how long til harvesting

by adam
(toronto)

Hi Matt

I' m planning to move out east to a 40 acre farm in next 5 years. Unfortunately, most of the land has been clear cut, so I 'd looking to replant for longterm firewood harvesting.


My questions are threefold. Which is the fastest growing hardwood for a rocky waterfront northeastern property? How many years growth for a decent piece of wood? Secondly, how many trees would you suggest be planted and should I mix species? Third, roughly how many trees make up a cord ,and how many cords to heat a small well insulated 1200" open concept cottage year round with a new wood burning stove?

Thanks in advance,

Adam

Answer

Adam,

Unfortunately, there if no exact answer to you questions. A lot of it will be determined by where you are moving exactly, the species that are currently on the property, and what type of woodstove and the design of the home.

Most superior firewood species in the northeastern US are relatively slow growing, meaning that you are looking at a minimum of 30 years before you see anything that is worth harvesting for firewood.

The amount of trees that you need for a cord is entirely determined by how large the trees are when you cut them. It could range from 4 or 5 cords from one large tree to 6-7 trees for a single cord.

In terms of how much wood you would need per year, there are too many variables to really give you an answer. The design of the house, the model of wood stove, and species of wood are really the determining factors. Depending on the exact geographic location, and the species of wood, I would guess that you would need a minimum of 4 cords per year. But, again, that is only a guess and it could be significantly more than that.

My recommendation is that you hire a consulting forester to help you manage your land. Let the forester know your management goals, and he/she can help you achieve them.

I hope this helps!

-Firewood Matt