I was wondering if there was a tree that grew fast and provided good heat with a high btu rating. If I ever get rid of my five acres and get a bigger yard Id like to look into planting a section of woods big enough that by the time I go through it once for wood, theres already trees ready to be cut down a second time
Whats the best tree to plant for firewood?
- Thread starter BigBadJohn86
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
weatherguy
Minister of Fire
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
John, you may find several places who advertise fast growing trees (hybrids) that can be used for firewood. My advice is to stay away from any type of a hybrid tree. The reason is that they do indeed grow fast but are pure junk for firewood. Case in point. We experimented with a few hybrid popple and elm. They did grow fast but were a pain in the rear all the way. They are weak, especially the popple and would simply break and you never know how high up the break will be. This, of course, is a danger. The elm did not break but we cut them as we feared they would as they started showing weak spots and sap would really run out of the cracks.
The two worst things as they are growing are the limbs and the roots. Roots grow on top of the ground a lot and go for a long ways. Branches are about as numerous as grains of sand on the beach! Now the good part. When you cut either of them you may want to plug your nose as they are extremely smelly and not good either. Sap literally runs out of them but 6 months later they are light as a feather.
For other fast growing trees, poplar grows fast for one but again, it is not the best firewood. Basically anything that does grow fast will be in the softwood category.
The two worst things as they are growing are the limbs and the roots. Roots grow on top of the ground a lot and go for a long ways. Branches are about as numerous as grains of sand on the beach! Now the good part. When you cut either of them you may want to plug your nose as they are extremely smelly and not good either. Sap literally runs out of them but 6 months later they are light as a feather.
For other fast growing trees, poplar grows fast for one but again, it is not the best firewood. Basically anything that does grow fast will be in the softwood category.
You need to find out what type of soils you have first. Some trees grow faster on bottomground, others grow faster on upland soils.
I'm a big fan of tulip-poplar (yellow-poplar) and silver maple. They are low on the list of BTU's, but they sure grow fast. You might get 3x - 4x the amount of wood from a silver maple than you will oak given the same growing time. Plus they are super easy to split, and aren't as much of a pain as the hybrids are (like Dennis mentioned).
Your best best might be to mix it up - plant some oaks, locust, or osage on one part of the property, and silver maple or tulip-poplar on the other part. keep asking around.
I'm a big fan of tulip-poplar (yellow-poplar) and silver maple. They are low on the list of BTU's, but they sure grow fast. You might get 3x - 4x the amount of wood from a silver maple than you will oak given the same growing time. Plus they are super easy to split, and aren't as much of a pain as the hybrids are (like Dennis mentioned).
Your best best might be to mix it up - plant some oaks, locust, or osage on one part of the property, and silver maple or tulip-poplar on the other part. keep asking around.
Black locust grows fast and is good firewood.
nrford
Minister of Fire
oldspark said:
Except for the fact that we have the EAB in this country now!
I've planted both black locust and Osage on my place . They both do well in poor soil and grow fairly quickly . The black locust does seem to grow a bit faster than the Osage,but not by much.
yooperdave
Minister of Fire
Brewmonster
Burning Hunk
Another vote for Black Locust. Fast growing, artistic branching, and sweet-smelling, beautiful flowers in May. And the best firewood there is.
Flatbedford
Minister of Fire
Generally, your location will have a lot to do with what grows well/fast. Therefore, an indigenous species will always give you the best bang for your buck so to speak. Just to mix it up a bit and add to the very good advice already posted I will throw out red oak as a suggestion. Biggest factor there is some well-drained upland ground. They actually grow pretty fast, and it splits super easy.
Oregon Bigfoot
Feeling the Heat
In the northern states, especially the Pacific Northwest, I'd go with Douglas Fir.
Oregon Bigfoot
Oregon Bigfoot
If you're swapping parcels, why not look for one with a good size portion of mixed hardwood saplings? You could selective cut and have a good firewood mix without having to wait too long for a harvest. You would also avoid the pitfalls of a monoculture stand. At least in my neck of the woods, an "unimproved" brush lot sells for a lot less than cleared land or a mature woodlot.
Ehouse
Ehouse
Wood Duck
Minister of Fire
If I were planting for firewood I would want a mixed stand of species. I would want not just firewood but also wildlife and I would want a mixed stand that would not be overly susceptible to the next exotic insect or disease we import. I would also want some evergreens just for wildlife and because they look nice in the winter.
I'd start with Black Locust. It grows fast, tolerates bad soil, fixes nitrogen so it helps improve the soil, casts a light shade that allows other trees to grow beneath it, resprouts when you cut, bees make honey fron the nectar, and the wood is about as good as firewood gets. The only problem with this tree is that is gets an insect infestation some years that makes it look sort of brown, but doesn't seem to do much other damage. I'd plant the whole area with Black Locust spaced at around 8 or 10 feet apart. This would allow me to plant other trees in between and thin the locust over time to allow the other trees room to grow. I'd also plant Some Osage Orange (just because it is native to the great plains and the firewood is supposed to be the best), plus a mix that includes a lot of the other native trees in your area. For evergreen I would probably choose Norway Pine (actually native, poorly chosen name). I would include the oaks that grow well in your area. Oaks are slow for the first few years, but are great wildlife trees and of course good firewood for your children. Most hardwood trees really aren't going to provide YOU with much firewood, they will take longer than that.
I'd start with Black Locust. It grows fast, tolerates bad soil, fixes nitrogen so it helps improve the soil, casts a light shade that allows other trees to grow beneath it, resprouts when you cut, bees make honey fron the nectar, and the wood is about as good as firewood gets. The only problem with this tree is that is gets an insect infestation some years that makes it look sort of brown, but doesn't seem to do much other damage. I'd plant the whole area with Black Locust spaced at around 8 or 10 feet apart. This would allow me to plant other trees in between and thin the locust over time to allow the other trees room to grow. I'd also plant Some Osage Orange (just because it is native to the great plains and the firewood is supposed to be the best), plus a mix that includes a lot of the other native trees in your area. For evergreen I would probably choose Norway Pine (actually native, poorly chosen name). I would include the oaks that grow well in your area. Oaks are slow for the first few years, but are great wildlife trees and of course good firewood for your children. Most hardwood trees really aren't going to provide YOU with much firewood, they will take longer than that.
gyrfalcon
Minister of Fire
BigBadJohn86 said:
I think you're looking for something that's a contradiction in terms. The high BTU comes from the density of the wood, and the faster it grows, the less dense it is.
gyrfalcon said:
Willow or poplar, they'll be the firewood most likely to be ready to burn in your lifetime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kh04jdxIlQ&feature=related
Or forget the firewood and plant walnut, locust, cherry and whatever other woods you like for real value and cut the garbage for firewood.
Brewmonster
Burning Hunk
For evergreen I would probably choose Norway Pine (actually native, poorly chosen name).
What is that? Not Norway spruce (Picea abies), right? I do not know the common name, Norway pine.
What is that? Not Norway spruce (Picea abies), right? I do not know the common name, Norway pine.
Wood Duck said:
But after my rude comments B/Locust is the answer for you Vampires that live forever and burn wood, and want to grow your own wood heck we have folks that don't have the patience to dry full grown c/s/s Oak Oh my my gosh I can hear it now. I ain't going to wait 3 more years to season this Oak it took me 30 to grow it, (Did you know an Oak takes 25 to 30 yrs to produce acorns.)
You've been given some good advice. Plant a mix of natives that will grow in your soil. The fastest growing native oak that we can grow here is Pin oak. Black oak is another good one, although not as fast growing. Both are in the red oak family and will burn well. You might look into that if it will grow there. I'd use the web soil survey to get an idea of what will grow good there.
A side note is that an overstocked sapling timber stand, will produce bigger, healthier trees if thinned at the right stage. Typically, you will want to grow young timber in tight proximity and thin every 10-20 years. I did a small scale reforestation project on my place and planted to many on purpose. In about 10 years time, I will take out some trees, leaving a good spacing with my crop trees. I will also take out culls. I've got oaks 7" and 8" dbh on my place that are 60+ years old due to past mismanagement.
A side note is that an overstocked sapling timber stand, will produce bigger, healthier trees if thinned at the right stage. Typically, you will want to grow young timber in tight proximity and thin every 10-20 years. I did a small scale reforestation project on my place and planted to many on purpose. In about 10 years time, I will take out some trees, leaving a good spacing with my crop trees. I will also take out culls. I've got oaks 7" and 8" dbh on my place that are 60+ years old due to past mismanagement.
Evil Dave
Member
Battenkiller said:
+1
Black Locust grow like strawberries, they send out runners and sprout new trees as far as 50' away. You can fasten a chain to a 6" dia BL trunk and pull it with a bulldozer and make most of the surrounding and nearby BL jump as their roots feel the tug. Around here they seem to spread pretty fast, but I'm sure it would seem like an eternity if you are waiting to cut it. We have property in Central Indiana that was a corn/bean field 20 years ago with 7 or 8 BL in the North fence-row that we stopped farming, it now has spread some 100 to 150 yards from the fence-row to the south and covers about 2 1/2 acres of mostly BL and wild cherry. Fairly dense wild growth, and good competition for sunlight made some great firewood. The rest of the family see it as a nature preserve, I see it as a future fuel reservoir. Those original fence-row trees now measure 24" to 30" dia at the trunk and I can hear them calling to me as I burn some of their fallen comrades.
edit - The majority of this new woods probably averages 12" to 16" dia trunks slightly smaller toward the advancing edge of the woods. I don't think at 2 1/2 to 3 acres that I will have enough woods to be able to selectively harvest and maintane a production of 3 to 4 cords a year, but I hope it will stay ahead of me, time will tell.
- Status
