# Growing trees for the production of firewood



## damato333 (Dec 11, 2011)

I have about 6 acres that I would like to plant up with trees that have high btu value. I am looking for fast growing trees but not invasive. I would like to plant trees that make good firewood but also have other uses. For now I am thinking black locust, osage orange, and possibly mulberry. I was thinking about honey locust but I'm not sure if theres a difference in the wood between the thorned and thornless. I wouldn't mind the thorned honey locust but I couldn't find anyone that sells plants or seeds. I need trees that grow in at least zone 5. If anyone as any ideas on better trees to plant for firewood I would like to hear everyones suggestions.


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## Hddnis (Dec 11, 2011)

You might make more growing poplar for pulp wood. Not likely to make a killing off of a small plot no matter what you do with it. You do have more than the USDA says is needed for sustained firewood production for a single household. In fact you have enough for four houses. In average firewood prices today that would mean you could gross about $2400 a year after heating your home.



Mr. HE


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## REJ2 (Dec 11, 2011)

It takes years for a hardwood tree to grow from sapling to something usable. If your only 20 years old you might have something by the time your 50. Just my thoughts.


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## zogger (Dec 11, 2011)

--when we first moved here, there was a swampy area next to the house that needed to be cleared for a garden spot. One of the trees there was a mulberry, it got took down. That stump sprouted the fastest growing stuff ever. It's headed to 20 feet tall now, a little mini thicket, I am going to trim it back down soon see what I can make from it as a fruit tree..just for sport. Not really interested in it for firewood, but man it produces the berries!

I don't know about your other prospective species, but something to consider on a sustainable forever harvest with minimal work. Cut/harvest, let sprout, take all but the best one off, then let it grow again. Plus loads of berries for humans and local wild critters.

A lot of cellulose per acre per year, good harvest from year one, industrial hemp would be the ticket. You could get biodiesel from it, human food, animal fodder, plus, fairly uniform burnable wood stuff. Perhaps make mini bales from the stalks, burn those. Something like that.

Too bad our government is richard craniums about this subject. Look at the nations where it is legal, have they collapsed into nothing-ness from "allowing" a plant to grow that has so many practical uses? Nope.


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## damato333 (Dec 11, 2011)

I'm thinking of doing this just to supplement my regular supply of wood. I will not be solely relying on this six acres. I realize most hardwoods take very long to mature. That is why I was considering black locust and osage orange they are very fast growers.


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## stumpy75 (Dec 11, 2011)

There was a thread a while ago about this too, and I believe we talked about hybrid poplar. Fast growing, sprouts from the stump and makes a very sustainable harvest. Some may not like poplar, but the amount of biomass(read btus) that you can get per acre is kind of amazing.

And you can start harvesting in about 5 years....


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## redheadwoodshed (Dec 11, 2011)

damato333 said:


> I have about 6 acres that I would like to plant up with trees that have high btu value. I am looking for fast growing trees but not invasive. I would like to plant trees that make good firewood but also have other uses. For now I am thinking black locust, osage orange, and possibly mulberry. I was thinking about honey locust but I'm not sure if theres a difference in the wood between the thorned and thornless. I wouldn't mind the thorned honey locust but I couldn't find anyone that sells plants or seeds. I need trees that grow in at least zone 5. If anyone as any ideas on better trees to plant for firewood I would like to hear everyones suggestions.



You might want to check out some of the eucalyptus trees.Some of them are supposed to be a fast grower and high btu value.I don't know about up north, but down here the black locust only grow fast until they get about 2" across, then they slow way down.Catawba trees grow pretty fast,and have a fairly high btu value.Sweetgum grows fast and has a decent btu value and it will sprout from the stump.They can be a bugger to split,though, hydraulics would be a must.I burn it myself because I sell all my"good" wood.It ain't bad.
Some of those "hybrid poplar" trees they sold around here several years back turned out to be chinese tallow trees.A very invasive species and I'd rather burn tires full of hair than smell those things burn.The dryer they get,the more they stink,too.
To get seeds for honey locust is easy if you know where a big one is.There are usally seed pods all over the ground.


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## iowa (Dec 11, 2011)

Check your local state forest program to buy trees. I bought a bunch of black locust, white oak, and pin oak 2 yrs ago. The black locust was about 2' tall trees. They're now over 8'! The oaks have grown quite a bit. But maybe some are 3-4' tall. 

These were cheap. Like $10 a bundle with 20 in a bundle. Everyone I planted lived. I'd say plant black locust. I wouldn't plant honey locust. Pain in butt to harvest them!


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## s219 (Dec 11, 2011)

I have looked into this a little, and hybrid poplar seems to be one of the best choices.

I'd sure consider planting black locust, but does anyone know how fast it grows compared to hybrid poplar? And where to get seedlings or saplings?


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## redheadwoodshed (Dec 11, 2011)

iowa said:


> Check your local state forest program to buy trees. I bought a bunch of black locust, white oak, and pin oak 2 yrs ago. The black locust was about 2' tall trees. They're now over 8'! The oaks have grown quite a bit. But maybe some are 3-4' tall.
> 
> These were cheap. Like $10 a bundle with 20 in a bundle. Everyone I planted lived. I'd say plant black locust. I wouldn't plant honey locust. Pain in butt to harvest them!



Ha ha, they're a pain in a lot more than the butt.Beautiful trees, though,IMO.


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## damato333 (Dec 11, 2011)

Does anyone know how well hybrid poplar burns?


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## Hddnis (Dec 11, 2011)

damato333 said:


> Does anyone know how well hybrid poplar burns?





It burns very well. Faster than a hard old chunk of oak, but not a bad firewood at all. It was all I used for several years about ten years ago and I have no complaints at all. Very little ash for the heat you get.




Mr. HE


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## scottb (Dec 11, 2011)

damato333 said:


> Does anyone know how well hybrid poplar burns?



I'm burning it right now. I brought it home last new years eve, and split in September. The last pallet load was burning better than the dead standing oak i just cut and split at the same time. It was 20 years old and 5' dbh. The growth rings averaged more than an inch. This pallet load that is burning got 2" of rain on it the beginning of last week and isn't burning well. 15 pieces in 5 hours and it's only 73 degrees.


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## slowp (Dec 12, 2011)

Perhaps you could plant a mixture of fast growers and then some slower growing trees?


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## tooold (Dec 12, 2011)

I have planted both the tall skinny hybrid poplars and the branching out type. I have cut down and burned about ten of the trees. they ranged in dia from 10" to 18". They grow very fast, drop sticky buds that stick to dogs feet, and the roots grow on the surface. The firewood is super wet and heavy when cut but gets light when dry. It seems like it won't dry unles it is split, and yes the wood stinks. It reminds me of burning weeping willow wood. It burns quick and you don't get a nice long lasting bed of coals like with oak, hickory, and locust. The largest trees (20"+) are dying out in the tops and storms break branches out easy. Pulpwood...maybe...but not for firewood....just my 2cents.


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## tooold (Dec 12, 2011)

Around here, the mulberry trees are hated if you want to keep a fence line clear. The birds eat the berries, then sit and poop on the fence. The mulberry's are tough to get rid of because they have deep tap roots. I planted a 5 acre field with oaks and hard maples on a 25' grid. I then planted silver maples and walnuts to make it a 12.5' grid. That was 15 years ago and I am now cutting out all the trees back to the original oaks on the 25' grid. The largest maples and walnuts are 10" dia and am getting alot of wood but lots of work. I would rather get my wood in big tree trunk form.


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## iowa (Dec 12, 2011)

Just plant some oak, hickory, and black locust. 

Whether you are able to use it in your life time or not. It don't matter. It will be good for someone down the road and add value to your property!


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## Torch68 (Dec 20, 2011)

*Black Locust*

The Black Locust tree here in CT is almost classified as an invasive species as it grows in thick groves via rhizomes. They do grow straight and the wood is decent to burn but the shallow root system of the trees leaves it susceptible to blowover during very high winds. I have about 4 or 5 cords now drying from this past fall's cut.


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## turnkey4099 (Dec 20, 2011)

redheadwoodshed said:


> You might want to check out some of the eucalyptus trees.Some of them are supposed to be a fast grower and high btu value.I don't know about up north, but down here the black locust only grow fast until they get about 2" across, then they slow way down.
> 
> <snip>
> 
> .



I agree. I am cutting trees now that I was eyeballing 30 years ago. They ain't all that much bigger now. I would not put b. locust in the fast growing group if you are interested in trees big enough to produce more than 1/2 cord of wood...and even a half cord locust is an old tree.

Harry K


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## turnkey4099 (Dec 20, 2011)

Torch68 said:


> The Black Locust tree here in CT is almost classified as an invasive species as it grows in thick groves via rhizomes. They do grow straight and the wood is decent to burn but the shallow root system of the trees leaves it susceptible to blowover during very high winds. I have about 4 or 5 cords now drying from this past fall's cut.



Yes, they copse badly and when they do, the trees in the copse rarely get much of a size.

Harry K


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## Chainsaw_Maniac (Dec 20, 2011)

You'd be better off to grow something else like Christmas trees or fruit trees and use the profit to buy firewood. I have 300 acres that someone tried to clear for farmland in 1982 that hasn't been touched in decades and a 10 year increase is barely noticeable. Small ash and birch have been there for decades, so it wasn't a lack of things that can grow.

Depth and quality of the soil has a lot to do with how fast trees grow in my opinion.


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## plips71755 (Mar 15, 2017)

Here is a good table to tell you BTUs of wood. Also think, for home use, of europe's way of doing firewood... coppicing is the correct spelling if you want to look up more info. Centuries old practice done globally. 
http://www.nativeforestry.co.uk/firewood.html
http://www.christopherlong.co.uk/oth/hedges.html
https://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/so-you-own-a-woodland.pdf/$file/so-you-own-a-woodland.pdf


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## plips71755 (Mar 15, 2017)

Chainsaw_Maniac said:


> You'd be better off to grow something else like Christmas trees or fruit trees and use the profit to buy firewood. I have 300 acres that someone tried to clear for farmland in 1982 that hasn't been touched in decades and a 10 year increase is barely noticeable. Small ash and birch have been there for decades, so it wasn't a lack of things that can grow.
> 
> Depth and quality of the soil has a lot to do with how fast trees grow in my opinion.


Done Christmas trees...good luck. Hard work with lots of maintenance and dealing with public if cut your own. They will start to cut several trees and then see one they like better. You don't know the others were cut on until several weeks/months later. Best to tell them to search, have them tag with their name and come to you to actually cut - you can let them help but you know they are only on that tree. Plus it is best this way..they pay before cutting. You plant 1009s in the coldest part of the year - Jan/Feb again depend on variety and you have to candle/prune in the hottest July/August depending on variety. You are pushed to get pruning over at just right time or you screwing up growth. This is a every year process including replanting. Then there is cutting the rows to keep weeds and other growth down 3/4 year plus fertilization and spraying. And don't mention the hornets who like to take up residence in trees or the ground yellow jackets or the ants who love resin. Then there are the deer who love to nibble away and can quickly ruin nice straight growth with nibbling and rubbing. YOU HAVE TO LOVE IT, HAVE LOTS OF FRIENDS, LOTS OF VACATION TIME, AND BE VERY PATIENT. Depending on your soil, climate, etc. you can be 5-7 years to get a 5' pine if everything goes well and longer for firs. 

Fruit trees are virtually the same but more diseases plus fruit won't have best flavor until a little older for apples, grapes, etc. and you have all the animals, and birds to contend with. No matter what you grow, first thing is to have multiple areas of farm soil tested for what you want to grow. Good luck.


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## Hddnis (Mar 15, 2017)

It is rare that someone who joined yesterday raises the dead and actually contributes useful information. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen it before.

I always wanted to raise holly, the kind with prickly leaves and red berries. That stuff makes good firewood.


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## Tenderfoot (Mar 15, 2017)

http://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/coppicing-firewood
It has been touched upon, but Coppocing deliberately is a sustainable method of growing wood. 3 acres is not much wood, but it can be done. I understand you have to harvest mid winter and leave higher stumps if you have lots of snow fall (pollarding).


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## muddstopper (Mar 16, 2017)

If the trees where planted back when this thread was started, he would be halfway to firewood by now. LOL
Anyways, I would consider some silver or red maple. Around here it grows pretty fast. Keeping it mulched with hardwood mulch speeds it up. For something really fast growing, I would look at the lombardy popular, 5 or 6 years and it will be above the power poles high, and can be planted thick for maximum production in small areas.


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