Happy surprise

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Aug 4, 2008
Messages
1,627
Reaction score
241
Location
Kansas,MN
I've been cutting standing dead Elm the past few weekends. Bark-less, it burns like it's been stacked for years. I've been passing on the standing dead Hackberry because I've let rounds go too long before splitting before and the wood rots. There is so much of it where I'm cutting that I thought I'd cut some and try it in my stove. Turns out that it burns as easily as the Elm, only much hotter. The end cuts show the black lines of decay but the wood is still hard. I split several 12" rounds and it is as dry as the smaller limb wood. I'm guessing that the wood was saved by the bark falling off. I have a Jotul F600, so there is no way of tricking it into burning less than well seasoned wood. This discovery will allow me to get many years ahead on my wood supply.
 
That dead standing Elm is a life saver! I have some in my basement too. The first wood I found I believe was Basswood. I've been mixing it in with Elm and Oak to get rid of it. It doesn't burn very well.

Looks like you're just about in my backyard. Well with in 20-30 miles. LoL!
 
That dead standing Elm is a life saver! I have some in my basement too. The first wood I found I believe was Basswood. I've been mixing it in with Elm and Oak to get rid of it. It doesn't burn very well.

Looks like you're just about in my backyard. Well with in 20-30 miles. LoL!
No. I'm a dual stater. Kansas and Minnesota. Moved here about 7 years ago, but keep a home in the St Croix Valley. In Kansas most of the Winter, thank God. Wood dries differently here than in MN; much lower humidity, sunnier, much windier, and higher temps. I think of you guys when I'm out cutting year round.
 
I do the same with standing dead ash. I can usually tell if its ready just by tapping on the tree and what the bark looks like if there is any left. I look for dead ash trees that are about 4 to 10 inches diameter and dry as a bone. I cut em down and buck em, then right to the house racks for burning. I'm burning some now for over-nighters and they are great! There are enough of them around here to keep me supplied for years, maybe forever.
 
That dead standing Elm is a life saver! I have some in my basement too. The first wood I found I believe was Basswood. I've been mixing it in with Elm and Oak to get rid of it. It doesn't burn very well.

Looks like you're just about in my backyard. Well with in 20-30 miles. LoL!
I cut a 50 inch db basswood..and after curing,,it burnt REAL well. about like balsa!!!!!!!! never again,,it wasn't worth the time and effort!!! that tree was over 75 foot tall,,and all the wood,,lasted about 1 week!!!
 
I hope I never experience standing dead ash like other states have, but I'm afraid it is inevitable up here too. There seems to be no stopping the EAB, and it is just a matter of time before they show up in Maine. The state has put out hundreds of purple sticky traps, just in my area of Western Maine alone, to catch them when they first appear over the border from NH. But it is just "buying some time".PurpleTrap070b.jpg
 
I hope I never experience standing dead ash like other states have, but I'm afraid it is inevitable up here too. There seems to be no stopping the EAB, and it is just a matter of time before they show up in Maine. The state has put out hundreds of purple sticky traps, just in my area of Western Maine alone, to catch them when they first appear over the border from NH. But it is just "buying some time".View attachment 337113
Barney boxes we use to call them, there not put up to stop them in as much to see if there in the area.
 
Clint, we first saw those trap many years ago when the oaks started to turn, then we started seeing them by some of our ash and now we see them by our Maple. We have several groups along with the DNR who have been recording the growth of our trees for some 25 years now. Seems like they put the traps out about 4 years too late or maybe they do it to confirm ther findings.

Sad to see
 
Barney boxes we use to call them, there not put up to stop them in as much to see if there in the area.
I believe that is what I stated. "To catch them when they first appear". Catching them requires a sticky surface to hold them for verification. They were never intended to stop them.
 
I have mixed feeling when it comes to those traps. In order to catch whatever they are supposed to catch, the trap must contain some kind of hormone the bugs are attracted to. sure you can set a trap that draws bugs in, but that same hormone can attract many bugs that never enter the traps. Then those bugs endup in the trees. I guess you have to trap so you know if you have a problem, but often I wonder if the traps are what is causing the problem in the first place.
 
The Forest service considers " buying time" as hopefully detecting the EAB early in one area, and quarantining that area. That buy's some time and allows surrounding towns and counties to not be restricted in marketing their ash. For a short time anyway. My neighbor is the area Forest Ranger and we have had several discussions about EAB. There are many traps set near me and they are checked frequently by him during the summer months. Any insect that lands on the trap sticks to the glue.
 
Back
Top