Anyone tried growing biomass?

One More Toy

Apart from wood, has anyone had a go at growing elephant grass etc?

Willfarman

It was growing in Wexford ten years ago but don't see any now. Disaster..

patsy_mccabe

Willfarman wrote: »

It was growing in Wexford ten years ago but don't see any now. Disaster..

Why .....Elephants?

Birdnuts

I think willow would be the best option for most, expeccially folks with marginal land. I have a thicket of it on my place in North Mayo, and the growth rates are pretty spectacular even in my exposed, peaty coastal location. I have to cut it back hard every year as my access to the shore runs through it

Floki

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Why .....Elephants?

There's no elephants in Wexico.

Well there might be an odd one at bingo night in the local hall.

freedominacup

Birdnuts wrote: »

I think willow would be the best option for most, expeccially folks with marginal land. I have a thicket of it on my place in North Mayo, and the growth rates are pretty spectacular even in my exposed, peaty coastal location. I have to cut it back hard every year as my access to the shore runs through it

The lads who harvested maize around here this week have willow. They harvested their second crop from it last winter. They're heating two houses and all water for dairy with it. There's a fair initial outlay on storage and boilers but after that their poorest acres are giving a reasonable return.

dzer2

Some myscanthos sowed up here nut it is for BNM

Sam Kade

Willfarman wrote: »

It was growing in Wexford ten years ago but don't see any now. Disaster..

Same here in Cork, lazy farmer put the whole farm down to it harvested it for 2 seasons and gave up on it then. It's supposed to be expensive to plant it but keeps producing every year after that, sounds great on paper I suppose. Ah well you live and learn

MF290

Bits and pieces of miscantus sown locally. It was all hyped up and no market for it in the end. Could be money in it with the rhi if they ever announce anything

mf240

Floki wrote: »

There's no elephants in Wexico.

Well there might be an odd one at bingo night in the local hall.

That's the elephant in the room

One More Toy

MF290 wrote: »

Bits and pieces of miscantus sown locally. It was all hyped up and no market for it in the end. Could be money in it with the rhi if they ever announce anything

Anyone have any literature on a smallish grow for household use?

foxy farmer

A lot of forestry grown here is only fit for the fire. 7eu a tonne.

yosemitesam1

One More Toy wrote: »

Anyone have any literature on a smallish grow for household use?

I think Willow is a much better fuel than miscanthus, there's some problem with miscanthus that it corrodes if above 15% inclusion

davidk1394

We grew miscantus. Grew well but no markets for it in Ireland. As previously stated the inclusion rate into a boiler has to be monitored as the chlorocarbons in the miscantus will erode the boiler

Willfarman

foxy farmer wrote: »

A lot of forestry grown here is only fit for the fire. 7eu a tonne.

What kind of timber? Is that standing or felled?

foxy farmer

Willfarman wrote: »

What kind of timber? Is that standing or felled?

I saw plantation cleared lately. 30 yr old spruce/for. Vast majority of the felled timber went to Edenderry for burning. I saw 3 heaps marked fire, pulp and (saw)mill. Some fine logs in the heap marked for burning. 7eu a tonne for burning . 26 I think for pulp and 45eu a tonne for timber destined for sawmill. That's what owner was being paid.

Odelay

foxy farmer wrote: »

I saw plantation cleared lately. 30 yr old spruce/for. Vast majority of the felled timber went to Edenderry for burning. I saw 3 heaps marked fire, pulp and (saw)mill. Some fine logs in the heap marked for burning. 7eu a tonne for burning . 26 I think for pulp and 45eu a tonne for timber destined for sawmill. That's what owner was being paid.

He was robbed, prices are nowhere near what mills are paying.

foxy farmer

Odelay wrote: »

He was robbed, prices are nowhere near what mills are paying.

Well that's what he was offered. He had a hard job to get anyone to take it. Needless to say he won't be replanting. Going to be reclaimed and put into grass. A bit of marginal land that his father planted.

Markcheese

How does it work harvesting the willow? best time to bring cut it is winter, harvester and trailers'd sink in boggy site, which'd be where you'd plant it..
. . Assume you'd need to be nearish to your market or you'd just be paying road haulage..

freedominacup

Markcheese wrote: »

How does it work harvesting the willow? best time to bring cut it is winter, harvester and trailers'd sink in boggy site, which'd be where you'd plant it..
. . Assume you'd need to be nearish to your market or you'd just be paying road haulage..

Modified self propelled forager I think.

Markcheese

freedominacup wrote:

Modified self propelled forager I think.

Mounted on a hovercraft?

Water John

Miscanthus needs good, basically tillage ground. Can be cut and baled.
Willow is fine on poorer ground.
Needs to be left to dry after cutting every 3 years. Can then be cut into wood chip.

memorystick

Markcheese wrote: »

How does it work harvesting the willow? best time to bring cut it is winter, harvester and trailers'd sink in boggy site, which'd be where you'd plant it..
. . Assume you'd need to be nearish to your market or you'd just be paying road haulage..

Can it not be cut with a chainsaw and left to dry? Was thinking of planting 250m as a windbreak and for fuel. Should I sow something else. Marginal land but at a drain.

Willfarman

For someone just talking about a domestic supply you'd be as well plant some trees? Alder ash mix or something. Minimum harvest equipment needed. A small chainsaw and a wheel barrow!

One More Toy

Willfarman wrote: »

For someone just talking about a domestic supply you'd be as well plant some trees? Alder ash mix or something. Minimum harvest equipment needed. A small chainsaw and a wheel barrow!

As far as I know you can start harvesting miscanthus from 12 months on? Very little maintenance required. Maybe I'll do a mix of woodland and miscanthus

dzer2

One More Toy wrote: »

As far as I know you can start harvesting miscanthus from 12 months on? Very little maintenance required. Maybe I'll do a mix of woodland and miscanthus

Have to wait 2 yrs after sowing, then every yr and cut in April/May.

Birdnuts

foxy farmer wrote: »

A lot of forestry grown here is only fit for the fire. 7eu a tonne.

A lot of the conifer forestry I see grown on bogs in the west would fit that description all right!! Actually releases more methane into the atmosphere too when you have to drain such areas for forestry!! Again you can thank government/DAFM policy for that:rolleyes:

Birdnuts

Water John wrote: »

Miscanthus needs good, basically tillage ground. Can be cut and baled.
Willow is fine on poorer ground.
Needs to be left to dry after cutting every 3 years. Can then be cut into wood chip.

Speaking to the owner of a will known hotel on Rosslare strand last year - they converted their heating to willow chip 4 years ago and haven't looked back since

Water John

Hotels and Nursing Homes are two types of significant energy users very suitable for wood chip. A provider contract is ideal.

Bellview

One More Toy wrote:

As far as I know you can start harvesting miscanthus from 12 months on? Very little maintenance required. Maybe I'll do a mix of woodland and miscanthus

I can share with you names of folks that have this growing and have nor cut it for 3 years...ssia money spent on planting the stuff..some waste

One More Toy

Anyone know of an irish based rhizome seller?

148multi

One More Toy wrote: »

Anyone know of an irish based rhizome seller?

Try Quinns in baltinglass.

st1979

One More Toy wrote:

Anyone know of an irish based rhizome seller?

Why would you plant it. Most are getting rid of it. Not many markets for it. Then if you going to use for burning yourself you need 85% of some other fuel. You need a self propelled harvester/contractor to cut it. And we'll over a grand an acre to establish.
Other suggestions are better