Growing Poplar

 Hybrid Poplar is easy to grow and extremely fast growing. In four years reaching up to 30 ft.

 Planting Poplar from unrooted cuttings is common practice and has a high success rate .1ft cuttings are placed in a 9 inch per made hole. ( the same process as planting willow cuttings )

 Poplar can be planted as 1.5m+  rod cuttings .  Planting large rod cuttings is an affordable way of creating an instant screen or coppice with immediate impact. The larger the cutting the slightly deeper in the ground it should be planted and 1.5m cutting -planted approx. 40cm  into the ground.

Many Poplars suffer spread problems with rust diseases .The two varieties which are rust resistant  are Trichobel and Gaver.

   Hybrid Poplar VS Hybrid Willow grown for wood fuel.

Poplar initially grows with a single trunk rather than willows multiple branches.

The Hybrid Poplar is a very tall growing tree, whereas the Hybrid Willow maximum height is between 6 and 9 m depending on variety.

 The first coppice of Poplar will result in large logs than Willow, but the overall weight of dry wood is similar over a four year growing period.

Poplar is coppiced in the same way as Willow and will after its first coppice multiple stems with grow from the base.

We advise plating Poplar with a planting space of 1m rather than the 75cm with willow if plating to form logs.

Both the planting of Poplar and Willow need some preparation to the ground first to eliminate competition form weed and grass. There are two methods .1 To plough and spray using a chemical herbicide such as roundup .This must be done three months before planting and kept weed free around the base of the trees for the first two years .2 Using a groundcover mulch / membrane rolled down on to grass or weeds this can be pegged down . It can be removed at a later date and recycled.