"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Derek" writes:
| "Ken" wrote in message
| ...
|
| Can anyone tell me what kind of trees I should plant for regular
| coppicing for burning on a woodburning stove? I want something that
| will burn well, but not take donkey's years to grow (I'm a bit of an
| old donkey to start with!)
|
| Our soil is poor, acid and stony.
|
| Hazel Birch Poplar and Willows will tolerate poor soils and were trees
of
| choice for the coppices of the past and the biosmass projects of today.

Not really. My understanding is that birch is one of the few native
deciduous trees that doesn't coppice well, and poplars were not
traditionally coppiced. All of those except hazel and, to a lesser
extent, birch are 'pulpwoods' and do not burn well. Hazel will just
about tolerate poor soils, but grows well only on very rich ones.

Birch is a good bet, but might involve a different management; i.e.
growing a mixture of ages, and removing the 'mature' trees for fuel.
But even that won't grow fast on that soil.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

According to the Forestry Commission poplar are now regarded as one
of the short rotation (2/3yrs) biomass candidates yields approximate to
willows http://www.forestry.gov.uk/src which I guess is pretty close to
whats required Birch has long been coppiced for the production of charcoal
as a colonising species often the first to grow successfully on burnt or
previously flooded or developed ground so could be the best bet if the
gorund is really rocky with thin sandy soils , as you say will need drying.
whatever species is planted tho' for the coppicing to persist they will
need an input of nutrients over time I'd stick my neck out and say the hazel
will largely depend on variety I have seen them growing in some very
inhospitable places though its possible they were established at a time when
the ground was more fertile. Cuttings ( or suckers if no one is looking )
don't cost much so they must be worth a try. I missed out this year when
contractors levelled the hazels at work while the nuts were just coming ripe
too :-(
Derek