Buy logs or can I self sustain 3-4 cords a year on 6 acres

[Wildeman]

This is my second year of burning wood, well first full year and for the past two summers i had an old guy who’s grandkids do logging, grading and such bring me a dump truck of logs and drop them off. I got 4+ cords each time good wood oak, hickory, some maple and the odd popular. the cost was 200 the first year and 300 the second but that still seemed like a good deal because it save me and my 92 2wd s-10 ( my futility vehicle) a lot of work. My question is on my 6 acres can i cut for my need in a selective and sustainable way or just keep doing it this way until i can’t find someone will to bring logs to me.

 

[Dalmatian90]

Rule of thumb here in Southern New England is half a cord per acre, per year.

So in theory you can do it, in practice I suspect you'd be tight trying to get that average to work out over such a small acreage. I have 12 acres that with a lot of wetlands and north side of a hill and I'm not sure I could still be pulling 4 cords per year decades from now.

A combination of selective thinning for half your wood and buying half of it would probably work out well long term.

Another thing in the back of my head is buying wood when I can afford it...preserves trees for a time when I might not be able too. Especially if I cut out the lower-value trees like the Red Maples to use during "shoulder seasons" and can leave more high-value firewood trees like the Red Oaks for the future.

 

[Steve NW WI]

It's hard to say yes for sure, but the 1/2 cord per acre per year "rule of thumb" for eastern hardwoods would put you pretty close to that. With good management, I think it's doable.

There are a lot of good books on woodlot management, I have this one and recommend it, it's pretty dry reading, but it's got a ton of good information.

The Woodlot Management Handbook: Making the Most of Your Wooded Property For Conservation, Income or Both: Stewart Hilts, Peter Mitchell, Ann-Ida Beck: 9781554075539: Amazon.com: Books

 

[Jere39]

An answer will depend on the types, ages, and density of the trees on your 6 acre wood lot. FWIW, I have pulled 10-15 cord a year off of my 13 acres here in PA. About 3 acres is lawn, drive, and buildings, so I am getting over a cord/acre while taking only dead trees. I might have been helped by an early snow in October 2011 and the glancing blow of Sandy in October 2012, but with general dying, ice storms, summer thunderstorms, . . . I have not cut a live tree in the past 10 years. If your wood lot is similar in density to mine, you should have no problem taking what amounts to half a cord/year. Take a picture, or even capture a google earth photo (strip the coordinates if you feel like that is a good idea).

OTOH, $300 for 4+ cord logs delivered is a very good price. If you would rather not invest the extra outdoor time to cut, drag, load, and deliver to your wood pile, the stick with your current plan. I personally enjoy my time in the woods, and would avoid just about any other chore to go cut, buck, and haul a tree out of my woods. Maybe I'm spoiled.

 

[sb47]

There is not enough information to make a judgment. Too many factors to consider.
Tree type, size, how close they are and if you plan to just use the trunks or the brush from the tops.

 

[Wildeman]

An answer will depend on the types, ages, and density of the trees on your 6 acre wood lot. FWIW, I have pulled 10-15 cord a year off of my 13 acres here in PA. About 3 acres is lawn, drive, and buildings, so I am getting over a cord/acre while taking only dead trees. I might have been helped by an early snow in October 2011 and the glancing blow of Sandy in October 2012, but with general dying, ice storms, summer thunderstorms, . . . I have not cut a live tree in the past 10 years. If your wood lot is similar in density to mine, you should have no problem taking what amounts to half a cord/year. Take a picture, or even capture a google earth photo (strip the coordinates if you feel like that is a good idea).

OTOH, $300 for 4+ cord logs delivered is a very good price. If you would rather not invest the extra outdoor time to cut, drag, load, and deliver to your wood pile, the stick with your current plan. I personally enjoy my time in the woods, and would avoid just about any other chore to go cut, buck, and haul a tree out of my woods. Maybe I'm spoiled.

I may go with the half and half plan. I enjoy the work but don't have the time. My trees are oak, maple (red), locust and hickory and in the 20 to 50 year old range judging from some that have been cut. I have 9 acres but we live in the mts and some would be too to hard to get the wood out and the other is too close to the house. I also want to get some experience dropping trees (with experienced supervision) I grew up with electric heat but i love the wood heat ALL of it the sawing splitting and the knowing i dont care if the power goes out. I guess i will cut the dead and buy a load a year to save time for my wife kids and bees

 

[zogger]

Technically you probably can, but for less than a dollar a day, get the dump truck loads as well. Just gradually clean up and weed the woodlot of undesirable and cull trees. Plenty of resources out there on woodlot management. Keep getting the logs as long as they are cheap. something happens later and you have to pinch pennies, youll have a lot of your own wood still there as a close by backup.

Nothing stopping you stockpiling some good oak and letting it season for years, and burn your real nasty crap wood in the meantime.

Husband your resources wisely, dont waste wood, add to the stash while it is affordable from off site, you will be covered forever.

You have enough land to have a killer garden as well. You look at what a well done garden puts out, it is a REAL lucrative part time job in a way.

 

[TJ-Bill]

I have 10 acres that was cut apx. 25-30 years ago. I choose to buy my wood and strictly cut the deadfall and some softwood to feed my stove in my Shed. I'm sure it's possible to get 3-4 cords per year on 6 acres but I guess it depends how aged the wood is and how much work your will to put into it.

 

[stihly dan]

I read somewhere it's 1/3 of a cord an acre for sustainable wood burning.

 

[Wood Doctor]

It Depends...

I read somewhere it's 1/3 of a cord an acre for sustainable wood burning.

Rule of thumb is that you need 10 acres of trees to heat a typical house of 2,500 sq ft, but that depends a lot on the average heating degree days, the furnace/stove installation, house design and energy efficiency, etc. The variables are huge.

 

[greenskeeper]

how much standing dead or blown over trees on the OP's lot? My wood supply is 90% dead/blown over vs 10% still standing alive.

 

[Preston]

Unless there is some really fast grow oak or hickory up there, I don't see how. I burn about 3 to 4 cords a year. At that rate with what I burn, I can't see the regrowth coming fast enough. I have 14 acres of hardwoods and I'm not sure I could. Maybe it's possible but 50 years a tree to regrow, that's pushing it.

 

[Fred Wright]

I read somewhere it's 1/3 of a cord an acre for sustainable wood burning.

Yup. From what I understand, an acre of forest yields 1/2 to 1/3 cord if you're gonna sustain it. If you have several large trees the lot may yield slightly more. Otherwise, you'll end up clearcutting or close to it.

Not all logs are timber or milling grade. There may be a discount for firewood grade logs. I'd ask.

 

[trophyhunter]

I would buy one more load of logs to establish an aged rotation of supply on hand and work the area in a planned culling rotation going forward. The one thing you can't count on is when mother nature decides to come along and hand you several years worth of blow downs or damaged tops that need to be removed.

I mark mine at least 90 days before I cut them, sometimes the plan changes from storm damage.

 

[Wildeman]

I would buy one more load of logs to establish an aged rotation of supply on hand and work the area in a planned culling rotation going forward. The one thing you can't count on is when mother nature decides to come along and hand you several years worth of blow downs or damaged tops that need to be removed.

I mark mine at least 90 days before I cut them, sometimes the plan changes from storm damage.

How do you decide what is damaged enough to need culling

 

[trophyhunter]

How do you decide what is damaged enough to need culling

Good question, I mean for me at least we get our share of blowdowns on big oaks here and they in turn do some real damage to other surrounding trees on the way down. It's really just a matter of looking at what's left standing with damage and culling what you think are the least likey to survive for the benefit of the other tree's.

That and taking into consideration the path needed to fell any other larger trees that may be subject to your management plan all have a bearing on what I cut.

Spend enough time round this place and you'll befriend some help in your neck of the woods that can walk through your place and offer some on site advice on management. Might even be worth paying an arborist to help you, thats a nice piece of land to own and should meet your heating needs.

Have fun with it, lot's of people dream of owning an acerage like that and have to really scrounge for every little bit of wood they can find anywhere they can get it. It's a blessing to have it right out the back door.

 

[Iron Head]

Like everyone stated it all depends on your current tree density, types, and age.
A property with existing natural vegetation behaves and react differently than cleared land or pastures.
Hard wood grows slow than evergreens.
But if I was you, I would start planting as much conifers and maple as possible while thinning out the older growth.
Maple actually grows alot faster than oak.
On my 8 acre property, I plant 5 young trees for every 1 that falls. It's better to have more to thin out than not have enough.