that you get straight to the point, another great video

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

Thank you for that - it means a lot!

[@aRareKindOfMonster]

Thanks for identifying soft rush and the nifty little candle hack using it!

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

No problem - they are a real nuisance on our land, so it is nice to think that they once had a use!

[@fredenglish5307]

Sir, everything about this video is exceptional! Nearly every word had value. I learned a great deal from this video. Thank you.

[@ricos1497]

That was very enjoyable. Great information. Thanks.

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Yenadar]

Love this. Northwest Washington state, lots of rain, water ways, and willow and alder are our mainstays on our farm. Basically ideal for our silvo pastured pigs. Fantastic trees.

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

Sounds very similar to our place. I sometimes complain about the amount of rain that we get, but at least trees grow really well!

[@davidmoore2699]

I grew up in Washington State, Snohomish County. Alder was my favorite for firewood though we had more Douglas Fir available.

[@miketo09]

Another Northwest native here. Had alder firewood growing up; alder-smoked king salmon is an incredible meal. I'm also a woodworker, and red alder is known as "the poor man's cherry." Wonderful wood to work with -- not quite as good as cherry though -- and makes great furniture. Grow willow for firewood, alder for woodworking and fancy fires when friends drop by. :)

[@regtitch5200]

Calm and informative. Thanks

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

Thanks - I always feel a bit manic when I am talking to camera, but then it doesn't look that way when I watch it back. Very strange, glad you liked it.

[@jeroenmiggels4629]

2:46 Soft Rush usage: In the Netherlands soft rush is named "pitrus", for one of the Dutch words for wick is "pit", so translated the plant is named 'wick rush'.

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

That's really interesting - thanks!

[@jonathonalsop2120]

I don't have any real wet spots on my farm so I've planted alder (among other things) at the edge of the barnyard where most of the rain from the barn roof ends up, they seem to be doing pretty well so far. Great video on an often under appreciated plant.

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

Thanks for that. I am glad that you are having success. It really is about getting the conditions right!

[@falfield]

I can't tell you how lovely it is to have a fluent, articulate and intelligent commentary - Bravo! Is the soil underneath clay or peaty? If the former, then Black Poplar would likely do well and maybe you might have room for a couple as keepers. Being large, they are great for making a flat landscape more interesting. But the real attraction is that they are now Britain's rarest native timber tree - maybe only 8000 left - and are marvellous for habitat. And wagon wheels!

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

Hi, that's very nice of you to say! Our soil is mostly clay and very wet. We bought 3 female black poplars from the breeding program at Chester Zoo and they are doing well. Now we just need to get a male one so that they will reproduce.

[@JS-jh4cy]

Wow fascinating about alder and the rush reed

[@GardensforLife]

Great video! Thanks for making it! Greetings from Ireland

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

Hello from Cumbria! Good luck with the homesteading. Quiting your job to go for it is something I can't quite bring myself to do. I applaude your bravery!

[@GardensforLife]

@@theviewfromtheclouds Thanks! You must've watched some of our videos. I've been building the business for 7 years now. I would recommend starting small and keep building on the side until you can't afford to work for somebody else in a job any more. :D

[@MagicMarvin33]

Very good vid and lots of information without being overwhelmed much or boring. Thanks :)

[@Carlo-a-life-less-ordinary-]

Where i live, we put willow sticks in ground when they are 10-15 cm wide. You speed up the proces like that.

[@EireGenX]

Great information. Thank you

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

Glad it was helpful!

[@brianpalmer967]

Hi there, alder is not unique in its ability to coppice. It is actually a very general property for many deciduous trees. Conifers, on the other hand, don't generally coppice.

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

Hi, you are very right. I was mostly referring to the choice we have on our land. There are very few that will thrive here and will tolerate coppicing. I think I could have been more clear on that point.

[@d1m4d]

Very informative thank you and lovely assistant 🐕

[@robertslater5706]

If the aspen grows faster than the willow why not grow allot of those?? Do they not coop ice well??

[@JamieW-o7b]

Willow needs to be really dry and even then it is not great. Alder was my choice for bulk and ease of cutting, but I mixed in a few ash to increase the heat. Plus if you have some oak, they keep the fire in overnight.

[@TheRewildlife]

Wow im so glad I found your channel! Im planting a lot of trees at the moment and learned so much from this one video. I have a lot of wet land like this. I wonder if youd mind watching my full tour video and sharing any thoughts you have? Thank you!

[@ansaolmaith43]

Loved your video .. ive planted 800+ native irish trees since 2016 , lots of alder & wilow .. so to coppice them i should cut them right to the ground ? And in time they will produce good size logs/firewood ?

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

Yes, that's right. Coppicing them should work great. How big in diameter are they now?

[@ansaolmaith43]

​@theviewfromtheclouds the older/larger ones are between 6-9" in diameter, some prob a little bigger

[@benlarson9303]

What type of willow do you have?

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

Hi, we grow several different varieties. The best one is a cutting that my father-in-law found growing in a hedge decades ago. Another good variety we grow is Q83.

[@russtaylor4242]

Great video, thank you. I want to coppice to produce chippings for pathways. Our field is a bit boggy, normal Somerset clay, but in the summer it will dry out. Would you recommend willow or alder please?

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

I would go with alder. Willow chips might root and start to grow, which would not be great on a path.

[@ethanallenhawley1052]

I remember an old youtube video which talked about coping stands of ash-hazel also being great for firewood and getting long shoots for poles and fences.

[@peterellis4262]

The nitrogen fixing is a real bonus ;)

[@sarahcrooks6780]

May I ask a question please? I'm confused - in a previous video I watched, you mentioned coppicing willow after four years, you also mention doing it after a couple of years, and here you say you're going to do it on a seven year rotation. Would you mind unconfusing me, or is this covered in another video I haven't seen yet (I've only just found your channel). Thank you :)

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

Hi, sorry that I was confusing. The initial coppice cut is done after the first year or two of growth. This is to get the tree to create multiple branches and create the ‘stool’. That is the stump that all of the future wood will grow from. Following the initial cut we are hoping to cut after 5 to 7 years depending on how well the trees grow. After that, we hope to be cutting every 5 years. I am currently planning a video for this winter to pull all of this information together. I hope that helps!

[@sarahcrooks6780]

@@theviewfromtheclouds Thank you! I'll look forward to the new video. We're on just four acres in very wet, unbelievably heavy clay, with just one to two inches of topsoil, in Co.Leitrim. It was just a field and we're slowly creating a permaculture smallholding. We're hoping to plant willow and alder on a particularly wet patch, come spring, using cuttings from what we already have growing. What's the No.1 piece of advice you'd give? Thank you :)

[@Debbie-henri]

I think we should always invest in a variety of wood sources for firewood. Seems to me that every few years another pest, disease or fungus gets imported into different parts of the world. Look at the devastation caused to Ash trees, and that happened so fast. Had Ash been a primary source of your firewood, it would have been devastating. I grow Hazel, Alder, Willows are coming up, some 'disposable' pines to be rotated, and Birch.

[@thecurrentmoment]

Alder wood is durable under water but not in the ground

[@mattliamjack3293]

Hazel beech birch oak all coppicable/pollardable.

[@akhtarshad3949]

Sir this is not tree A Dog

[@jayuppercase3398]

Pollard your trees instead and you can graze sheep

[@Poopdudeification]

Great video. Was hoping you'd talk a bit more about that aspen, as well. I'm here in the PNW. We have a good bit of water, but also get hot summers and long days. We've got willow and aspen growing. They both seem to enjoy the somewhat more wet and clay soil our property has. No alder, though. Probably would do well too. If aspen grows in your area, grows as fast as it does, and also sends out as much new growth from root shoots as it does, why isn't it in your top picks?

[@Pwecko]

I like your dog.

[@theviewfromtheclouds]

Thanks for that - she is lovely!