Poplar Trees

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Steamer

Member
Jul 15, 2008
76
Southern Vt
I usually just cut just standing dead or down trees on my property. I have an area of good size poplar trees on my property that I have relative easy access to and I wanted to thin them out to allow other trees to grow. I have burned some poplar before from a few small trees that were down. There is probably about 5-7 cords of standing trees. Do you think it is worth the work for to have all that poplar to burn? I usually burn only 2 cords a year but do intend to burn more wood less oil starting next year. Thanks in advance.
 
I'd say that your going to do a lot of work regardless of whether you burn it or not. Might as well get some more use out of it. It does burn fast but if it's free who cares.
 
It burns hot and fast and I have noticed a pretty green hue to some of the fire like the heart wood. I often put a couple pieces on the bottom for a cold start. At your consumption rate, I would not cut it all at once. I read on hear it may rot. Mine is a year and a half old and looks great. I think it seasons in 6 months.
 
i am new to burning wood but have access to a pile of poplar and have been burning it this winter. i think it burns hot and somewhat fast, i burnt alot of this wood green this winter and it seemed to burn a little longer. but i still dont know how or why but alot of people seem to want wet wood? i just moved here and didnt have much choice but i will be prepared this next winter
 
I have burned lots in the form of scrap from my friends mill shop. When very dry it burns great, good for kindling. I'm finding as long as wood is very dry most types burn well. It has to do with the btu potential of the wood.
 
I hated burning it in my old non cat stove since it didn't hold the fire long. Now since I have a cat stove that burns it plenty long I'm sorry I gave about a cord of it away earlier this year. I still hate the ash it leaves behind but I'll take it if I come across it. I'm bummed since I burned all my shoulder season wood(most the winter was shoulder season) to start the season so I'll be burning good hardwoods from here on out with about a 1/3 cord of poplar left to mix in along the way.
 
If you can put up with the fluffy ashes and the low BTU, go for it. Me, I just leave them standing for the Woodpeckers if not too unsightly, or drop them and cut it up so it lays flat to rot, giving it back to nature. If I have to drop it in my yard and cannot just leave it to rot, I will buck it up, split it, and give it to my neighbour. If I could give it away to someone further away, I would so that I wouldn't have to smell the stench of it burning. Did I ever mention I hate Poplar?
 
Yeah that stuff , on a scale of 1 to 10 is almost with willow at ZERO. Honestly, if you have it there and want it gone, it will burn, but definitely not a choice wood. It is low on BTU's per pound, lots of ashes and it STINKS. But it would be okay for daytime fires when yoi are there to keep the stove going. As for long burns and overnighters, FORGET IT! Oh and did I mention your neighbors are going to hate you!
 
Scotty Overkill said:
As for long burns and overnighters, FORGET IT! Oh and did I mention your neighbors are going to hate you!

I can get an easy 10-12 hour out of a load of poplar if it's 30's or above.(I'll chart out a load of it at some point) I just don't like the ash it leaves behind.
 
Steamer said:
I usually just cut just standing dead or down trees on my property. I have an area of good size poplar trees on my property that I have relative easy access to and I wanted to thin them out to allow other trees to grow. I have burned some poplar before from a few small trees that were down. There is probably about 5-7 cords of standing trees. Do you think it is worth the work for to have all that poplar to burn? I usually burn only 2 cords a year but do intend to burn more wood less oil starting next year. Thanks in advance.

It's what you have. You can't always have locust & white oak in the wood stack.
I burn cottonwood, aspen sometimes because "it's what I got".
It's BTUs & if it's yours & good access, go for it. It splits easy, dries fast & looks great stacked ;)

"Gotten wood" is the "best" fire wood & it's all BTUs :) :)
 
rdust said:
Scotty Overkill said:
As for long burns and overnighters, FORGET IT! Oh and did I mention your neighbors are going to hate you!

I can get an easy 10-12 hour out of a load of poplar if it's 30's or above.(I'll chart out a load of it at some point) I just don't like the ash it leaves behind.
you could get a 12 hour burn out of balsam wood in a Blaze King! ;-P
 
rdust said:
Scotty Overkill said:
As for long burns and overnighters, FORGET IT! Oh and did I mention your neighbors are going to hate you!

I can get an easy 10-12 hour out of a load of poplar if it's 30's or above.(I'll chart out a load of it at some point) I just don't like the ash it leaves behind.


Be curious if the poplar is the same in michigan as it is in the north east.

But it makes a nice shoulder season wood if you use a woodstove. Quick hot fire, generally low ash. As pointed out, it doesn't keep well for long periods of time in a wood pile.
 
There are many folks who burn a lot of poplar and it can work fine so long as you understand what you are dealing with. I say if you have it, burn it....but burn it during the hours when you are not sleeping. For those times some better hardwood is in order.
 
flyingcow said:
Be curious if the poplar is the same in michigan as it is in the north east.
There is a lot of different woods that get called Poplar some of which is not even related like Tulip. Around here the two most dominant are Aspen and Black Poplar. I've burned the odd bit of Aspen and it didn't smell too too bad so long as it was dry enough. Not a stench, but not pleasant either. Produced a lot of fine ashes though. I split up a bunch of it for kin'lin.

One time, I cut down a diseased Poplar and put it in with my firewood but really regretted it. It stunk like rotten milk before I burned it and like fried puke while it was burning.
 
One time, I cut down a diseased Poplar and put it in with my firewood but really regretted it. It stunk like rotten milk before I burned it and like fried puke while it was burning.



i would love to have that stuff and an OWB....got neighbors downwind that deserve it... :)
 
I don't actively seek out poplar, but I don't mind burning it . . . as others said the poplar you're most likely talking about (balsam poplar, bigtooth aspen or quaking aspen) burns hot and quick and often doesn't coal particularly well which means it is not the best choice for an overnight fire, but it works fantastic for the shoulder season fires or when you're around during a weekend day . . . in fact I just was burning some yesterday.
 
I don't see it as any more work, it cuts fast, splits easy, dries fast, burns fast. Maybe you have to haul more water per btu when it's green. You can leave it in bigger chunks and let it season a little longer. It won't rot if it's cut live, stacked off the ground and has some sun and wind. Just don't pile it up in the woods.
 
benjamin said:
I don't see it as any more work, it cuts fast, splits easy, dries fast, burns fast. Maybe you have to haul more water per btu when it's green. You can leave it in bigger chunks and let it season a little longer. It won't rot if it's cut live, stacked off the ground and has some sun and wind. Just don't pile it up in the woods.

+1 It looks like next season will be mostly poplar for me. I've got 2 cords of it CSS and another 1/2 cord of it that needs to be split and stacked. I've got massive Tulip Poplar trees growing on my property. If it's free I say burn it!
 
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