Willow - Short Rotation Coppice - First Cuts

 Cutting it a bit fine with the season but I've just finished coppicing my hybrid willow that I planted about 7 years ago.

You don't get a huge harvest but I'm pleased with what I've got from it. 

The battery chainsaw has been perfect for this. 

I've only cut a strip about 5 trees deep the width of the coppice this year, with the plans to do the same to the next strip next year. 

It's quite fun to cut and you get in an easy rhythm with it, cutting the branches off the side, then taking the top off, logging the main stem as you work down it. None of it is very huge but it'll all go towards keeping up warm. 

I'm looking forward to seeing how strong this grows back and if I'll need to thin out the number of stems that come as a result of coppicing. 

Hard to estimate how much is there, but already had a good few wheelbarrow full's from there, but I'll wait until the field is dryer before I move any more. 

I've filled two stillages with willow and oak branch wood so far this winter (much from tiding that willow the other day), I have a third that still has some poplar in it I need to move up to the house so I can fill it with wood to dry.

Having more undercover space to dry wood would be handy, what does everyone do to dry their firewood? Looking for easy ideas! Not sure I'm up to stacking it the Nordic way!