Overview

With the ever-rising cost of energy, it makes increasing economic sense to grow your own fuel. A woodland managed on a coppice cycle can provide an annual harvest of wood for fuel as well as timber for building and other uses. A woodland also offers the opportunity for landscape improvement and for the creation of wildlife habitats, and it can become a wonderful amenity for recreation and relaxation. This guide is concerned primarily with the establishment of trees for firewood over the first 10 to 15 years. It takes you step by step through planning and designing your woodland, selecting the best species for your site, buying stock, preparing the ground, planting and protecting the trees, maintaining your new woodland, and harvesting the wood. It also explains how to bring existing woodland into productive management. Creating a sustainable woodland is an inspirational and uniquely rewarding project, and with the help of this book you will be able to plan, plant and manage a productive woodland in harmony with nature.

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9780956362865

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Reviews

With the current newspaper reports of ever increasing prices of electricity, gas and oil to heat our homes, Michael Littlewoods book seems remarkably well timed. In 20 years the approximate time it takes to grow a firewood producing Sycamore there might be many people envious of the man who decided to plant up his redundant ground for his and future generations supply of firewood. Writing about a topic usually swamped by acronyms that nobody except those involved in forestry understand, Michael Littlewood has written a very useful, easily understood book, suitable for any reader with little previous knowledge, but who wants to plant a woodland either for firewood or just simply as a project that they and their family could be actively involved with. The book is extremely well laid out with a number of useful illustrations and provocative photographs together with more than enough informative text to encourage any potential planter of trees to start work this planting season. Get stuck in! - John Glaisher, Tree Surgeon 15 November 2013 Michaels guide starts by stressing the importance of good planning, the selection of appropriate trees to plant, caring for them, and then managing the woodland so that the firewood is in the right place at the right time. You might think that most of this would be common sense, but as a smallholder who planted a wood nearly 30 years ago I was surprised at how much I had never even thought of: I wish I had had the benefit of this book when I was starting out. Graham Smith Editor, Smallholder Magazine, Falmouth, Cornwall December 2013 This book is an invaluable resource for any landowner wanting to produce firewood. This is not a short-term project anybody planting a crop that can be harvested after maybe 10-15 years has to be in it for the long run. But what a chance this is to create not only a sustainable fuel source but also a landscape feature, wildlife and recreational amenity and a lasting legacy for decades and generations to come. - Eva Vennys Wood Fuel User January, 2014 Michael Littlewood's informative article, accessible through the link below, explains more about the idea of growing your own fuel - for free!

Author Information

Michael Littlewood is a qualified landscape architect and environmental planner with extensive experience of organic gardening and sustainable land use projects around the world. He has studied biodynamics and permaculture and applies this knowledge to maintain and develop his own organic garden. His designs incorporate eco-building, bio-engineering, renewable energy systems, water harvesting, waste treatments, organic food production, natural swimming pools, and wildlife and nature conservation. Michael is the author of several publications and posters on organic gardening, natural swimming pools and landscape construction.

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