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Willows are wonderful!

(Click to enlarge photo)

So there is no doubt, when I say "willow" I mean Salix viminalis, sometimes known as basket willow and often called osier by gardeners. Although other types of willow might be useful for other purposes, as far as I am concerned Salix viminalis makes the best fuel because it can be cut in a way that resembles wood pellets. This has the advantage that it will flow much more easily than wood that has been chipped.

Although some types of willow have been optimised for fuel purposes I think such trees are too expensive and, as they are sometimes hybrids, that can limit the propagation possibilities. I use standard, naturally occurring willow that farmers in Lincolnshire call a weed! It can be grown for free and, in my opinion, that is exactly the point where alternative energy supplies are concerned. It is fast growing and you can take as many cuttings as you want leading to thousands of trees very quickly.

Obviously you will need to buy or rent some land if you want to explore the possibilities of willow as I don't recommend planting it near buildings. I used a two acre field for my experiments and, as a guide, if you want to make all your heat and electricity from willow I think you might require around three to four acres.