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blowin · Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 6:10 am Post subject: uses for Alder wood ??

Is Alder any good for anything in particular ? I've had to dig up about 20 saplings , 15 ft high , 4" diameter at base . Staffs / sticks ? -- seems too brittle . Wands ? -- any mystical significance ?
Firewood then ?
Something in the log pile burns poorly but with a lot of very acrid smoke . It is well seasoned ( 9 months ) . It has to be either Alder , Birch or Blackthorn but I can't tell them apart . Embarassed

( not much bark , lots of green stuff hiding markings ) .
Any thoughts ?

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

If its Blackthorn it would make excellant staffs/walking sticks, but as you say it breaks easy I dont think it`s this. Could it be Ash I wonder?. Although a very useful wood it can snap cleanly. The only use that I have heard of for Alder is in cottage furniture.
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bref · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 136 Location: South Dublin

I believe if it is 'Alder' and not 'Elder'(berries). It is a very good wood for smoking. Not in the roll ups or pipe mind you!!

quarryman · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 417 Location: Sligo

Alder is also very good for planting in wet/damp ground if you want to dry it out.

In our last place we had about 70 that were used as a wind break for the orchard and helped dry out some marshy ground.

We did use the prunings as fire wood but I can't remember how they burned.

wayoutwest · Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 184 Location: west clare

is it good for REALLY exposed, windy areas? Like peninsulars on the west coast?
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blowin · Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 2:20 am Post subject:

I don't remember seeing much of it in really exposed and/or coastal positions . I am fairly certain it would not like that .
I am about to plant some Sea Buckthorn for its fruit . It is commonly used to stabilise coastline . By all accounts it is virtually indestructible Very Happy

and the berries are nice Very Happy

but the spikey bits are worse than blackthorn Shocked

. Just thought I'd share that with you Laughing

.

blowin · Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 12:55 am Post subject:

I wonder why Alder isn't mentioned in any of the old rhymes about the qualities of the different types of wood ( see separate thread ) . It is certainly common enough .
There is also a new thread about its relative merits as a biomass fuel .
Meanwhile I still keep coming across logs which burn with a very acrid smoke and I still can't figure out whether it is Alder , Birch or Blackthorn . Maybe it isn't the type of wood , but where it was originally stored ?
I would really like to resolve this so I don't put any more into the general log-pile . It is ok in a hot range but quite unpleasant when only burning slowly . Any thoughts ?

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

Alder was a popular wood for making charcoal, but as you say there is little reference made to any other of its attributes. Perhaps charcoal is its only use. As a pioneer tree which grows well in boggy areas. I can see why it would be called indestructible.
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Rebecca · Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 12:37 pm Post subject:

Alder was known as 'the Irish Mahogany'. It was used a lot in furniture making.

It is also a species that fixes nitrogen via root nodules so its excellent for improving land.... or as we use it in our oak plantation woodland ; oak depletes the soil of nutrients, but alder adds nutrients. Therefore its used as a nursery tree ie plant several alder around the base of a good oak 'frame' tree and its effect is to drive the oak up straighter through competition, but also to increase the rate of oak growth by providing extra nitrogen.

We are managing our oak plantation with a 'close to nature' technique. ie no clear fell, and adding many other species in increase biodiversity. We are only just at the beginning of the learning curve on this one!

Heres a post on the blog about it :
http://sallygardens.typepad.com/sallygardens/woodland/index.html

Theres a book mentioned too, perhaps it makes mention of various wood types and their uses ... burning qualities
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wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

What a nice thing to be able to do. I would love to have or even better plant a wood. At the bottom of my paddock there is a bank that has streams on either side.. This bank is full of Alder and with the aid of a rustic bridge and path I shall create a woodland walk. Too much to do on the bungalow at the moment though. Wink

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