I am wanting to cut some more firewood, I cut some red oak and some other kind of oak (i think) back around thanksgiving, but I am worried it is not going to be dry by next winter. I was wandering if there were any particular type that I could try and find that I could cut and split that would be ready by next winter? I was also wanting to know if anybody uses scrape building wood like 2x4's etc... for kindling.
Which wood dries the fastest??
- Thread starter jasonhudd
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
Muffler Bearing
"Support Our Troops"
1.Ash
2. Cherry
3. Sycamore
4. Maple
Your oak will probably need 2 years.
2. Cherry
3. Sycamore
4. Maple
Your oak will probably need 2 years.
centennial60
ArboristSite Member
Ash if you have any available. It has a low water content even green.
If your red oak was dead some if it may already be dry especially any limbs and higher up on the tree if it was still up. If it was down depending on how long it was down it may dry in plenty of time for next year. If its dead but standing the closer you get to the stump wetter/greener it gets and longer it takes to dry.
I love oak limbs that are high up in a standing tree that's dead. Usually RTB(ready to burn).
Sent from my iPhone using My Fingers
I love oak limbs that are high up in a standing tree that's dead. Usually RTB(ready to burn).
Sent from my iPhone using My Fingers
I've burned a lot of standing dead red oak in a year, year and a half time with no problems at all. The key is more where you have it stacked. Mine gets a lot of wind and sun so it dries the wood out fairly quickly. it will help if you keep the top of the wood stack covered with a tarp or something to keep the rain and snow off it.
Cherry and maple I've had really good luck with drying quickly.
Cherry and maple I've had really good luck with drying quickly.
aaron
ArboristSite Operative
Look for some Silver Maple. 6-9 months split and it's ready
Yeah I don't have my stacks covered now and I think that I probably need to have them covered. I am also going to have to buy some kind of book on tree ID because I can only tell the difference between a pine tree and not a pine tree right now, lol
WidowMaker
Addicted to ArboristSite
Spruce, willow, popluar, cottonwood....:msp_wink:
mountainmandan
ArboristSite Operative
Fastest kinds I have tried have been, ash, sycamore, silver maple.
If your oak is split small right away, and in neat stacks in the sun, you will probably be ok. It is climate dependent, but all of the yankees always seem to want two years, I have never had trouble getting my oak dry in one year, but our summers are really hot and long, so that makes a difference.
Dan
If your oak is split small right away, and in neat stacks in the sun, you will probably be ok. It is climate dependent, but all of the yankees always seem to want two years, I have never had trouble getting my oak dry in one year, but our summers are really hot and long, so that makes a difference.
Dan
stihly dan
Addicted to ArboristSite
Everything will be ready next winter, Except the oak. so cut anything but the oak and you will be fine.
Hlakegollum
ArboristSite Operative
Ash can be burned green. Split the center (oldest part without bark) out and set aside. That will be the driest. In a pinch I have burn ash centers green and it doesn't even sizzle.
You may want to make a (small) investment in a moisture meter for next year. Then you'll have some idea of just how dry the wood is.
woodchuck357
Addicted to ArboristSite
grandad used to quote a poem
that ended most verses with something like "ash wood green and ash wood brown, is fit to warm a queen with a crown".
Another ended "any kind of wood split fine, makes old man winter whine".
Just a thought, most anything split small enough will burn, like steel wool and water molecules split into hydrogen and oxygen (not sure but I doubt even the X27 can do that).
that ended most verses with something like "ash wood green and ash wood brown, is fit to warm a queen with a crown".
Another ended "any kind of wood split fine, makes old man winter whine".
Just a thought, most anything split small enough will burn, like steel wool and water molecules split into hydrogen and oxygen (not sure but I doubt even the X27 can do that).
Last edited:
If you stack it in single rows it should dry quickly and if you stack on pallets then leave the middle row empty. Stack on front and back of pallet and that way the air can flow through both sides and will dry faster.
