planting 100 popular , how far apart ? formula for firewood in a tree?

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toolhawk

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michigan
I will be planting 100 hybrid popular trees in a grid pattern this spring in northern Mi. , how far apart do I plant them and the rows ??? This will be used to supplement my firewood needs, What can I expect in growth and harvest time , Is there a formula for amount of firewood in a tree? example a 12 "tree at 35 feet tal is there a 1/4 face cord or a 1/2 or ????
Any suggestions for other trees to plant? i have hardwoods and am looking for faster growing woods to mix with what I have,.

Thank for your help!!!!!
 
I can't help you on the spacing or growth, as I've never worked with that species or anything close, but there are many different formulas for calculating log volume.

A quick and dirty approximate that is often used is Volume = Basal Area*1/3 of the Height. Which in your case would be pi * (0.5ft)*(0.5) *1/3*35 = 9.16 cubic feet. A true cord is 128 cubic feet. So each tree would be less than a 10th of a cord. Face cords etc aren't a proper or official measure, so you can figure it out from there if you want to use these. Given harvesting these at the size you mentioned, and having all 100 trees make it to harvest age and of that size, you'd only get about 7 cords of wood out of them, so it isn't going to be a lot.
 
Poplar is not the best firewood, not even close, it is used here to make *******. Alder is not bad, grows fast, splits easy.
 
Poplar burns like its soaked in gasoline and leaves miserable fluffy ash behind.


I would guess a cord of poplar to be similar to 1/2 cord of oak as far as heat output and burn time goes.
 
Plant some redoaks, northern red oak is one of the fastest growing oaks
 
This might be of interest to you. The Potlatch folks don't waste a move.

SMALLWOOD UTILIZATION NEWS
___________________________
Forestry Company Plans New Sawmill  In Boardman
By Dan Richardson, 3-01-06 New West Enviroment

This is a rare bit of news: A forestry company is planning to build a new
$8-million sawmill in Eastern Oregon. Washington-based Potlach Corp. owns
17,000 acres of fast-growing poplars near Boardman (you pass the forest if
youre driving near there on Interstate 84), trees it began planting in 1992.

Potlatch says their idea is to plant enough poplars to harvest crops of 10- to
12-year-old trees, producing about 6,000 log trucks in lumber products
annually. The new sawmill, slated to begin operating in December, will employ
about 55 people. The poplar hybrids, also called cottonwoods, are fed and
watered with a computerized drip irrigation system.

Two other facts about Potlatchs Boardman operation. First, it won
certification as a sustainable forest from the Forest Stewardship Council, a
global coordinating group that gives industry operations an environmental seal
of approval. Second, the Oregon Economic & Community Development Department
will ask Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski to sign off on a $150,000 forgivable
loan‿ for the sawmill project.

This has one commentors knickers in a bind. Blogger Rogue Pundit asks:

"So, Oregon is supposed to consider paying Potlatch $8.82 per acre so that the
company will harvest its trees? And if we don't provide Potlatch that windfall,
will the company just write-off its investment in the plantation, lay off the
employees, etc.? Is this what folks consider being business-friendly?"

These are worthwhile questions for the state. Why are we paying people to
conduct business? Isnt this, you know, what theyre in business for  to make,
market and profit?

One argument for supporting a forestry corporation, though, might be this:
Imagine the hundreds or thousands of dollars per acre the U.S. Forest Service
spends on road-building and otherwise enabling private logging. If Oregon can
develop an alternative model of profitable, sustainable forestry  a model that
would decrease logging on public lands, and so decrease public spending on
logging  then eight or nine bucks an acre strikes me as a bargain.

Of course, thats a big if.‿

Meanwhile, turning arid Eastern Oregon acreage into a sustainable forest soundslike an excellent project for all concerned. Should it help provide a way torestore and protect older, natural forests in the Cascades and Blues, then it
would be doubly worth rooting for.
 

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