Trees & me

For the most part I am currently focusing on Eucalyptus trees for:

  • Firewood
  • Floral foliage
  • Constructional timber
  • Forage for bees and pollinators
  • Shade and Shelter

though as things have developed, the range is broadening.

Trees are an essential part of the ecosystem that supports life on earth and different species bring different opportunities for sustainable fuel and timber. e.g. my initial focus on Eucalyptus trees for sustainable firewood, followed by fast growing Hybrid Poplar for shelter and firewood, and species such as Robinia Pseudoacacia (Black Locust) for very durable timber well suited to damp / wet environments, so an excellent choice for environmentally friendly fence posts etc. It does not require chemical treatment.

I hope to add other beneficial species to my catalog as time goes on.
Has to be said that most trees have an advantage to humans, either directly or indirectly 😉

  • Firestarter logs, Eucalyptus brash 🤔
    Firestarter logs are popular here in Ireland, and I did use them for a while.Usually I would chop them up into three, so they worked out at around 50 cents each per fire lit. They are a bit messy and smell if you chop them up, they, so far as I could make out, a… Read more: Firestarter logs, Eucalyptus brash 🤔
  • Eucalyptus dry up wet ground 😉
    If you have wet ground and want to dry it up in a natural way, then planting Eucalyptus trees is a good option. Before I planted my mini forest, the ground here could become very saturated. It still gets wet, though no where near the same extent.As I say in the video, when I planted… Read more: Eucalyptus dry up wet ground 😉
  • Eucalyptus Nitens Flowers
    The first of the Nitens started flowering about three years after being planted. Eucalyptus Nitens From what I am led to believe, by the research I did initially, eucalyptus hybridise readily. This makes sense as many of them are very similar and form families of sub species. Eucalyptus Nitens flowers are small and white, as… Read more: Eucalyptus Nitens Flowers
  • Griselina as Firewood 🤔
    I noticed a while ago how thick the Griselina were at the base. The thickest one, probably about forty centimetres in diameter. I get the impression that these may have been cut back soon after they were planted, perhaps as long ago as 2009; to promote bushy growth. So far as I am awareGriselina grow… Read more: Griselina as Firewood 🤔
  • Paulownia / Sitka Spruce (PH)
    Just wanted to set the record straight when it comes to replanting a Sitka Spruce forest with Paulownia or other deciduous hardwood, and also non-deciduous Eucalyptus. More info and buy Paulownia A Sitka Spruce forest and indeed most conifer forests have a soil PH of around 4 to 5.7, which is acidic Paulownia require a… Read more: Paulownia / Sitka Spruce (PH)