Cold Day at the Beech

[red oak]

So I cut a couple of truck loads in the National Forest today since I'm off work for the week and the weather here in Va was PERFECT for cutting wood today. Got some white oak and red oak that will take awhile to dry but also got some super dry black locust that I'm pretty excited about. To get to these trees I had to cut up a couple of small beech trees that were in my way. Usually I don't see beech where I cut and this is the first time that I've cut it. So to those who have burned it, does it have much heat to it or is it more of a shoulder season wood? It seems like it will be easy to split - very straight and no knots that I see. Thoughts anyone?

 

[thewoodlands]

Beech is great firewood, in our coldest weather that is what we go with along with Sugar Maple. I would burn Oak but our property I cut on has none.


zap

 

[lukem]

So I cut a couple of truck loads in the National Forest today since I'm off work for the week and the weather here in Va was PERFECT for cutting wood today. Got some white oak and red oak that will take awhile to dry but also got some super dry black locust that I'm pretty excited about. To get to these trees I had to cut up a couple of small beech trees that were in my way. Usually I don't see beech where I cut and this is the first time that I've cut it. So to those who have burned it, does it have much heat to it or is it more of a shoulder season wood? It seems like it will be easy to split - very straight and no knots that I see. Thoughts anyone?

Beech is excellent firewood. Dries in a year. Makes big heat, between oak and ash if i remember correctly.

 

[red oak]

Zap if it takes care of you in NY I'm sure it will be fine for me here in VA - I'd be willing to bet my winters are warmer than yours.

Lukem it's nice to hear that it doesn't need long to dry. I'll be able to use it next year unlike the oak that I cut today!

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[thewoodlands]

Like Lukem said it seasons quick, once you burn it you'll want more. One degree outside (we heat from the basement) 72 here in the livingroom upstairs, 69 in the bedroom, burning some nice beech.



zap

 

[firefighterjake]

Beech is a very good firewood . . . since I haven't had access to oak until recently beech and sugar maple have been my "go to" wood when it gets wicked cold outside.

 

[raybonz]

Beech is great firewood, in our coldest weather that is what we go with along with Sugar Maple. I would burn Oak but our property I cut on has none.


zap

Zap I wonder why there is no oak on that huge property? In this area it's everywhere but so is everything else.. Maybe the soil lacks something or is it the climate? I know it gets much colder there than here maybe that's why there is none there? Dennis gets very cold and he has oak there..

Ray

 

[firefighterjake]

Beech is great firewood, in our coldest weather that is what we go with along with Sugar Maple. I would burn Oak but our property I cut on has none.


zap

Zap I wonder why there is no oak on that huge property? In this area it's everywhere but so is everything else.. Maybe the soil lacks something or is it the climate? I know it gets much colder there than here maybe that's why there is none there? Dennis gets very cold and he has oak there..

Ray

Oftentimes it just depends on the land and what trees are around . . . where I live we are covered in oaks . . . where I cut my wood I think I have seen maybe 3 or 4 in the entire time I have cut there . . . they can grow there, but if there is no parent tree there are no acorns . . .

 

[raybonz]

Beech is great firewood, in our coldest weather that is what we go with along with Sugar Maple. I would burn Oak but our property I cut on has none.


zap

Zap I wonder why there is no oak on that huge property? In this area it's everywhere but so is everything else.. Maybe the soil lacks something or is it the climate? I know it gets much colder there than here maybe that's why there is none there? Dennis gets very cold and he has oak there..

Ray

Oftentimes it just depends on the land and what trees are around . . . where I live we are covered in oaks . . . where I cut my wood I think I have seen maybe 3 or 4 in the entire time I have cut there . . . they can grow there, but if there is no parent tree there are no acorns . . .

Here I have maples, white pines, red pines etc.. Maybe they prefer acidic soil? I'll mail you a box of acorns

Ray

 

[mywaynow]

The absolute heaviest pieces of wood ever on my trailer were Beech. My guess is 15% heavier than the Red Oak I had been working on. Granted it fell in a summer storm, so it was full of water. Can't wait for it to show up in the piles. My guess is I won't see mine for a couple seasons though.

 

[firefighterjake]

Beech is great firewood, in our coldest weather that is what we go with along with Sugar Maple. I would burn Oak but our property I cut on has none.


zap

Zap I wonder why there is no oak on that huge property? In this area it's everywhere but so is everything else.. Maybe the soil lacks something or is it the climate? I know it gets much colder there than here maybe that's why there is none there? Dennis gets very cold and he has oak there..

Ray

Oftentimes it just depends on the land and what trees are around . . . where I live we are covered in oaks . . . where I cut my wood I think I have seen maybe 3 or 4 in the entire time I have cut there . . . they can grow there, but if there is no parent tree there are no acorns . . .

Here I have maples, white pines, red pines etc.. Maybe they prefer acidic soil? I'll mail you a box of acorns

Ray

I'm betting oak would grow well there . . . lots of maple, pine, etc. near my home along with the oak.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Beech is great firewood, in our coldest weather that is what we go with along with Sugar Maple. I would burn Oak but our property I cut on has none.


zap

Zap I wonder why there is no oak on that huge property? In this area it's everywhere but so is everything else.. Maybe the soil lacks something or is it the climate? I know it gets much colder there than here maybe that's why there is none there? Dennis gets very cold and he has oak there..

Ray

Oftentimes it just depends on the land and what trees are around . . . where I live we are covered in oaks . . . where I cut my wood I think I have seen maybe 3 or 4 in the entire time I have cut there . . . they can grow there, but if there is no parent tree there are no acorns . . .

Here I have maples, white pines, red pines etc.. Maybe they prefer acidic soil? I'll mail you a box of acorns

Ray

I'm betting oak would grow well there . . . lots of maple, pine, etc. near my home along with the oak.

Perhaps zap is just on the northern edge for oaks. He is further north than we are. Different trees grow in different areas and yes, soil has much to do with it along with climate, etc. For example, beech is a wood that wood burners like. Here in MI the beech are scattered. We have a few but not a lot. Western LP has lots of beech as does the eastern UP. Yet in the UP, basically west of the Escanaba river you will not find beech. Strange, but true.