By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org
People have all kinds of hobbies from refurnishing furniture to quilting. For resident Pat McGovern, it is growing trees.
McGovern, who lives on the northwest side of Grand Rapids, is a private nurseryman and Aspen tree breeder. He currently has about 1,000 saplings growing at his home.
“I planted about 1,800,” McGovern told WKTV’s Donna Kidner Smith during a recent WKTV Journal interview. “Of those, about 1,000 survived of which I might keep about 150 trees.”
McGovern participates in a short rotation woody crops program. This is when a woody tree species has been bred and selected to have extremely high rates of growth, allowing the trees to be harvested after a short growing period.
Hybrid poplar or willow are the two species most commonly adapted for short rotation management. Poplars are planted using cuttings or “sticks” that are about eight inches long. The trees are cut back to ground level which helps to stimulate growth. The trees typically remain productive for three harvest cycles before replanting, which is about 15- 20 years.
McGovern, who is the co-founder of the Open Forest Group, primarily uses Aspens, a populus tree that is found in Michigan. Aspens are known for their quaking leaves and brilliant colors. While white and soft, Aspen wood is fairly strong and has low flammability. It is used for a number of items such as timber to heat homes, to make paper and matches, and to make veneer.
McGovern said over the years he found one rare Aspen tree that has a curvy, wavy figured grain and has incorporated into the breeding of the trees on his property. McGovern grows the saplings in his backyard, planting in April and then harvesting them in November, around Thanksgiving.
During harvesting, he determines which trees to keep and which to discard based on a number of factors. From there he cuts each sampling up into eight inch pieces — a root with a stem — which are stored in the refrigerator. In April, the pieces, which are soaked in water for about 24 hours, are then taken to a planting site to grow.
Short rotation woody crops such as the one McGovern does, have shown promise as an economically viable strategy for producing a sustainable supply of fuel for power stations. Fast growing species can be planed at relatively low costs and harvest in less time than traditional species.
There are a number of websites dedicated tp short rotation woody crops, such as the wood-energy.extension.org or generainc.com. Also you can visit McGovern’s website, open4st on Gogle Sites or his YouTube channel, Patrick McGovern.
