planting for Firewood

[Grunex]

I am currently looking at planting a plot of fast growing Poplar here in SE MN for the purpose of firewood production.  I currently manage a young grove of hardwood mix (red white and burr oak) and wish not to disturb those stands at all in my lifetime unless for thinning purposes as the land is recovering from heavy grazing.  My question is this....I have an area approximatly 15 acres in size that I was considering planting to an aggresive growing Poplar. I would like to have the trees reach about 10 to 14 inches in Dia before cutting. and was wondering how long in fertile soils would it take in years for the trees to reach that harvestable size?  do you use seedlings or what is the prefered method of planting poplars?

[Magicman]

Grunex,  Welcome to The Forestry Forum, and good luck with your project.

[SwampDonkey]

In my area largetooth aspen can grow 8" in 13 years on a good site, well drained, from root suckering. They are native here and not as plentiful as trembling aspen. They should grow out your way, since they range in southern Ontario along the border. My tree book shows native Canadian trees and doesn't draw the range into the US. My dendro book mentions largetooth, but no map at all. It does describe the range being much the same as trembling in the mid-west though. Maybe the USDA site has a proper map if your interested. I had some nice ones coming along in one corner of my lot, up on a high bank, until the cursed beavers found them. They cut 8-9" trees and left them lodged all over the place.