willow for firewood??

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

kodiakattack

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Jun 17, 2008
Messages
103
Reaction score
18
Location
ontario, Canada
Where i get my wood i had took down a couple of willow trees for the owner , just wondering is it worth taking? I have plenty of hardwood i will be getting over the next year or so as they remove it.
Just hate to see it go to waste. They will end up putting it in the burn pile .??
 
Take it and use it for early or late season. I have a nice stash of it that I'll get into next week once I start burning. Wood is wood is the way I look at it, some isn't as good but it still burns and heats.
 
If it burns, it burns. When I get an easy score of something like willow or cottonwood I just stack it separate from my hardwoods and I call it "Saturday Wood" When I'm around the house on weekends I don't mind throwing in wood more often. I don't have to have the stove packed tight so I get a 10 hr. burn out of it. I also put all of the crazy shaped hardwood pieces that don't stack well or fit well in the stove in the "Saturday Wood" pile. This seems to work for me and I get to use some wood that might have otherwise wasted away.
 
Ya i burn it all as well but never had willow. Right now i have lots of hardwood to get out so if its still around when im done i guess i will pick away at it. I ll try to get pics tomorrow !!
 
I cut down a dead willow from my yard a few years back and I thought it burned great. Burned quick but hot and clean. Keep the splits thick and I think you'll like it. I'd compare it to an Aspen. Doesn't smell all that great,but if you have a good stove that shouldn't be a problem. Like others said, it's good saturday wood or for the shoulder seasons.
 
I cut down a dead willow from my yard a few years back and I thought it burned great. Burned quick but hot and clean. Keep the splits thick and I think you'll like it. I'd compare it to an Aspen. Doesn't smell all that great,but if you have a good stove that shouldn't be a problem. Like others said, it's good saturday wood or for the shoulder seasons.

Yep, keep the chunks good size. Amazing thing is a good size chunk in a shut down airtight will hold fire all night and fire right up in the morning.

Harry K
 
15 years ago a neighbour gave me a bunch from some wind damage and it burned hot and fast but it made the neighbourhood smell like dog poop. I wouldn't waste my time if you have other options.
 
I'm burning it now ...it's a good shoulder season wood. But only because it's in my back yard, not the kind of wood I'd go out of my way for.

Willow burns hot and quick.

In the newer stoves you can prolong it somewhat. In the older stoves it was good to throw in the stove 1st thing in the morning to get the kids out of bed for school...warmed up the house really quick.

Willows the kind of wood you keep separate from the rest of your wood.
 
15 years ago a neighbour gave me a bunch from some wind damage and it burned hot and fast but it made the neighbourhood smell like dog poop. I wouldn't waste my time if you have other options.

There are various types of Willow and I have cut green willow that smelled bad but once cured the odor disappeared.

Moral: don't blanket condemn any type of wood, species vary.

Harry K
 
I have an OWB and I'll burn any kind of wood in it, all wood makes BTU's.
I burn old magazines, old phone books, and all our newspapers too.



An OWB, like any other wood stove, operates best on a diet of seasoned, dry, wood. People that burn green wood, or choose to use thier OWB as an incinerator are the cause of problems for all other wood burners.
 
An OWB, like any other wood stove, operates best on a diet of seasoned, dry, wood. People that burn green wood, or choose to use thier OWB as an incinerator are the cause of problems for all other wood burners.

Hardly think burning paper products is a problem.
Never said anything about burning green wood, just said I burn any kind of wood.

P. S. you have a great Avatar
 
Last edited:
I have an OWB and I'll burn any kind of wood in it, all wood makes BTU's.
I burn old magazines, old phone books, and all our newspapers too.

An OWB, like any other wood stove, operates best on a diet of seasoned, dry, wood. People that burn green wood, or choose to use thier OWB as an incinerator are the cause of problems for all other wood burners.

:agree2: And by posting such comments on this forum now gives those who want to ban our OWB more fuel for such a silly cause. I have respect for my neighbors, I only burn well seasoned, dry wood.
 
Hardly think burning paper products is a problem.
Never said anything about burning green wood, just said I burn any kind of wood.

P. S. you have a great Avatar

It's not the paper that's the problem. Newspapers, telephone books, and particularly magazines all have many more chemicals in the ink, bindings... particularly bad in the glossy paper. Corrugated cardboard has lots of glue. I don't know a lot about the bad compounds burning these produce... I do know dioxin is a bad one, and one that causes a lot of problems. You're much better off using just enough newspaper to get the fire started and burning only clean, seasoned wood from there on out. You'll do us all a favor.
 
It's not the paper that's the problem. Newspapers, telephone books, and particularly magazines all have many more chemicals in the ink, bindings... particularly bad in the glossy paper. Corrugated cardboard has lots of glue. I don't know a lot about the bad compounds burning these produce... I do know dioxin is a bad one, and one that causes a lot of problems. You're much better off using just enough newspaper to get the fire started and burning only clean, seasoned wood from there on out. You'll do us all a favor.

Well said. I only use enough newspaper to get the heater going. Have gotten in a few fusses with the wife when I caught her putting drink boxes etc in the heater :mad:

Burn clean and keep your neighbors happy.
 
Back
Top