Grow your own Firewood
Heating your home with your own firewood is one of the most self-sufficient things you can do. You will cut out the big utility companies and provide the same service at a minimal cost.
It's also a green way to heat your home. When you burn would you are releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When you plant and grow trees you are tae's than you are taking and your conscience can be clear!
How do I coppice a tree?
Coppicing has been carried out in Britain for centuries. It's a green way to harvest wood and manage forestry. It only works with decidious trees.
Basically you chop your tree down in winter when the tree is in it's dormant period . How close to the base you cut will depend on the type of tree. Make sure to ask when buying your trees. In spring new side shoots will emerge from the stump. You can let these grow and harvest again in years to come. With some types of tree's you can keep doing this indefinitely. After you have done this a few times you will end up with a stump with multiple trunks. This called a stool.
king carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. The trick is to plant as you chop. Always try to plant more tre
Which kind of trees are suitable for firewood?
Obviously you can burn any kind of wood but if you are being practical you will want to plant quick growing trees that you can coppice. The following quick growing trees are suitable:
- Willow - ready to harvest/coppice in 4-5 years
- Ash - ready to harvest in 7-10 years
- Alder - ready to harvest in 5 years
- Eucalyptus nitens - ready to harvest in 4-6 years. They are not great at coppicing though. Other varieties of Eucalyptus do coppice well. This wood is great for making wood pellets too. Check out this website for more info on this extraordinary tree: http://www.primabio.co.uk/bm_trials.htm
Where to plant
Yes you will need space to plant your own tree's. Not all of us have it. If you don't have any space of your own why not try to come to an arrangement with a friendly land owner. Offer them a cut of the harvest.
You will need 2m x 2m spacing per tree. Some tree's such as Eucalyptus don't like the wind so take this into consideration.
How to Season Firewood
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When you've chopped your tree down and cut into fire size logs (about 8" diameter is good) you will need to season it. The woods moisture content after cutting will be about 50%. This is what's known as green wood. Burning this creates a lot of creosote which can start chimney fires. It also results in a lower heat being produced. The aim of seasoning is to bring the moisture content down to about 20%.
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To season hard woods you need to leave out for about 1 year. Don't leave it much longer as you will start to lose all moisture content and the wood will burn too fast. Soft woods will be ready after about 6 months.
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Make sure your wood stack is not in direct contact with the ground. Some recycled pallets are good for creating a buffer zone. I place tarp on top of the pallets then stack my wood.
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You can cover the wood with a tarp but keep the sides free. You need air to circulate. Place in a sunny spot.
