Catalpa?

[FireBall]

Happy 4th to everyone. Have a question regarding catalpa trees....has anyone used this tree for firewood? I am clearing an overgrown corner of my pasture where one of these trees is growing. Did not know if this species us worth cutting/splitting/stacking for firewood or if I should just throw it on the brush pile. Thanks for any responses.

 

[gzecc]

Its poor quality fuel. I wouldn't waste my time. Some would however. It depends on your wood stores.

 

[woodsmaster]

Makes some of the best kindling I've ever used when dry. Not to good for overnight burns. Splits easy.

 

[bioman]

catalpa worms are the best fishing bait !

 

[iskiatomic]

Shoulder season, firepit at best.


KC

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Happy 4th to everyone. Have a question regarding catalpa trees....has anyone used this tree for firewood? I am clearing an overgrown corner of my pasture where one of these trees is growing. Did not know if this species us worth cutting/splitting/stacking for firewood or if I should just throw it on the brush pile. Thanks for any responses.

So you are clearing a pasture. Then that means you'll be cutting the tree. To me, that says it will be firewood. Burn it in early fall or late spring or even one of those warm winter days. Point is, the tree is yours and you are clearing anyway so why just throw it out?

 

[Wood Duck]

I'm with Savage. I'd keep the parts that are reasonably straight, not too branched or knotty, in other words, the parts that will be easy to process into firewood. You can't have too much firewood, and some days lighter wood is just what you need. Most woods that burn away quickly also heat up fast.

 

[ScotO]

I personally don't use it in the house very often. I did use it our second year of burning, it burns hot, but burns very fast and also lots of ash. It has a perfume-like smell when burning, and IMHO it takes up way too much space in the stacks to be worth keeping for fuel. If you have a place to store some shoulder season wood (daytime fires, morning and evening warm-up wood) it would be OK for that, but definately not an overnight fuel. I have since quit using it, I'd rather use pine.

 

[Adabiviak]

Then that means you'll be cutting the tree. To me, that says it will be firewood.

QFT - not all firewood need be the epic 12-hour yule log material. This will come in handy for those times when the night was unusually cold and you just want to take the edge off the chill before the day begins, for example.

 

[weatherguy]

QFT - not all firewood need be the epic 12-hour yule log material. This will come in handy for those times when the night was unusually cold and you just want to take the edge off the chill before the day begins, for example.

I agree, I save most everything that I cut, I dont go out of my way looking for inferior wood but if I have to cut it, I buck and split it and at the least use it for short quick fires in the morning that you let go out in the afternoon or for kindling.