Firewood

Hey everyone, I am new here and am sorry if there already is a thread for fire wood, but I can not find it. I have a little space, about 500m2, and I would like to plant some fast-growing trees for firewood. So far of my research I am thinking about black locust and honey locust, any other suggestions? And, which is better as fire-wood, black or honey locust? As an addition, I would like to add some bee hives for honey, does HONEY locust has something to do with more honey or is it just a name Thanks everyone, cheers

Vase, you're correct, we don't seem to have a forum specifically for firewood. But the homesteading forum is just fine! I take it you have a wood burning stove?

This article also mentions Poplar, Green Ash, and Catalpa. https://www.ehow.com/list_7302666_fast_growing-trees-use-firewood.html

You dont say where you live, which is a factor in selecting the tree.  Also, fast growing trees tend to be poor for firewood. I an also not sure what it is you are heating and the volume of wood needed. For example, you may not want it to heat with but rather for a cook stove or a smoker ...that would impact the answer.  But, given the question and the information available, I would go with Poplar.  Even with that choice, it will take maybe 7 years, give or take, to produce  a suitable sized tree.  I do need to stress that more information is desirable.

Where I am Hazel would be the choice and then coppice it, again it will take about 7 years to get a crop. but after that it is harvestable every 5-7 years without replanting.

Wow, I didn't knew that much is needed for an info on firewood ok, lets begin, I live in Macedonia, since recently North Macedonia on the Balkans, gardening zone 7a. Poplar is not availavle for me but I read that Locust trees, although they grow fast, are a hardwood and are suitable for firewood, and also for coppicing. Underneat the locust trees I would like to plant strawberries, since the locust are a nitrogen fixing trees, I though it would be a good idea to try and also the locust trees are good for honey, so I read. I have a wood burning kitchen stove. And @Skandi Rogers, also here hazel are abundant, are they any good as firewood?

Hi Vase,  I'm in NW Scotland and have planted trees to coppice for my wood burning kitchen stove.  We wanted to grow logs, since that is how our stove is designed to burn.  If your stove is designed for smaller branches, then quick rotation coppice such as willows may be appropriate.
Here the trees struggle a bit (salt winds, shallow wet soil, generally cool) so I planted quite a variety to see what did best.  For me the common alder (Alnus glutinosa) has generally grown the quickest.  It makes very good charcoal, but is not supposed to be the best for burning.  You may find a different alder would do better with you.  I am planting more italian alder (Alnus cordata) since I have an area of well drained soil that I think is drying out too much for other trees I have planted.
Honey locust does look interesting, although not worth trying myself due to cool summers.  According to pfaf the seedpods can be eaten and make a good fodder for animals as well as a sweet drink.  I wonder if this is the source of the name, since they don't mention the flowers being useful?
Strawberries could make a good understorey, as would berry bushes, which may appreciate the shade in hotter summers.

Locust would certainly be an acceptable wood.

@Nancy Reading what berry bushes would you suggest, blueberries maybe? Than you all for the advices and the chit-chat

Hazel is a very traditional wood for burning, although on a coppice it will be quite small when you burn it so not big logs at all. Perfect for a wood cooker or a rocket but not something you would want in a modern 8hr burn stove. It's also a very good bee plant provinding pollen very early in the year. and of course you can get nuts if you can beat the squirrels to them.
The only downside I can think of is that not much grows under hazel when it's coppiced, it creates a pretty dense shade.
I would think that maybe a mix of trees would be best for you? so you can have a bit of everything and not be overrun with one thing.

Vase, Plant what berries you like that grow well in your area.  I like black currant (Ribes nigrum) and raspberries (Rubus idaeus), both thrive in my damp cool climate.  Blueberries do need acid soil I'm planting some this year, but they will crop very late here.  They do like a damp summer to develop the berries.  Have you come across balkan ecology project?  They are (relatively) close to you geographically and have lots of working examples of polycultures that work in Bulgaria.

Thanks for the balkan ecology project suggestion, its awesome. I will try a mixture of strawberries and on the fences some rasp- and blackberries. There is by the fence a little rill, I think it will be good for the berries and I can direct it from time to time thru the strawberries and the trees. I hope, I will make it will keep you posted

black locust is a good tree for honey, but the blooming season is relatively brief in the spring. i haven’t heard of honey locust being mentioned for honey. black locust makes a good hard hot-burning wood, but takes awhile to get to a decent thickness.

John F Dean wrote:You dont say where you live, which is a factor in selecting the tree.  Also, fast growing trees tend to be poor for firewood. I an also not sure what it is you are heating and the volume of wood needed. For example, you may not want it to heat with but rather for a cook stove or a smoker ...that would impact the answer.  But, given the question and the information available, I would go with Poplar.  Even with that choice, it will take maybe 7 years, give or take, to produce  a suitable sized tree.  I do need to stress that more information is desirable.

This is what I was going to say.

Poplar would probably be fine. Basically any pioneer species will be faster growing. Insofar as any tree grows quickly.. so to speak. Couldn't say what particular pioneer species is the best for firewood for wherever the OP is but whatever the pioneer species in that area is that has the highest BTUs would be the one to focus on. I would assume.

I never figured out why they call it farwood I never seem to have to go very far to find it!

Folks are always cutting down and discarding trees(around here anyways), perhaps the land used growing it yourself  would be better served for other purposes. By all means plant some trees but don't crowd or other activities.

ben heidorn wrote:I never figured out why they call it farwood I never seem to have to go very far to find it!

Folks are always cutting down and discarding trees(around here anyways), perhaps the land used growing it yourself  would be better served for other purposes. By all means plant some trees but don't crowd or other activities.

I believe it´s calles FIREwood, not FARwood, because its for fire

I feel pretty confident that they know that, Vase.

It's a joke. A play on some people's accents.

Oh, thats a funny one sorry

Vase Angjeleski wrote:Oh, thats a funny one sorry

I've been saving that one up for a while now, I got so excited for a chance to use it, that I forgot English isn't everyone's primary language. Thanks for the extra explanation Patrick.  

I'm glad I didn't chime in much further...I  reread the thread and realized that I misread balkans as baltic. Can you grow maple species in your climate?  I love cooking and smoking on maple coals. We have silver maple here...sometimes called hard or swamp maple. I had to remove one (possibly 4 grown into 1) that was lifting a drive way. Probably 60" diameter at the base. Talk about a chore! I have one in my yard that is at least 70 years old. Probably has a cord of wood in every branch. In tempted to go measure the base of it tomorrow.

Vase, the bees will be super happy with black locust. In my experience honey locust is not as impressive. The honey you find in the entire Balkans and surrounding lands under the name akacija comes from black locust.