Eucalyptus Firewood

[thirdcrank]

Around here, the fast-growing nuisance is leylandii. A few years ago our then next-door-but-one neighbour planted a couple at the bottom of their garden and they grew to quite a height. A couple of years ago, the current neighbours had cowboys who climbed up the trees and lopped a bit off the top. A few weeks ago, they had the job done properly which restored a large part of our view we had forgotten.

A couple of days ago, my next-door neighbour pointed out that somebody in the field at the back had chucked a big chunk into our garden. I don't know how they managed because I cannot lift it. We've no fireplace or stove so we've no use for firewood.

[ncutler]

I must say that I am very unhappy about deliberately making trees dead and dangerous and waiting for them to fall over.

We have a problem here with several large Ash trees that are suffering from ash dieback and have to come down. I have felled those that can fall in one piece without hitting anything but we have several others that are hemmed in by other trees, and I don't climb with a saw. The thing to avoid is a large tree cut at the base leaning precariously at 45 degrees against another tree ....... seriously dangerous to handle.

So after a bit of asking around yesterday we were visited by a delightful arborist who is happy to climb and take the tops off leaving poles that can fall easily into small spaces. His daily rate is perfectly reasonable and I expect to learn a lot by observing ......

I have always found professional tree people friendly, unhurried, and happy to supply knowledge: walking round the wood discussing the trees and woodland management is one of our simple pleasures up here.

[Mick F]

I must say that I am very unhappy about deliberately making trees dead and dangerous and waiting for them to fall over.

In general, you are quite correct of course.

Our eucalyptus was well away from the buildings and as I said, had a lean on it, so it was obvious which way it was going to fall. I told our neighbour what I'd done and he just shrugged his shoulders, as it's about 200yds from his house and in an area he nor I ever go to. It took a few years to come down, and no-one is sad about it and no-one was or would have been anywhere near it.

The dead birch I showed in my previous post, I had nothing to do with. I just found it like that, logged it up and burnt it. We've had a few trees come down over the years, mainly birch as they die naturally as they age. Willows come down unexpectedly. I won't go into our woods when it's windy as it too dangerous.

When I find that they are dying, I'll cut them down before they fall down. Did two birch and an oak a couple of months ago.
We have a massive beech (3ft diameter at the base) at the far end of the wood, and it's very creaky and split with dead bits on it. Consequently, I keep well away from it!

[ncutler]

Strongly agree stay away from creaky Beech - they are notorious for "sudden branch drop" as I believe it's called in the trade.

[Jdsk]

I have always found professional tree people friendly, unhurried, and happy to supply knowledge: walking round the wood discussing the trees and woodland management is one of our simple pleasures up here.

Same here.

The craft knowledge management is fascinating, because so much of what you're trying to achieve is around the length of a working life or longer so you can't only rely on individual experience.

If anyone needs a recommendation in Oxfordshire please ask.

Jonathan

[Paulatic]

The thing to avoid is a large tree cut at the base leaning precariously at 45 degrees against another tree ....... seriously dangerous to handle.

Known as 'mankillers' in these parts.

[Bonefishblues]

The thing to avoid is a large tree cut at the base leaning precariously at 45 degrees against another tree ....... seriously dangerous to handle.

Known as 'mankillers' in these parts.

Well 'fellerkillers', anyway

[Ben@Forest]

I have always found professional tree people friendly, unhurried, and happy to supply knowledge: walking round the wood discussing the trees and woodland management is one of our simple pleasures up here.

Wherever 'up here' is it's nice to be appreciated. Having said that there's often no right (or wrong) answer in forestry. As the saying goes 'you can't thin by committee'.

[ncutler]

'Up here' is Lancashire, just East of the M6 between Preston and Lancaster. We are about 300 feet above the flat land of the Fylde with a good view to the coast and much exposure to fierce Westerlies. So when we created a small wood 20 years ago we planted tiny whips; in some places at a 2 meter spacing. The idea was that they would help to protect each other, grow fast, and we would thin every year for firewood.

So far it has worked well. The 'shelter belt' along the Western boundary is dense, gnarly, hides the view of Blackpool Tower and helps to keep the wind off. Lots of native species but we also have two lovely Wellingtonias, a couple of Dawn Redwoods, Tulip trees, Shag Bark Hickory, a Swamp Cyprus by the pond, several Walnut species ...... the 'problem' is that at such a close spacing if you wait to see what happens the trees get to a size where you can't fell one without a domino effect ........ and Ash dieback of course was totally unexpected.

It has all been fascinating: hard work at times, but watching everything growing, wild flowers reappearing, the resident Brown Hare, the sometimes resident Wol, this afternoon I was watching a Buzzard circling overhead watching me - well that's what it looked like - I think he was waiting for me to go away and stop frightening the small mammals.

[francovendee]

We had a professional take down a large Acacia that had grown to be a very large tree. I realised that if it fell down it would wipe out our house and every winter I'd worry about this. It was on our boundary with a very unpleasant neighbour and he made it clear he wouldn't allow access his side.
This made the job much more difficult as each limb had to be lowered to our side of the hedge.
Watching the guys do the work, moving around the tree with ease was an example of paying for the correct set of skills. The cost was high, just short of 1000€ but we had enough timber for 2 years of heating.
I've chopped down many trees but you have to know your limits and when it's best to call in the professionals.

[Paulatic]

but you have to know your limits and when it's best to call in the professionals.

Good advice
I went above my limits, 20 yrs ago, one New Years Eve Direction of fall wasn’t as planned and I brought down the power lines to the house. 2nd of January before they were repaired. I’m hoping the family has now forgotten about it as it’s a few years since it’s been mentioned.

Practice makes perfect though and I’ve had 100% success since watching this guy
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[VinceLedge]

In favour of Leylandii, a mate is removing a sizeable hedge of it and I have acquired a significant amount of firewood, win all round!
Perhaps this should be the fate of all Leylandii hedges?

[Mick F]

Leyland Cyprus makes awful firewood. Been there, tried it, never again. Not worth the hassle, so just cut it up and take it to the recycling centre.

[thirdcrank]

I've found it interesting to read how evolution has developed the eucalyptus in a similar way to some of the animal species which have evolved in Australia.

It seems not only to have coped well with fires but to have made them more likely (flammable sap) and more survivable (fire-resistant seeds.)

Moving living things around the planet seems to be another example of colonialism. It may be somehow prestigious for the owners of stately homes - and increasingly the rest of us - to have exotic animals and plants but it can have bad results.

[Pebble]

We don't have the space undercover to store wood for years, it would mean my cutting trees for weeks maybe months to build up a store. Anything freshly cut is left in lengths of a few months and then logged up as and when required. This eucalyptus doesn't need storing. I'll be carrying a few lengths (if I can lift them) from the fell site to the front later this morning, and I'll cut them up maybe next week. The wider pieces, I'll split with my splitting axe .......... but that's damned hard work!

I used to have access to as much dead elm as I wanted (difficult to split so the commercial boys were never interested) but it was fine for me all ready seasoned, you could start burning it the day it was felled. I quite enjoyed the work-out of splitting it.