Seasoning time for Cherry wood?

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Treacherous

Treacherous

Minister of Fire
May 13, 2010
1,026
US
My dad recently cut down a large cherry tree that he claims yielded him about 3 cords. He is going to give me one cord of it.

What should I expect for seasoning time? Similar to oak? Few years?

I will be hauling it over to the east side of Cascades that is a lot drier with low humidity and plenty of wind.
 
A year should be good. I stacked some in late July and it almost made it but not quite. Wet spots on the end of some splits. It was split small.
 
Most here say everything takes a year with the exception of oak taking 2 to 3 years.
Stacked off the ground in a single row in an area of good sun & wind, it may be ready this winter if you have a dry sunny year.

The low humidity & wind where you are will help dry it fast, add in the sun you have perfect conditions to dry firewood.
Now your Dad's cherry wood, on the wet west side of the Cascades, should be ready for 2013/14 burn season but not this one.
 
I started my wood cutting "hobby" in Ellensburg, WA on the east side. We lived a block south of CWU when I was a teen. We seasoned plenty of wood over in the dry and hot and windy Kittitas Valley. I'm sure if the cherry wood is split and stacked this month off the ground on pallets or poles, it will be ready this fall.

Most of the wood we cut was Douglas Fir, White Fir, Pine, and Tamarack from the Manashtash area, with the occasional apple or pear or other Kittitas or Yakima Valley fruitwood. We got willow once, and only once, way out Badger Pocket Road if you know where that is.
 
Everyone does say a year but some of the monrhs in a year the wood doesnt season much so if you hit the good months, May - Oct you may get there. I have some wood I just split, cherry and maple that Im going to check come Dec, if not I have plenty of other wood but Im curious to see if it makes it.
 
6-8 months and it will burn OK.
1 year or more and it will burn quite nicely.
 
Cherry compared to oak? 1/3 the time for drying. I cut some cherry last winter (stacked a lot of it today) and if it were needed, I would not fear burning that next winter.
 
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Backwoods Savage said:
Cherry compared to oak? 1/3 the time for drying. I cut some cherry last winter (stacked a lot of it today) and if it were needed, I would not fear burning that next winter.
Click to expand...

I have the same experience. One summer is good for split pieces. One year for rounds. It starts at a low moisture content and dries quickly.
 
I cut around 3 cord of cherry over the winter. It was split and stacked in February/March. I hope it it ready to burn next season.
I have some shoulder season wood and a couple cord of ash to use first so the cherry will be early next year.

should be good.
 
I burn a lot of cherry because it is plentiful around here. Split small and in a single row with a good location it will be ready this coming winter. Last May about this time I split about half a cord on the small side and stacked in a single row to take to a guy that lets me hunt his property. I tried a couple chunks in November before I hauled it to him and it burnt very nice. I ask him during muzzleloader season after Christmas how it was and he said it really burnt good for him.
 
Thanks Everyone!!! This all helps.

Oregon Bigfoot: Yep...I know all those places.

Oregon Bigfoot said:
I started my wood cutting "hobby" in Ellensburg, WA on the east side. We lived a block south of CWU when I was a teen. We seasoned plenty of wood over in the dry and hot and windy Kittitas Valley. I'm sure if the cherry wood is split and stacked this month off the ground on pallets or poles, it will be ready this fall.

Most of the wood we cut was Douglas Fir, White Fir, Pine, and Tamarack from the Manashtash area, with the occasional apple or pear or other Kittitas or Yakima Valley fruitwood. We got willow once, and only once, way out Badger Pocket Road if you know where that is.
Click to expand...
 
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