[SustainableTompkins] Poplars for fuel

[northsheep at juno.com]

Jon,

I heat only with wood and solar. Poplars pop up regularly in my farms's
woods and hedgerows. I cut and burn them only to provide room for better
fuelwood to grow. I condider them junk wood and would not plant them for
two reasons: the heat is poor compared to hardwood firewood species, and
they are weak and prone to death by blowdown or disease before they reach
maturity.

Karl North
Northland Sheep Dairy, Freetown, New York USA
     www.geocities.com/northsheep/
"Mother Nature never farms without animals" - Albert Howard
"Pueblo que canta no morira" - Cuban saying

On Fri, 15 Sep 2006 08:16:37 -0400 (EDT) bosak at ibiblio.org writes:
> The recent posting of an article about the genome of the black
> cottonwood (a kind of poplar) raises a question about poplars in
> general.
> 
> It's been suggested to me that a person who heats with wood might
> be wise to plant a stand of fast-growing poplars.  Apparently you
> can get seeds or seedlings (I'm not clear on which) locally, I
> think from CU or from County Extension, for about 25 dollars a
> thousand.
> 
> On the other hand, I've also heard that poplar wood is not the
> greatest for heating.  I'm talking about just cutting them up and
> feeding the billets to a fireplace insert, not cellulosic
> conversion or anything like that.
> 
> Does anyone have experience with growing poplars for fuel in this
> area, or pointers to the advisability of this approach in our
> growing region?  Given their rate of growth, it sounds like a
> great idea, but I haven't heard of a lot of people around here
> doing this.
> 
> Jon
> 
> 
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