Giant spruce for next season

[RFarm]

Hi guys,
My neighbor had a giant spruce tree dropped last fall. She is a widower and does not burn. She said I could cut it up and take it. I bucked it up last Saturday and was hoping to mo e the rounds out on Sunday. Things happened and the rounds never got moved. On top of that I had hernia surgery yesterday and will be sidelined for about six weeks. This will take me into mid April before I can get back to it. My question is what would be the best way to protect the rounds from decay if I choose to wait until next spring to split? Do you think the rounds will be dry enough to burn next season if I do not split them this spring? Some of the rounds are 30” plus in diameter and weigh nearly 65-80 lbs. I bucked them to 18” in length. Thanks.

 

[mcdougy]

If it's spruce, an axe will just bounce off it in my limited experience, the rounds should season a bit before attempting to split. If you have a mechanical splitter a different story. I would think you will have no rot problems in the time frame your expecting.

 

[johneh]

It takes longer than 2 months for spruce to show
any rot other than the bark

 

[weatherguy]

If you split them as soon as you can they'll probably be ready next winter if seasoned in a good area but don't rush things, my brother messed up a hernia operation by overdoing it too soon after. He was actually helping me load his truck with big huge oak rounds and I told him he was just there to drive but he couldn't just stand and watch.

 

[CincyBurner]

Good of you to help your widow neighbor.
+1 on it not rotting in that timeframe.
But I think you'll find it more difficult to hand split spruce than you think.
I removed a dying spruce in my yard, and attempted to buck between the branch whorls but still ran into knots everywhere.
Ended up noodling everything. Wood processing area looked like a giant gerbil cage with foot deep excelsior.

 

[ABMax24]

Store it up off the ground with the top covered, that should easily keep it a year until next spring. Spruce normally drys quite fast, we usually split it once dry, it cracks apart better that way.