Coppicing in the high dessert?

Dennis Barrow wrote:I live about 15 miles west / north of Helena MT and is considered high desert.
I have a good well but no streams.
What type of trees would work for coppicing here?  I could water them with no problem.

Hi Dennis
Sounds like beautiful country there. So basically just about any hardwood/deciduious/broadleaf tree will coppice that will grow where you live. My first question would be what are you coppicing for? With that information we could talk more about specific species suited to your climate that may have those properties. Ideally you're irrigating trees grown for wood products as little as possible, so I'd echo what others have said and look at the native species that already grow well in your locale. 'Trash' trees are often some of my favorites. They may not be 'perfect' when it comes to specific qualities, density, rate of growth, workability, etc, but if they are happy to grow and thrive with little care, then they're great candidates in my book. So the Siberian elm definitely sounds like a winner.

I've spent some time in the Rockies in Colorado and there we'd look to poplars/aspens/cottonwoods, willows, alder, Siberian pea shrub, buffaloberry, seaberry/buckthorn Ceanothus species, scrub oaks... Those are some of the ones that float to the top for me. But if you've already got stuff growing there, research how well they coppice. And if you're looking to plant stuff, start with what you specifically need from these plantings. That's my 2 cents at least.

Dennis Barrow wrote:

Hi Mark,
It is beautiful here.  Anything I plant will need to be fenced until established as the deer,  (family of mule deer think they are part of our family. I keep trying to scare them away, but they think I am playing with them.  They don't understand that I have a couple of freezers.
The elk can be a nuisance also.  We have a local herd of around 100 of them.)

I am looking to coppice for a variety of uses.
wind breaks
fencing, (would like to have wood close for "wattle" fences.  I can drive a couple miles down the mtn and get willow)
firewood, but I do have lots of pines on my 10 acres.  Had a small fire this spring that burned a little over an acre of my land and a couple acres of the neighbors.  We are replanting this spring with ponderosa as that is what was burned.  Because of that we are going to have lots of firewood for the next 2-3 years.  Neighbor does not want the destroyed trees so I get them for the work. ;-)
borders
different types of trees, mainly ponderosa on my place.

I like the sounds of the Siberian Elm.  But am open to any that would grow fairly rapidly.  I am pushing 70 and want to use them in my lifetime.   lol   8 to 10 years would be great.  And of course expense is a key factor.  

I would love to have a couple maple trees for the color.  A neighbor about a mile from me has 2 in her yard.  She said it took a long time for them to get established tho.

I think I will try some willow this spring.  I have a run-off pond that is just starting to hold water after 3 years.  Of course in the summer it dries up fairly quickly, but is only 100 feet from a hose bib so I could help them in the main part of summer.

Sounds great Dennis! I'd also add black locust (and perhaps New Mexican locust assuming it's hardy enough as I think it's a bit more dry adapted) to the mix as well (and maybe nanking cherry too). Also, have you ever ordered from Lincoln Oakes Nursery in North Dakota? They're in a slightly different landscape, but I wouldn't be surprised if the climate is somewhat similar. I've gotten some nice stock from them in the past and have found their prices to be very reasonable.

Mark Krawczyk wrote:



Sounds great Dennis! I'd also add black locust (and perhaps New Mexican locust assuming it's hardy enough as I think it's a bit more dry adapted) to the mix as well (and maybe nanking cherry too). Also, have you ever ordered from Lincoln Oakes Nursery in North Dakota? They're in a slightly different landscape, but I wouldn't be surprised if the climate is somewhat similar. I've gotten some nice stock from them in the past and have found their prices to be very reasonable.

Rebekah Harmon wrote:Hey Mark, for what kinds of reasons would you use sea buckthorn for coppicing?  I have them in my orchard as a nitrogen fixer, but I didn't know you could coppice it.