nparch726
ArboristSite Operative
Been cleaning up a bunch of trees for my neighbors due to some storm damage last year and I've been getting a lot of walnut. Never burned a whole lot of walnut before, what do you guys think of it as firewood?
I find for walnut to burn the best it needs a good 18 months or so to season properly.
TS
I have burned a lot and it is excellent firewood, if not the longest burning. It is the easiest true hardwood to split. No wedges needed, just a maul. The heartwood is rot resistant and very dry live and seasons quickly. The sapwood is not much good. Big yard or fencerow walnuts are best used for firewood unless you mill your own. Commercial mills do not want yard, roadside or fence row trees.
I just cleaned out a guys pasture with tons of walnut. There were at least 8 trees that had a dbh around 24" or better. Some pushing 28". It was a waste cutting them for firewood IMO. But the owner didn't want them to be logged out for money. I told him I would cut the logs to length and have someone get them. Split the $ in half. He said "no" just cut it up for firewood.
There is one huge one left that is at least 32" dbh. Don't know if he wants it gone or not. I would like to find an alaskan mill and cut it up into boards and make some furniture out of it. It is soooooooo beautiful.
As for fuel, it works. Lots of ash, but burns good once seasoned for a while. I hate the actual walnuts though. They are hard on my lawnmower blades in the fall time. I have tons of walnut trees in the back. One is Ginormous. I would say pushing 45" dbh. The top is getting raggity from the ice storm a couple yrs ago. I recon someday soon I'll be dropping it. That tree has to be over 100yrs. old too.
Personally, I would attempt to sell those trees Iowa especially if the tree's trunks are straight. Although, I am not sure who is the exact walnut broker down in southwest Missouri you might have some luck contacting American Walnut in KC as a lead. Oddly enough I have a hunch their business could be needing sources of wood given the recent rise in gun sales. As for the problems with the nuts you can sell them. Hammons Walnuts buys them and there are pretty many shelling stations within Missouri. I believe they paid $14 per dehusked 100 lbs weight. Good luck.
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