To burn or not to burn ?

[yobytram]

That is the question I have today. I am currently removing several dead trees from my mothers yard. (ELM) These tress have had a massive die off. I am assuming the cause to be dutch elm disease or another form of disease. I live in north eastern ohio and most of what I burn in my Hister is pin oak. Very abundant on my property. Do I take advantage of this free bountifull harvest? The trees have been completely seasoned due to standing errect and dead for over a year. What are the risks involving spread of the disease? What quality of burn could one expect to abtain from these poor trees that have been so wrongfully cheated of a full and happy life.Is it worth putting in my stove to heat my house. I have already felled them and cut them to the proper size. All that remains is to split and stack.
THANK YOU for your responses this site has been very helpfull to me in the past. And I greatly appreciate all of your input and knowledge so freely shared.

 

[PA Plumber]

I guess a couple of thoughts jump to mind.
1. Do you currently have any healthy Elm trees in close vicinity to where you will be stacking/storing the Elm firewood before burning?
2. Quarantine. Are the trees in a quarantine zone and will they remain in that same zone after moved to the new storing area?

The Red Oak family is fine firewood. Although, I personally would not let the Elm go to waste; Especially if you have to cut living trees down for your fuel source.

 

[iCreek]

I have already felled them and cut them to the proper size. All that remains is to split and stack.
THANK YOU for your responses this site has been very helpfull to me in the past. And I greatly appreciate all of your input and knowledge so freely shared.

Splitting Elm can be tough, sometimes the test of a good splitter. We burn the heck out of Elm here in Missouri, especially like to cut standing dead ones with limbs up to 14" or so, then I seem to have lots I don't have to split. Don't know much about spreading disease, but like the other said, if you got it down and cut I would not waste it. My outdoor stoves burns it well, esp. when mixed with some oak / ash / or hickory.

Welcome to the AS Forums, a great resouce especially in the winter months.

 

[ms310]

Elm

WE have alot of dead elm around us also. I dont know why they are all dieing but they are everywhere even more so than the ash with the EAB. I Love to burn that dead elm and so do my customers. That stuff will give off major amounts of heat, burns slow, and leaves nice coals.

 

[Geez]

There is no danger of spreading Dutch Elm disease by burning. And there is no danger of infecting other trees near where you will store them, provided there is NO bark left on the wood.
The disease is a fungus destroyed by burning and the beetles that spread the disease live (and lay eggs) only under the bark. They feed on only fresh young twigs so dead barkless wood is perfectly safe to store.

 

[husky455rancher]

id burn it if it were me. i hate to see good wood go to waste.

 

[iowawoodcutter]

What Geez said, if the bark is gone, you are good to go storing it at your place waiting for the burn...

 

[abohac]

That is the question I have today. I am currently removing several dead trees from my mothers yard. (ELM) These tress have had a massive die off. I am assuming the cause to be dutch elm disease or another form of disease. I live in north eastern ohio and most of what I burn in my Hister is pin oak. Very abundant on my property. Do I take advantage of this free bountifull harvest? The trees have been completely seasoned due to standing errect and dead for over a year. What are the risks involving spread of the disease? What quality of burn could one expect to abtain from these poor trees that have been so wrongfully cheated of a full and happy life.Is it worth putting in my stove to heat my house. I have already felled them and cut them to the proper size. All that remains is to split and stack.
THANK YOU for your responses this site has been very helpfull to me in the past. And I greatly appreciate all of your input and knowledge so freely shared.

It's great stuff. Splits very hard. If there is no bark don't worry.

 

[wdanforth]

Yobytram,

Burn it. I live in your area and burn elm all the time. Oak is my primary wood but elm is good stuff once split. If your scared I will take it off your hands if not to far away.

 

[Circle B MN]

Not much of anything I won't burn once seasoned.

 

[elektrobot]

Burn that stuff- but don't be surprised if it takes another year or 2 before its ready.

3 years ago I got a hold of 2 elm trees that had been dead for one year, and I just burned it last winter. It took A LONG TIME to dry after splitting. I had even removed all the bark.

Burned great though when completely seasoned.

A lot of people say elm just smolders, but I think they don't let it dry fully. My elm was fantastic after 2 years of drying.

It can be some real tough stuff to split, I did mine all by hand and it put me in great shape!

 

[Joshlaugh]

As another already said, dutch elm disease is from a fungus unlike Emerald ash borer that is spread by a non-native beetle from China. So there should be much concern regarding that.
I have a lot of American and slippery elm down my way and enjoy burning it, just not splitting it!

 

[MNfarmer]

I just had an elm die in my yard too. Like everyone else has said, when and if and you can split it and get it dry it makes good firewood. I actually have quite a bit of elm on my farm, but i don't have a splitter so I don't cut much of it. Good wood though!