Growing Biomass..

With about 8 acres of grassland to play with, we will grow our own biomass for a heating system. We will grow the crop, harvest it, dry it and burn it in a biomass boiler. This energy will heat water used for the central heating.

HYBRID WILLOW TREES
Hybrid willow trees are often used as biomass due to their fast growing nature. They grow up to 2 metres per year, and in four years (at time for harvest) they should be about 6-7 metres.

OUR PLANTING
We aim to plant 2 acres of hybrid willow (9000 trees) which should cover our heating requirements. It will be a four year rotational crop, with a quarter harvested each year and a year to let them dry.

In March 2011 we planted 4600 cuttings (a rootless stick which will self root) over a one acre plot. We have planted 1 foot cuttings (only 5cm is showing above ground). Next year we will take one cutting from each tree and plant another acre of 4600 trees (instead of buying all 9000 trees now)

We have used woven plastic sheet to keep the weeds down but we haven't used rabbit guards (we have accepted that some, but not a large amount, we be eaten by rabbits.)

THE YIELD....
...Keep posted...