Ash can be strange

[Backwoods Savage]

Today I finished splitting the ash we cut this year. I was amazed at the difference from the ash we cut last year in that last year the wood was so dry the bark fell off lots of it while splitting. This year, not one log had the bark fall off or was loose. Of course it also had more moisture. But it was all dead too! No leaves on those trees last summer. So I just thought this was strange and wondered if anyone else has had this experience.

 

[woodsmaster]

I cut a load a few weeks ago and when I split it most the bark fell off. It was dry other than a little moisture under the bark and had a fresh green wood smell, but it burnt fine after sitting for a week.

 

[certified106]

Wish I could help you out however I have almost no experience with Ash as I usually have my hands full of Oak, Elm, Hickory, and Beech.
After hearing everyone on here talk about Ash I wish I could find some just to try though.

 

[tfdchief]

Dennis, I have had the exact same experience with ash as you. Can't explain it other than to guess its just the genetics of different trees.

 

[joefrompa]

Saw that with ash from my FIL.

His ash was cut into rounds, but still fairly fresh. Went to split it down for him and bark came off in huge chunks. Perfect kindling stuff.

He cut some lengths into huge rounds for me of a different ash tree, but felled around the same time, and I had the rounds sitting out for awhile in the open air. When I split them down, the bark would not peel off unless I precisely placed my axe right at the edge of it. And I was amazed at the amount of moisture directly under the bark.

 

[Gark]

Have seen the same thing here too. A few years ago, all the dead ash seemed dry already. Last year's take was more solid and definitely wetter. Wild guess - maybe the dry ones died in the winter?

 

[Woody Stover]

wondered if anyone else has had this experience.

Yep, I can remember years past when the bark didn't fall off. It was dead, but I didn't pay attention to any other details that might shed light.
We use all the fallen-off bark we can get for mulching, paths, etc. Useful stuff.

After hearing everyone on here talk about Ash I wish I could find some just to try

Living in Ohio, I'd think you wouldn't have to wait too long to find some. And with this borer, we may all be up to our ash in Ash eventually.
:long:

 

[RowCropRenegade]

I have noticed wild variations in green or dead ash. Just finished splitting the rest of two cords of ash. Guys cut this 4 foot diameter up and left the trunk. Too big to mess with. Even left a half a truck load of splits on the ground. I busted a few of the big 4 foot rounds up with one swing of the maul. Couldn't hardly touch the smaller rounds. The weird thing was the splits piled on the ground acted wetter than the rounds. Dunno. Positive this is ash, btw.

This was my second experience with ash. Totally different from the first 4 cords of experience. I do know it's darn fine wood, straight grained, easy to light, fast drying and solid btu content.

 

[Woody Stover]

Guys cut this 4 foot diameter up and left the trunk.

4' Ash? Holy Kamoly, that's one big-ash Ash! Where was this, next to the nuke plant?
:lol:

 

[woodsmaster]

Guys cut this 4 foot diameter up and left the trunk.

4' Ash? Holy Kamoly, that's one big-ash Ash! Where was this, next to the nuke plant?
:lol:

we had a couple over 3' before we had the woods loged

 

[RowCropRenegade]

I'm not making it up. I measured it. Glad it was cut up for me. My JD 333 with grapple bucket didn't even grunt picking them up.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

If memory serves me, it seems that rdust also cut one humongous ash about a year ago. I don't recall the size but maybe he'll chime in here on it.

btw, this ash this year was no way near the dryness of what we cut last year. I also had a couple guys come in a cut a bunch of ash and all of what they cut were also not that dry. Strange for sure.

 

[certified106]

wondered if anyone else has had this experience.

Yep, I can remember years past when the bark didn't fall off. It was dead, but I didn't pay attention to any other details that might shed light.
We use all the fallen-off bark we can get for mulching, paths, etc. Useful stuff.

After hearing everyone on here talk about Ash I wish I could find some just to try

Living in Ohio, I'd think you wouldn't have to wait too long to find some. And with this borer, we may all be up to our ash in Ash eventually.
:long:

problem is I don't usually venture to far off my property to find my wood and I don't have any ash that I know of on the 25 acres I cut on. I probably will run into some eventually as now that I'm ahead on wood I have most of my dead stuff cleaned up and i'll take someone elses wood that they aren't going to use before I cut my live stuff down. Well I should rephrase that and say if it's within 15 minutes of my house. I'm almost embarrassed to say this but if people saw how much Hickory I have it's ridiculous. I can probably count 50 Hickory trees sitting on my back deck and I love burning Hickory.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Certified, with all that hickory, you don't need to sample any ash. Hickory is great firewood and I wish we had some. Well, we do have a few hickory trees but they are very young.

 

[woodsmaster]

If memory serves me, it seems that rdust also cut one humongous ash about a year ago. I don't recall the size but maybe he'll chime in here on it.

btw, this ash this year was no way near the dryness of what we cut last year. I also had a couple guys come in a cut a bunch of ash and all of what they cut were also not that dry. Strange for sure.

In my woods some ash trees died a year earlier than others. I tried to drop one a few weeks ago and forgot my felling wedge. needless to say It tried to fall the wrong way but didn't come down. I let mother nature take it down. Went to the woods a few days ago and it was down so I cut it up and on the first cut water poured out of the tree. The tree had a big scar down one side that must have traped water. The whole tree semed wetter than usuall but had been laying on the ground for a week or two. Haven't split any of that tree yet, just stacked the rounds in the woods.