Maybe it's in how I grow it ???

[513yj]

Standing dead elm is great. Ill mix it with my hard maple and beech on the cold nights any time. The only problem I have with it is I can't split it without half a heart attack or taking it to the FIL's to use the hydraulic splitter.

 

[Whitespider]

You'd be surprised how well a lot of Red Elm will split... on average, I'd say I have more trouble with hard maple.
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[firebrick43]

Split two elms this year, one red and one an American, both dead and bark falling off or gone and both burned well. But hedge sure burns hotter. I would say that locust does to in my experience. I have seen a manufactured fire place melted due to hedge. They were lucky that the house didn't burn down.

 

[Bushmans]

I like the Red elm, don't care for splitting the American elm and I have a whole lotta Siberians to cut this spring that died on the back line of my yard. Those are yuck. I'm only going to split them for shoulder wood. It stinks but better than going to waste I guess. Siberians are just plain junk trees if you ask me. Right there with the Box Elder. Unfortunately that was all I had on my line that separates me from a small alfalfa field. Even though they were junk they were still trees! Gonna miss my hammock in the shade! This is last year spring. All of these trees are now dead with the exception of two silver maples mixed in.

 

[zogger]

I like the Red elm, don't care for splitting the American elm and I have a whole lotta Siberians to cut this spring that died on the back line of my yard. Those are yuck. I'm only going to split them for shoulder wood. It stinks but better than going to waste I guess. Siberians are just plain junk trees if you ask me. Right there with the Box Elder. Unfortunately that was all I had on my line that separates me from a small alfalfa field. Even though they were junk they were still trees! Gonna miss my hammock in the shade! This is last year spring. All of these trees are now dead with the exception of two silver maples mixed in.

Did you find out why they all died?

 

[turnkey4099]

I like the Red elm, don't care for splitting the American elm and I have a whole lotta Siberians to cut this spring that died on the back line of my yard. Those are yuck. I'm only going to split them for shoulder wood. It stinks but better than going to waste I guess. Siberians are just plain junk trees if you ask me. Right there with the Box Elder. Unfortunately that was all I had on my line that separates me from a small alfalfa field. Even though they were junk they were still trees! Gonna miss my hammock in the shade! This is last year spring. All of these trees are now dead with the exception of two silver maples mixed in.View attachment 340631

Time to plant some more trees. Better species though.

Harry K

 

[Whitespider]

Did you find out why they all died?

No doubt Dutch Elm Disease... it's about the only thing that will take 'em all, that fast.
I'm guessin' he trimmed them up in spring or summer, which leaves candy-like openings for the beetle that spreads the fungus.
Once that fungus gets started on a stand of elm... especially a stand with open wounds... friggin' lights-out‼
Elm should only be trimmed/pruned in very late fall or winter when the beetle and fungus are dormant.
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[Dale]

My theory is the standing dead stuff that doesn't have a stitch of bark left has been drying for years and the wood has shrunk considerbly making it denser.

I hate to belabor the point....... but I will, . I woke this AM to a bed of Red Elm coals. I tossed in 4 pieces about 2-3: in diameter, and 18" long on top of the coals, then added an 18" long 5" or so diameter on top. These were all in the round. I closed the door, not daring to keep it cracked for air like I do normally with any other wood, but I did keep the air feed fully open on the bottom of the Hearthstone Mansfield. Those stoves seem to draw very little air, even wide open. I took a shower, got dressed, and returned to the stove on my way out to work. I actually was AFRAID TO LEAVE. My wife was in bed, and I would have felt silly waking here to say, "keep an eye on the hot stove". Sounds kinda dumb, right ? right ? right ? But that stove was SMOKIN HOT, and the fire and secondary burn was roiling. It looked like fury inside that box. I don't have a thermometer, so gave it the "spit test". A spray of spew on the stovetop/pipe, and.... sizzle. Of course, I shut the air completely down to the box, and went on my way.... worrying most of the way. I know that may not sound very "manly", but I think I am done "banking" with that overnite, and will only burn it when I'm there and physically awake to monitor. I'm dead serious.

 

[oldspark]

Red Elm is good wood but not as good as the Bur Oak for me, been a while since I burnt much but when I did I never thought it was the best of the best.

 

[Dale]

Red Elm is good wood but not as good as the Bur Oak for me, been a while since I burnt much but when I did I never thought it was the best of the best.

Like somebody else said, it's almost like the wood "morphs" into lead when it's standing dead. It gets incredibly dense for some reason. You know you've got that hight BTU burner when you kncok 2 pieces together and get that high "tink" sound. There is no way you get the same quality by cuting live Elm, and seasoning for a year or two.

 

[oldspark]

Like somebody else said, it's almost like the wood "morphs" into lead when it's standing dead. It gets incredibly dense for some reason. You know you've got that hight BTU burner when you kncok 2 pieces together and get that high "tink" sound. There is no way you get the same quality by cuting live Elm, and seasoning for a year or two.

That has not been my experience, I cut up a big branch of Elm (not red) that was live when dropped and it burnt (after dried) the same as dead standing no barked Elm. All the red Elm I burnt was standing dead.

 

[Dale]

That has not been my experience

Welp, as the thread states, maybe it's just in how I grow it.

 

[oldspark]

Welp, as the thread states, maybe it's just in how I grow it.

I used to grow some pretty good stuff my self!

 

[Whitespider]

Will it has been my experience... standing-dead elm has always been noticeably harder and denser (heavier) than any cut green. Just my opinion, but I believe it's the way the stuff shrinks-up when standing with the bark on... I think gravity pushes the water down and out through the roots, and with the bark still on it the wood is sealed and has no choice but to shrink and compress. Eventually that releases the bark and it falls away. It may not change the overall BTU's (per pound) in the wood, but it sure in hell improves the burning and coaling properties of it.

There's a bit of a trick to know when to cut it... pretty much just after most of the bark falls, signalling the wood has shrunk up tight, dense and hard. Cut it too soon and it will still be sort'a "green" and won't shrink-up the same. Wait too long and it gets a bit punky, especially in the base and round the crotches. It easy to tell if you caught it at the perfect time... smack two splits together and they'll make a high-pitch ringing sound, almost metallic-like. I've never heard that sound from any elm cut green, ya' just get a wooden thud-like sound, even after sittin' split in stacks for a couple years.
*

 

[oldspark]

Well that would be a new one to me, used to burn a lot of elm (dead standing) and I like the wood a lot but for me its not as good as my Oak, Locust or Green Ash.
As far as Red Elm splitting not all that bad, not going to happen here, I cut some several years ago (before hyd. splitter) and could not split it all, left it lay until I bought the splitter as did not have that much.
I do miss the Red Elm as most of it is gone many years ago.

 

[Dale]

As far as Red Elm splitting not all that bad, not going to happen here, I cut some several years ago (before hyd. splitter) and could not split it all, left it lay until I bought the splitter as did not have that much.
I do miss the Red Elm as most of it is gone many years ago

The standing elm that wspider and I are talking about, in a standing dead state.... the kind that goes TINK when you know the two pieces together, isn't all that hard to split with a maul in most cases. DISCLAIMER.... NOT THE SAME as attempting to split greenish or live elm with a maul. Night/Day.

 

[oldspark]

The standing elm that wspider and I are talking about, in a standing dead state.... the kind that goes TINK when you know the two pieces together, isn't all that hard to split with a maul in most cases. DISCLAIMER.... NOT THE SAME as attempting to split greenish or live elm with a maul. Night/Day.

That's exactly what I am talking about, I cut some red elm that had been dead forever and could not split it.

 

[Dale]

Reckon we've had dissimilar acquaintances with it then.

 

[oldspark]

Reckon we've had dissimilar acquaintances with it then.

Well on that batch of Red Elm yes but for the most part I have good luck splitting Elm after it has dried, I wish I could find some more Red Elm and try it in the new stove, I do think part of that same Red Elm tree might still be there and I can now split it with my hyd. splitter. Will have a chance to look this spring.

 

[Whitespider]

Classic examples of elm bark

American Elm

Slippery (Red) Elm

Rock Elm

Siberian Elm