grape vines?

[brewmonster]

Today I was cutting in the woods near my house and encountered some massive wild grape vines. They were all over the dead oak and cherry I was trying to cut so I had to hack them up a bit. Big vines, up to about four inches in diameter. I couldn't keep myself from tossing it in with the rest of the wood.

Just wondering if anybody here has burned this stuff. I would guess that in the wine country of NY and CA they must do it all the time. Good BTUs?

 

[unclemoustache]

Sorry, but that was poison ivy. You're in big doo-doo now.:msp_ohmy:

 

[zogger]

I have but I make dang sure they ain't perzin ivory.

As a rule, I try to avoid cutting the wild grape vines, prefer to have the wild critter food, but sometimes it is unavoidable.

I have a few (wild grapes) that got cut and use them like tarzan swings, big fun....down in the swamp to avoid the heavy mud areas....

I am easily amused.....

I've never done it but dang if it don't look like you could use some of them as emergency rope/cable when working in the woods. I wonder what sort of stress they can take pulling...have to try that out sometime.

 

[burroak]

I FRICKING HATE GRAPE VINES!!!! They are a curse to the forest woodcutter. Everything always gets tangled up in those stupid things! Just spent today attempting to cut wood in them. grrrr.

 

[Eric Modell]

I cut and burn them but they have a lot of moisture and one of the few woods that I have to season.

 

[stumpy75]

Where the vines real hairy-like? If so, I'd think you had poison ivy, not grape vines. :msp_ohmy::eek2:

They grow like that around here. Not that many grape vines high in the oaks here...


View attachment 208672

 

[brewmonster]

I appreciate the concern of some who have posted here, but I have no trouble telling the difference between grape and poison ivy.

Still waiting for a response re the BTU value of grape. Anybody?

 

[sbowman871]

heard it throught the grapevine

I cut and burned a small dump truck load of grapevive this spring. Damn near killed one of my white pines. Once they get into an evergreen, look out!. I hit the stump with 100% roundup for several months just to make sure it won't start up again. And to think people go out and hunt for this %$@# to make wreathes and other "homey" decorations. Oh well, at least they are preventing future tree loss.

 

[mdavlee]

I've seen some that big also. They will kill trees out and make it very hard to fall a tree with them tied in together with them. They will hold a tree up with nothing but a little hinge wood left. I've never seen poison ivy over 2". I don't burn it but I will pull it off a tree. I'm not allergic.

 

[fubar2]

Can't tell you about heat value but I have a lot of them. I always cut peices out to kill them and eventualy burn it. As they get older and stronger they will choke, pull down, snap tops and snap limbs in trees.

 

[dingeryote]

Can't tell ya the BTU value, but it has to be low considering the density.
The darn things go from half inch Dia. to an inch in just a couple months, and from almost nothing to 2-3' in just a couple years.

Have burnt tons of the crap in big piles and they are not hot burning at all.
Possibly seasoning them would change that a bit, but I wouldn't bother.

Next to Poison Ivy, field Bindweed, and sassafrass, there is nothing on this planet I absolutely hate more than Grape vine.
If there was some way to torture the things and cause them hours of pain before killing them, I'd be locked up in the booby hatch.
As it is, just the satifaction of killing them and burning them alive will have to do.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[pdqdl]

I appreciate the concern of some who have posted here, but I have no trouble telling the difference between grape and poison ivy.

Still waiting for a response re the BTU value of grape. Anybody?

Not very high at all, but they make decent kindling.

All wood has about the same BTU's per pound of material. Grapevine is pretty light, so don't count on a lot of heat.

"British thermal unit (Btu) values based on specific gravity of 80 cubic feet per cord. 8000 to 8500 Btu per pound for non resinous woods. 8600 to 9700 Btu per pound for resinous woods. "

 

[BrokenToys]

Some very large vines I have here is Wisteria.

Wisteria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I had a few black locusts to take down after the big hurricane (irene haha) and the entanglement of wisteria throughout the area was a nightmare.
Some vines looked like trees themselves; 4-8" in diameter !!

 

[woodguy105]

I have a fair amount of both poison Ivy and some wild Grapes in my woods. Trees w/these vines are a PIA & dangerous. You never know if they'll get hung up or tear down other trees branches on the way down....

 

[Streblerm]

Can't tell ya the BTU value, but it has to be low considering the density.
The darn things go from half inch Dia. to an inch in just a couple months, and from almost nothing to 2-3' in just a couple years.

Have burnt tons of the crap in big piles and they are not hot burning at all.
Possibly seasoning them would change that a bit, but I wouldn't bother.

Next to Poison Ivy, field Bindweed, and sassafrass, there is nothing on this planet I absolutely hate more than Grape vine.
If there was some way to torture the things and cause them hours of pain before killing them, I'd be locked up in the booby hatch.
As it is, just the satifaction of killing them and burning them alive will have to do.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

I'm with you on the poison ivy and bindweed, but why the hate for sasafrass? I know it isn't high BTU but I like to burn it. It smells like rootbeer. The twigs are great firestarters too, even when green.

 

[AIM]

I cut every one I see just out of pure spite...

 

[RVALUE]

Can't tell ya the BTU value, but it has to be low considering the density.
The darn things go from half inch Dia. to an inch in just a couple months, and from almost nothing to 2-3' in just a couple years.

Have burnt tons of the crap in big piles and they are not hot burning at all.
Possibly seasoning them would change that a bit, but I wouldn't bother.

Next to Poison Ivy, field Bindweed, and sassafrass, there is nothing on this planet I absolutely hate more than Grape vine.
If there was some way to torture the things and cause them hours of pain before killing them, I'd be locked up in the booby hatch.
As it is, just the satifaction of killing them and burning them alive will have to do.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

What do you have against Sassafras?

 

[Chris-PA]

What do you have against Sassafras?

yeah, curious too - I burn a lot of the stuff, but then I burn everything but pine.

 

[Geez]

I don't know about BTU's but they make great wood for smoking food. Similar to apple and other fruitwood.

 

[howellhandmade]

What do you have against Sassafras?

Was thinking the same thing. I'm right there with you on the poison ivy, and I wouldn't regard sassafras as superior firewood, but it's good for fast heat and it smells nice. Splits and catches easily for kindling. While I wouldn't stockpile it if I had better options, I don't mind getting some now and then.