Let's Discuss Mulberry

[Guswhit]

I happened to run across a perfect looking piece of wood yesterday while splitting that showed no outward signs of any wounds or infestation. Upon splitting it open here is what I found.


Not a problem now, as I just knock the frozen devils out of there, but sure wouldn't want them to come alive in the house after they warmed up!

 

[Wood Doctor]

Ants love old mulberry. Usually they eat whatever the grubs leave behind. If I run into those, I split off the infected area and bonfire it. Usually the ants attack the center of the tree's trunk first, just like they did in Guswhit's Pics here.

On the other hand, we have tiger beetles here that attack the outside of ash trees. They can be mean. Surprisingly, they avoid the heartwood and feast instead on the sapwood where they burrow in and lay eggs in their tunnels. So, the tree can live on as the tiger beetle works on them. Regardless, they are a nuisance and can multiply like gangbusters and hatch out when brought into a garage or the house. Best thing is that not many trees are susceptible to the tiger beetle, and it doesn't seem to like mulberry or hackberry.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Today I decided to burn some mulberry logs that were about 5" dia, and not split. These limbs had been dead on a mulberry tree that had been dying for years. I'm processing the rest of the tree now, but these were so dry that I decided to give them a try in the stove. I bucked them all to to 18" lengths.

Gadzooks! The flue gas temperature of my stove has reached 1450 F with these logs, mixed in with a little ash. The temp gauge is located right above the secondary combustion chamber of my Federal Airtight 288. It usually averages about 1200 F when burning really well. So, this is the highest I've seen it this year. The wind outside is a steady 20 mph with 30 mph gusts, and that always produces a spirited fire. Still, this is rather exceptional.

 

[Cody]

Today I decided to burn some mulberry logs that were about 5" dia, and not split. These limbs had been dead on a mulberry tree that had been dying for years. I'm processing the rest of the tree now, but these were so dry that I decided to give them a try in the stove. I bucked them all to to 18" lengths.

Gadzooks! The flue gas temperature of my stove has reached 1450 F with these logs, mixed in with a little ash. The temp gauge is located right above the secondary combustion chamber of my Federal Airtight 288. It usually averages about 1200 F when burning really well. So, this is the highest I've seen it this year. The wind outside is a steady 20 mph with 30 mph gusts, and that always produces a spirited fire. Still, this is rather exceptional.

This wind has created quite the draft, even with my stove choked down all the way she's kicking out some serious heat. Loaded it up last night and I like to get it rolling before I shut it down, it didn't take long to get over 1,000F.

 

[rancher2]

Around here you will find a lot of those black ants in mulberry and locust tree crouches. Once in a while I will find them in a hedge tree crouch. They are mean in the warmer weather.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Around here you will find a lot of those black ants in mulberry and locust tree crouches. Once in a while I will find them in a hedge tree crouch. They are mean in the warmer weather.

Black carpenter ants also love soft maple trees, ash, and several other species. They go after whatever the grubs devour. They usually work from the inside out on old trees as the tree says good bye. Walnut trees are not immune to carpenter ants and grubs either by any means, nor are pear, crab apple, etc. If anything, the mulberry and locust trees may have more rot and insect resistance than many other species.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Yesterday I split a dozen dry mulberry rounds that I had cut to length and mixed it with dry elm, hackberry, and ash. I made eight bundles for campfires. Five bundles were sold in that day. A camper reported back today that those were the best firewood bundles they had ever burned. They bought three more for "good measure". They also said that they loved the snap, crackle, and pop.

 

[Cody]

Yesterday I split a dozen dry mulberry rounds that I had cut to length and mixed it with dry elm, hackberry, and ash. I made eight bundles for campfires. Five bundles were sold in that day. A camper reported back today that those were the best firewood bundles they had ever burned. They bought three more for "good measure". They also said that they loved the snap, crackle, and pop.

I cut down what I later found to be Mulberry the beginning of this month. All the stuff under 18" goes for the house, the stuff over 22" length goes into my long splits pile for in the garage. All the stuff in between goes into the camp fire stacks, and a lot of that Mulberry tree went there. I'm glad you brought up the part about burning it as I was starting to wonder if I should do something else with it due to it's popping nature. I figure it was easier to split wood based on it's length, versus species and having to waste time cutting a cookie off to make it fit somewhere. On the plus side, I'll have pretty good campfire wood, ash, elm, mulberry, some poplar species, and just a bit of oak.

 

[James Miller]

I like mulberry I'll take any that's available. Got this from a tree service that said take what you want.

 

[Wood Doctor]

View attachment 649779 I like mulberry I'll take any that's available. Got this from a tree service that said take what you want.

Wonderful! Your truck looks half loaded, but I bet the engine let you know that you had a load on board. Green mulberry is surprisingly heavy. So are hackberry and red elm, two other firewood species that are under rated. Try to split most of the rounds that you show here. If you do, you can likely burn the splits in December.

Just an observation: you have loaded some big rounds on your truck's tailgate. I wish I still had your back muscles.

 

[Cody]

Wonderful! Your truck looks half loaded, but I bet the engine let you know that you had a load on board. Green mulberry is surprisingly heavy. So are hackberry and red elm, two other firewood species that are under rated. Try to split most of the rounds that you show here. If you do, you can likely burn the splits in December.

Just an observation: you have loaded some big rounds on your truck's tailgate. I wish I still had your back muscles.

You ain't a kidding, I thought oak was heavy. That mulberry has twice the weight of ash it seems. I wasn't happy moving the next day after a truck load and a half.

 

[James Miller]

Wonderful! Your truck looks half loaded, but I bet the engine let you know that you had a load on board. Green mulberry is surprisingly heavy. So are hackberry and red elm, two other firewood species that are under rated. Try to split most of the rounds that you show here. If you do, you can likely burn the splits in December.

Just an observation: you have loaded some big rounds on your truck's tailgate. I wish I still had your back muscles.

I did noodle the big pieces to make them easier to lift. Most of the stuff in that pic is 12" round or smaller by 16-18" long.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I did noodle the big pieces to make them easier to lift. Most of the stuff in that pic is 12" round or smaller by 16-18" long.

Each of those 12" dia. rounds of green mulberry if 18" long would weigh close to 75 lb. The stuff barely floats this time of the year. Hackberry is every bit as heavy. I dropped a round of that on my boot the other day while splitting and it flattened down the steel toe. Wonder what would have been left of my toes without that steel tip in the boot?

BTW, tree services are an excellent source of firewood. Around here they have to pay $100 a truckload to dump it at a recycling center. I've saved them a bunch of money picking up their cuts. You usually end up with lots of odd-ball lengths, but they all eventually burn. I've even sold those at discount rates.

 

[James Miller]

Some of the bigger stuff was heavy but I never would have guessed 75 pounds. Was definitely heavier then the locust that came from the same spot. Picking up equal size pieces.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Some of the bigger stuff was heavy but I never would have guessed 75 pounds. Was definitely heavier then the locust that came from the same spot. Picking up equal size pieces.

I might be a little high on that number. Here's the formula, assuming 62 lb/cu ft for green mulberry that barely floats:
Log Weight = (62)(1.5)(1)(1)(355/113)/4 = 73 lb

Note that pi = 355/113, accurate to six places to the right of the decimal.

Locust is usually in the same league in density, but this time of the year, I think both mulberry and hackberry could exceed it. An old botanist once told me that when it comes to taking in water, both hackberry and mulberry are spring drunkards.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Today I delivered a truckload of campfire wood to a trailer park where campfires are an evening way of life. The buyer specifically requested that I include at least 25% mulberry in the load along with cottonwood, elm, etc. that are the usual campfire stock. He said, "The grand kids and their grandma love the snap, crackle, and pop that mulberry kicks out. It adds a whole new dimension of personality to the fire and Memorial Day is coming up."

Then he added, "When the fire dies down a little, I cook steaks on a grill that I drop over the fire. Mulberry gives it great flavor."

Needless to say, he was pleased with what I brought him -- splits from the wood that I showed in Pics above, post #32.

 

[farmer steve]

had a mulberry that picked the wrong spot to grow. last time i mowed i had a branch wack me in the back of the head. straight to the burn pile today. i wasn't gettin a saw out for 3 or 4 pieces. new holland and log chain ripped it right out.

 

[James Miller]

had a mulberry that picked the wrong spot to grow. last time i mowed i had a branch wack me in the back of the head. straight to the burn pile today. i wasn't gettin a saw out for 3 or 4 pieces. new holland and log chain ripped it right out.
View attachment 651448

I had the same feeling at my brothers last week.I went with Jeep and 15k rated tow strap. Not worth grabbing a saw for.

 

[Cowboy254]

had a mulberry that picked the wrong spot to grow. last time i mowed i had a branch wack me in the back of the head. straight to the burn pile today. i wasn't gettin a saw out for 3 or 4 pieces. new holland and log chain ripped it right out.
View attachment 651448

Were you tempted to pull over those big locusty looking things over the road as well?

 

[farmer steve]

Were you tempted to pull over those big locusty looking things over the road as well?

those are on my property line and are full of fence wire. i have been bugging the highway dept to push them over as they are dying and pose a hazard to traffic but not luck.