How is ash for ash?

[amateur cutter]

I have not burned much ash at all, due to just never really running across much till now, I just scored 6 standing dead white ash trees. I'm wondering how well it burns down in the stove. I read up on it enough to know that I want it, but didn't really see anything on residual ashes. Do I need to plan on cleaning the ash box more than with oak or no? Thanks A C

 

[blackdogon57]

White ash is excellent firewood. Standing dead should burn well with minimal seasoning if need be - with no more residual ash than other hardwoods.

 

[Mntn Man]

I burn a lot of ash. In fact, I don't have much to compare it to, lol. It is great in the stove, seasons fast and splits easy. The ashes haven't seemed to be as much as elm. Ash is by far my most preferred wood, but I haven't burned oak yet. I do have an oak that has been standing dead for 3 years that I should be getting this year (got snowed out last year before I could get to it). She's a big one!

 

[amateur cutter]

Yea, the whole splitting thing makes me feel like superman LOL. I'm looking forward to burning it this winter. A C

 

[Blowncrewcab]

Ash's Ash is not that bad. theres one spieces of wood that I can't identify that has Major ash, But ash isn't bad at all...

Some Low class wood humor? A woodpecker once said thats the Nicest piece of ash I ever stuck my Pecker in....I Know, I have Been Drinkin

 

[flewism]

We've burned, cord and cords and more cords of ash in the last few years. In some years 90% of our wood for the stove was ash. I would have no problem if I could maintain an endless supply and never burn any other species in the stove.
As you are well aware it is a good quality firewood, good BTU's, splits easily, drys quickly compared to most. If you season it properly and burn it hot, you will have very little ashes remaining. If you need to jump the gun it will still burn well but you will have more ashes to remove from your box.
Even standing dead it will need a couple of months cut and split in the sun.
You should like it a lot, even compared to Oak.

 

[amateur cutter]

We've burned, cord and cords and more cords of ash in the last few years. In some years 90% of our wood for the stove was ash. I would have no problem if I could maintain an endless supply and never burn any other species in the stove.
As you are well aware it is a good quality firewood, good BTU's, splits easily, drys quickly compared to most. If you season it properly and burn it hot, you will have very little ashes remaining. If you need to jump the gun it will still burn well but you will have more ashes to remove from your box.
Even standing dead it will need a couple of months cut and split in the sun.
You should like it a lot, even compared to Oak.

Ok, not to sound like I'm braggin here, but I can let it season for a couple years if need be. I'm just trying to plan where to stack it in the rotation. My thinking is to stack it for use in the January/February time frame, & let my oak stash season for another year. I should have it split & stacked by the middle of Sept. From what I'm gathering here that may be a workable plan? A C

Edit BTW, tried to rep you guys for the good info, but no go, so you'll have to settle for a big thanks.

 

[Mntn Man]

If you season it properly and burn it hot, you will have very little ashes remaining. If you need to jump the gun it will still burn well but you will have more ashes to remove from your box.
Even standing dead it will need a couple of months cut and split in the sun.
You should like it a lot, even compared to Oak.

Last fall, a co-worker said that I can have all of the ash that I could get before the trackhoe got there. Most of it was standing dead and I cut every minute that I could before it got tore out. That is all that I burned last year (and some left) as it snowed early and the snow stayed. The drift where the rest was stacked, was as high as the wood all winter. We don't usually have winters like that. It burned awesome and I didn't even have to clean the chimney nearly as much as the year before.

 

[dingeryote]

Ok, not to sound like I'm braggin here, but I can let it season for a couple years if need be. I'm just trying to plan where to stack it in the rotation. My thinking is to stack it for use in the January/February time frame, & let my oak stash season for another year. I should have it split & stacked by the middle of Sept. From what I'm gathering here that may be a workable plan? A C

Edit BTW, tried to rep you guys for the good info, but no go, so you'll have to settle for a big thanks.

Better than elm, about the same as Red oak.

Definately save it for the Jan/Feb blasts if the bark is falling off already.

Is it EAB killed in Van buren?
It's getting darn hard to find healthy Ash anymore around here.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[flewism]

That's hard to say, there is so many different versions of "standing dead". January/February are the prime heating months and I will use my best wood in these months. So if I had Oak that was two plus years old cut, split, and stack I'd use that during these months. Cut, split and stacked in September the whole lot will be prime for the fall of 2011 and mostly early spring of 2011. Yes it will burn well in January, but to get the most out of it, it still needs to season with some wind and sun. If you would have dropped and split them in April or May they would be ready for this fall easily.
In my experiences, the trunks will be the wettest so upper branches less than say 8", split will be prime the quickest. It will burn the next day after you cut if need be, but that's not the case here. You will need to play that by ear as to when is the best time for your circumstances. You will know when it is ready and start mixing it in.

 

[amateur cutter]

Better than elm, about the same as Red oak.

Definately save it for the Jan/Feb blasts if the bark is falling off already.

Is it EAB killed in Van buren?
It's getting darn hard to find healthy Ash anymore around here.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

Southern Kent co. Caledonia area to be specific. I'm guessing eab got it, as I don't know what else would kill all the ash on this single property. I'm on the Allegan/Barry line, & we still have some healthy looking ash, but I'm guessing that won't last long. Wonder what exotic pest we'll smile & import next? A C

 

[flewism]

Better than elm, about the same as Red oak.

Definately save it for the Jan/Feb blasts if the bark is falling off already.

Is it EAB killed in Van buren?
It's getting darn hard to find healthy Ash anymore around here.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

I hope so in Monroe County, As I have about quite a few of them on my ground, but they are still small, the largest about 2" at the base. I watch like a hawk now that i know what to look for. Would you believe that I bought ash green saplings from the Monroe soil conservation group 7 years ago, right when the EAB was starting to make it's presents known. I spray them every spring and if I find one infected the whole lot will come down and be burned. It appears that when the EAB was strong in our area about 4-5 years ago my saplings were just to small for them to mess with or this it just wishful thinking. It is going to get harder to spray them the larger they get.

 

[needwood]

I love Ash,wished i could get more of it. H**l, i thought it was called Ash because it didn't make as much ashes as allot of other types of wood.

 

[spike60]

Ash is dying off around here also, so there is plenty of it for burning. It's a pretty "low maintenance" firewood. Splits easy, dries quick, and lights fast with minimal kindling. The only negative is that it has a lot shorter burn time vs the oak and hickory that is also plentiful around here. I compensate for this a little by leaving the ash in larger pieces when splitting. Plus I try to use the ash in the early part of the season when it's not important to keep the fire going round the clock.

 

[Gark]

We've been burning ash alot for 3 years what with so much available here. The ashpan load seems on a par with oak and maple. Good heat and burn time, it seems to light right up (it seasons fast) with yellow flame at first and then mellows out to a good slow outgassing for long blue slow flames. The only problem with standing dead (and specially fallen dead) ash is that it turns punky very fast after dying. The dead standing ash we collect needs sorting because the wood has veins or whole branches and fractions of the trunk that got fluffy or pithy, real quick. You'll see some parts, even in the same trunk or branch, nice n' solid/dense and some spongy. Surprising you've not nabbed alot more of these trees, we are near you on at Patterson Rd. and 108th St. (NW corner of Barry County) and curse the EAB, there are victim ash trees EVERYWHERE here.

 

[amateur cutter]

We've been burning ash alot for 3 years what with so much available here. The ashpan load seems on a par with oak and maple. Good heat and burn time, it seems to light right up (it seasons fast) with yellow flame at first and then mellows out to a good slow outgassing for long blue slow flames. The only problem with standing dead (and specially fallen dead) ash is that it turns punky very fast after dying. The dead standing ash we collect needs sorting because the wood has veins or whole branches and fractions of the trunk that got fluffy or pithy, real quick. You'll see some parts, even in the same trunk or branch, nice n' solid/dense and some spongy. Surprising you've not nabbed alot more of these trees, we are near you on at Patterson Rd. and 108th St. (NW corner of Barry County) and curse the EAB, there are victim ash trees EVERYWHERE here.

Hey Gark, yep you're real close. I'm @ Patterson & M 179 about 1/2 mile north of the intersection. Lived @ 108th & Hannah Lake for years. A C