I wonder, does anybody here burns this for firewood? s. Tamarix aphylla.
Here it is synonym for crappiest firewood, dries slow, doesn't like to burn but smolder unhappily, lots of ash and stinks.
Even the beduin won't touch it. I mean road builders were taking down tons of it around here and they just sat there (Both Tamarix and beduins that is).
But then I find quite a few pieces on the web about it being firewood crop in India and Africa.
:msp_confused:
SA
I'm surprised you find it poor firewood! The species of salt cedar that invades creek bottoms in the desert Southwest US (I don't know the species), makes EXCELLENT firewood, providing it is dried out, or is sufficiently thick, that is. It has an extremely dense reddish heartwood which burns well even from recently felled wood in the winter when the sap is down.
I usually let it season for a couple of years, or harvest dry limbs, the thicker the better, from the creek bottom that have been left high and dry by flash floods. Smaller diameters burn HOT in my airtight stove. I can keep a fire in all night with a big chunk of it: it just smoulders with the air choked back, and keeps the house pleasantly warm.
Since I referenced another thread a while back on the difficulties of cutting it, I discovered my old saw was worn out, and bought a new Husky: just using ordinary chipper chain, I have since had no difficulty cutting thick, well-seasoned limbs. (Sure if I was cutting all day, it would be another story) Ah, the joy of a new saw!
Charlie