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About half of my food forest is dedicated to poplar a very fast growing semi hardwood. We cut a mother tree down and hundreds of Poplar clones sprouted from it
by foxhop 6y ago
About half of my food forest is dedicated to poplar a very fast growing semi hardwood.
We cut a mother tree down and hundreds of Poplar clones sprouted from its roots.
I selected to keep 30 of them and my idea is to pollard them every few years for a constant supply of semi-hardwood stakes for building fences and staking tomatoes, and more. Videos on my YouTube channel, search "Russell Ballestrini Poplar".
A sharp machete can topple a 2 year old poplar sapling/clone into a stump roots with a single swipe.
Don't worry about it.
These poplars are pioneer species, which harvest carbon from the air and store it into wood!
Use these baby trees as trellis for cucumber, peas, and beans.
Then research the pollarding techniques of yesteryear for yearly maintenance.
Great shade givers as well!
- gdubs 6y agoGreat reply, thanks! The ones that definitely need to come down are the 1-200’ behemoths that are way too close to the house. I’m a tree lover, so, despite most people telling me to take them down yesterday, it hasn’t been an easy decision. The shade is amazing. Also, nothing makes quite the shimmering sound that poplar leaves make. I recently read Homer’s The Iliad, and they talk often about their love of poplars. You’ve given me enough pause to consider trying to keep a small selection. But I don’t know, lol.