Cutting some white birch

That tree looked close to the house. Was it dead or dropping to many leaves in your gutter?
You won't have to carry it far to the stove.

Enjoy the birch. I love the way the birch bark burns when you peel it off of a split. Who needs firestarters?

Johnpolk said:

Enjoy the birch. I love the way the birch bark burns when you peel it off of a split. Who needs firestarters?

Click to expand...

My kids love throwing the bark into the outside fire pit and watching it curl!

Just split them up quick and its fine wood. If you cant get it split, run the saw lengthwide along the trunk a couple of time, that releases the bark and let the moisture out so it doesnt rot while its waiting to be split.

White birch is one of my favorite trees to look at. I've never had the privilege of burning any yet!

Does it season quickly?

Birch seasons quickly, but it also rots very quickly. If you don't split it, it will rot within a year easily.

Are you going to let it rot there?

Good looking stack. Should be ready to go next year? Never burnt white birch'
My Grandmother had 4 or 5 logs on her hearth for 30 years. Light as a feather.

I am going to look at a property tomorrow that has some white birch to come down. Was surprisde to read that it's maybe similar to Cherry btu's? Appears if I split/stack right away it may be ready for spring shoulder season?

You can try.
I had a cousin cut some for me in April and I had to put them back in the stacks for either the spring burning or next fall.
Im not cutting any more trees in March, April or May.
Birch may be one of those species that seasons in months instead of years, but this year, mine didnt.

I would say it will take longer than pine and pine will take almost a year c/s/s from green (at least around here). When you drop it make sure you split it right away if for anything to get the bark off. Those that you aren't going to split you should run your saw along it so once its bucked up you can peal the bark off.

If I drop it and split it in quarters in late January and put it under cover, its can be burnt in late fall but I would rather let it got through one more winter. My wood shed i snot ideal drying location so I expect single rows under cover with full sun and a breeze could season in a year.

I have mentioned it before and will again. Do not wait until a white birchs branches are dead before dropping them. They rot standing up and if most of the crown id dead (no new buds) its likely the wood is not worth the trouble. Sometimes I catch them with just a bit of the crown dead and still get good wood but end up leaving the top third of the trunk in the woods.

Any one have a clue how long birch standing dead is good before it punks out? 2-3 yrs?. Jay

9 times out of 10 standing dead birch is already punky in the middle. I dont cut dead birch, not for firewood. I use birch cut in the winter/spring for the following season and it dries well for me. Easy to split as soon as it's dropped but gets harder over time. Releasing the bark with a knife or running down the length with the saw also helps it to split.

Birch smells awesome when it's burning- I like to throw a few splits in before heading outside to work in the yard. It's like wood 'perfume'.

Birch is not a common tree in Western PA, but I saw several pallets of it outside a grocery store last week in little kiln-dried bundles. It was imported. From Europe.

I believe there are several types of birch too. The White birch, River, Paper Birch, Black Birch (not even white bark).

We have a decorative pile of White Birch cut rounds near our pellet stove. Contrasts nice with the black stove.

Always enjoy the Native Black Birch twigs to chew on while out and about....taste just like birch beer soda!



.