[colliewoman]

Ace! Never scored any Holly before but was arguing with Mr Landlord that you could burn it green! I win

[Donald]

Hello,
That would be a difference from here where I am. Were (when) I (to) go around collecting like that it wouldn't (wasn't) (be) long before I would (did) have  local and provincial authorities  on my tail.  After all is said and done, here in the north of the Netherlands - the most densely populated country on Earth, the available firewood has become, these past three years, completely locked up in the hands of the wood merchants. Oh well, I am resigned to it now anyway.


But I was afraid holly would rear its head and so I can only contribute my sad experience, which is this. Some years ago I would haul top quality very low cost firewood from my local sawmill and it included once a load of bone dry holly. Every time I burned a load it would spew thick black smoke over the whole village for half of the burn or about an hour. Mixed with a high ratio of other good wood it's fine but alone, in my situation, that was the only wood I really had trouble with.


I have better memories of this sweet chestnut. Even dry it is a pleasure to work and Mak, you should just keep at it, with a fro like the suggestion, but also some wedges like this to begin. I'm waiting to locate more of it so I can get the other half of my shed shingled. This is what I call really fun work with a good pay-off.


And here too.
https://vimeo.com/44562237 or here is a better go at it https://vimeo.com/53267333


Greetings,


Don Wagstaff

[MAK]

Dave - you try buying a froe. I tried useing a chinese meat clever to split them on my large tree stump.

Donald -how do you lock them in the vertical position before splitting with the metal splitters in the photo?

your photos have inspired me to try this next year. We could do with replacing the duck house or maybe a dove house .

Holly - I have a bit and split some to reveal a very interesting wood. I'm making simple candle stick holders out of the holly. Split a 12 inch log into 3 and used the middle section - sanded it down and then I cut 3 holes to take candles ( not 4 candles  ). The cross section holy grain of the holly is really nice too.

[FiB]

oh Colliewoman - BINGO!!!  What a haul, fantastic!  We are burning almost 100% softwood this winter (having to burn very hot to mimimise tarring - but 3 years seasoned so should be OK), but got a great mixed stash maturing for next year. and an acre of willow planted last winter to suplement the hazel oak ash and sycamore we are growing and coppicing.

[deepinthewoods]

mak, i did! a ray iles one. her.
http://www.woodsmithstore.co.uk/shop/Products/Tools/Froes/Product/Ray+Iles+Large+Froe+PREMIUM/
 
 
a  very useful tool, that was worth every penny.

[Donald]

Hello,


Second hand, these are not costly tools nor hard to find, I got the one I use from that guy not far out of Cambridge, can't remember exactly where, the shop called Old Tools or something. But there is no substitute for a good fro.
 
I don't lock anything in position Mak it's all just a matter of eyeing. That video, I must admit is a bit painful for me to watch. It was the first time I had used that tool, the first time I'd ever seen one actually. Once I had tracked down some history about it, things went much better. Now I really like it though would even better were it suited to my left hand inclinations.


I'm sorry I had forgotten to answer your question about the cranes Mak, but if you meant storks, we had a good year this year almost 100% nesting pole occupancy in my observations. Other than that, geese have been coming down now out from Lapland in forceful numbers this past week to settle on the pasture lands for winter.


Greetings,


Don Wagstaff

[Dicky]

We've been thinking of growing some trees for fire wood in the corner of our field.  We have 4 or 5 mature willow trees but don't know if it is worth taking cuttings from them or getting hold of some little ones with roots already.  Tried a few cuttings earlier this year but the geese got hold of them and stripped all the leaves.  Won't be putting anything anywhere near them again.

How quickly do they grow, and at what size/age should you harvest them?

[FiB]

Dicky willow will grow from green cuttings (just cut stems into 12-18" legnths and poke in the ground (making sure they are the right way up about 8-12", with minimum or 3" sticking out), but are suceptable to crowding from weed in beginning so plant through mulch or membrane if you can.  You will have to protect from animals (its a lovely forage 'crop'!!) - and if you've lots of rabbits forget it!!!  Good luck
 
here are someuseful sites -
http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/portal/page?_pageid=75,18112&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
 
http://www.waterwillows.com/page3.htm

[Dicky]

Thanks for that, that's really useful.  We have weeping willows to take cuttings from, are they as good as any other willow varieties?

[Donald]

Hello,


I have seen willow branches stuck in the ground upside down sprout and take off pretty good.


Greetings,


Don Wagstaff

[chrismahon]

Put your unseasoned wood in a greenhouse with the door open and a few panes taken out of the other end. We've bought one with us to France for that reason. We expect to burn the wood cut the same year.

[Possum]

Just echoing Dicky's query. Is there one variety of willow that grows faster than others, or is better for burning? Or are they all much of a muchness?


FiB, do you know what variety you planted?

[VSS]

We planted about 90 willow rods three or four years ago, just got cuttings from willows in local hedgerows - that way they are already acclimatised to local conditions. Took the first harvest of single stems last year and the stumps resprouted really well so am looking forward to a good harvest in another couple of years.

The bits we cut, we leant up against the wall of a shed all summer, a bit like a half teepee. Cut the first bits for burning a couple of days ago. Yes, it burns well enough and the larger bits last quite well. have used half a wheelbarrow full on two days (stove lit from mid afternoon and then allowed to go out late evening). Remains to be seen how long the harvest from the original 90 rods lasts. Need to plant a load more though - plenty of damp places where they would do well.

[northfifeduckling]

I remember poplar having been the worst wood I've ever burnt. After years of rest it never completely dried and smoked like hell. Not my preferred wood! Willow sounds interesting, as we have quite a few wild ones growing and they grow quite fast.

[Possum]

VSS - that's really useful information. We've got masses of willows growing wild around here, so I will trim a few in the spring and stick them in some of our wet patches.