HOW TO grow your own Firewood Cooperative Extension University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Publication 21484 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 PLANNING AND PREPARATION Deciding to Be a Tree Farmer ; 2 How Much to Plant 2 Choosing a Growing Site 3 Deciding Which Species to Plant 3 Deciding Tree Spacing 4 Site Definitions 5 Management Intensity Definitions 5 MANAGEMENT PRACTICES Site Preparation before Planting 6 Plant Quality Stock 6 When and How to Plant 6 Weed Control 7 Irrigation 7 Fertilizing 7 Fire Protection 8 Pest Control 8 YIELD AND HARVEST CONSIDERATIONS Tree Growth and Yield 8 When to Harvest 10 How to Harvest 10 Resprouting from Stumps 10 ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS Alternative Management Regimes 11 Establishment Costs 11 Costs per Cord 12 The Bottom Une 14 CONCLUSION 14 REFERENCES 16 HOW TO Grow Your Own Firewood The authors are Dean R. Donaldson, Extension county director, Napa County; Richard B. Standiford, Extension Forester, UC Berkeley, and Karen Klonsky, Extension area specialist, UC Davis. INTRODUCTION Increased cost of petroleum fuels and concern for the environment have generated strong Interest In planting trees, particularly eucalyp tus, to produce firewood in California. Their rapid growth and high wood density make eucalyptus a promising renewable energy source. Many spedes grow in the same climate and soils required by the oak species native to California. The introduction of eucalyptus In California in about 1860, from seeds brought from Australia, led to a boom in large field plantings around 1900, partly because growers expected faster tree growth than actually occurred. Difficulty in processing the large plantings of that time (mainly blue gum or Eucalyptus globulus) into wood products and diminished expectations about potential tree growth, gained from ac tual measurements of growth, resulted in a gradual decline in eucalyp tus plantations. The mistakes made in these early plantings need not be repeated today. This publication, incorporating the latest experience from Uni versity of California field trials, is intended to guide those interested in planting trees (particularly eucalyptus) for firewood production. While its focus is on small farm production of split cordwood for fireplaces and woodstoves, the basic principles discussed also apply to large com mercial plantings. Use this publication to help you make decisions before you plant and as a source of information on obtaining maximum tree growth. planting, and the irrigation system demand lots PLANNING AND PREPARATION of money the first year. Compare costs of pro duction to potential income or the cost of an equal amount of purchased fuel before you be Deciding to Be a Tree Farmer gin. Success in this long-term commitment is Farming fuelwood is similar to fanning fruit based: one third on planning, one third on re trees or grapevines, except that wood is the mar sources, and one third on husbandry. Before you ketable product. Wood for fuel may be obtained start, answer these questions: from relatively small-diameter trees that are a. Why are you considering growing trees? Is planted at high densities to give rapid canopy it for fun—as a hobby, or is an income necessary? cover and high yields when irrigated and fertil Do you just want a few, fast-growing shade trees? ized. The tree farming described here has little in Is this a one-time harvest project, or do you want common with traditional forestry which har sustained yields? What would make you quit the vests trees at 40- to 80-year intervals. Harvests in project? fuelwood plantations are usually every 5 to 10 years (depending on tree growth and the desired b. What experience do you have? What sup processing size). At least three harvests can be port can you expect from family and friends? obtained from resprouting species before trees Have you seriously discussed this idea with are replanted. them? Have you farmed before? Can you operate the equipment and make operations and pest Table 1 shows the range of costs Incurred in management decisions? What professional skills growing firewood trees, including a great deal of must you hire? front-end capital in the first 3 years. c. What resources are you willing to commit to growing trees? Time, labor, land and money How Much to Plant are required. Trees need time to grow—expect to harvest 5 to 10 years after planting. Husbandry The amount of space you will need for plant chores also take time throughout the growing ing will be determined by how Intensively you period. And, the more intensively trees are plan to grow the trees. The absolute maximum grown, the more time is required to manage tree growth with unlimited water and fertiliza them. Labor is required, especially at planting tion at optimum spacing should produce about and at harvest. Who will do the physical labor? 18 usable cords of wood per acre per year. This Is Will you be capable, or will you need help? Can rarely achieved in practical situations, however. you count on others to help you several years Most intensively managed plantings on typical from now? If you plan to hire someone, Is that California sites will probably average from 8 to service available in the vicinity of your property? 10 usable cords of wood per acre per year IF the Who will cut, split, stack, and move your fire trees are harvested when all trunks average 6 wood (it is heavy)? Land is required; besides the inches in diameter. Thus an annual sustained growing space, where will the trees fall when you yield of 2 cords of firewood could theoretically cut them down? Where will you split and stack be expected if 1/4 acre was devoted to firewood the wood to dry? Money is required; young trees, protection. If you are counting on rainfall alone TABLE 1. Range of costs expected for firewood plantations to raise the trees, double or triple the estimate of Find out the lowest temperature known at time required before harvest and reduce the your selected planting site and learn how fre expected yield per acre. quently it occurs. This will have an influence on Below is an example of how to determine, which fuelwood species will grow best at that roughly, the number of trees to plant each year site. to produce the firewood you need. (1) You need 2 cords per year to heat your Deciding Which Species to Plant home. Literally hundreds of species and hybrids of (2) Assuming your trees will grow at a rate eucalyptus and Casurina grow in their native just above average (you'll water and fertilize), the range on the Australian continent and on closely trees will produce 10 cords per acre per year, or adjacent islands. Australia, the size of mainland 50 cords in 5 years. United States, has a wide diversity of climates (3) To get the 2 cords you need each year, and soils where these species naturally exist, re you will harvest 2/50 acres of trees each year. sulting in much within-spedes genetic diversity. (4) If you plant about 1,200 trees per acre, Poplar has a similar widespread range through you need to harvest 2/50 times 1,200 trees each out the world. When choosing seed, ask your year or 48 trees. commercial nursery to closely match climatic conditions and latitude of the native seed zone (5) Now, add 25 percent for losses (12 trees). with the characteristics of the potential planting The result: You must plant 60 trees per year. site. (6) Therefore, you must plant 60/1,200 or Considerable attention has been paid to se 1/20 acre of trees per year. lection of species seed sources for field study. Of note are E. globulus from the Barnback prove nance and E. camaldulensis from the Lake Alba- Choosing a Growing Site cutya region of Australia. These seed sources The best tree growth occurs on sites with have been the most consistently high yielding to deep, well-drained loam soils with adequate root date. Trees of E. camaldulensis (Lake Albacutya) moisture and fertilizer all year. Select a spot suit have been available from the California Depart able for a group of trees 70 to 90 feet tall at har ment of Forestry and Fire Protection Nursery at vest. Irrigation water should be available on the Davis in February and March for the past several site: a water source yielding a minimum of 5 gal years. lons per minute is required to irrigate 1 acre. Limited data are available on performance of Restricted soil conditions reduce tree growth. seedling plantations in California. Plantations of Fuelwood trees need at least 3 feet of soil but tol seedling trees vary greatly, with a high percent erate a wide range of soil conditions. Land that is age of runts and deformed trees. These slow- flat or with gentle slopes facing north or east is growing trees reduce production efficiency and preferred, as natural soil moisture is higher on overall yields. these sites than on sunny south- or west-facing Cloned tree plantations have produced slopes. Avoid slopes greater than 30 percent because of safety hazards and increased costs at roughly 30 percent higher growth compared harvest time. with seedling plantations of the same species in field trials. The more rapid, uniform growth and Study the site to assess probable pests that desired tree form make the cloned tree planta could devour your trees. Deer fencing or protec tion highly desirable. However, because of less tion from rabbits may be required. Ask the neigh genetic diversity, plantations of clones may be bors and look for signs of other pests. Transport more vulnerable to environmental stresses than ing wood is a major cost.