How Many Seasons Ahead?

[Wawa Coffee]

How many seasons ahead do you think it is safe to get strictly with White Ash? Between the two neighbors next to me they're dropping SIX(!) huge mature Ash trees. I only go through two cord per year. I don't even have a place to store that much, but supposing I convinced my wife to let me turn a portion of my back yard into a log yard, how long will White Ash last not split, just left as rounds before it starts to rot?

My plan is to put some 2x4's down and leave the rounds stacked but not covered.

Thanks!

Wawa

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[Ctwoodtick]

How many seasons ahead do you think it is safe to get strictly with White Ash? Between the two neighbors next to me they're dropping SIX(!) huge mature Ash trees. I only go through two cord per year. I don't even have a place to store that much, but supposing I convinced my wife to let me turn a portion of my back yard into a log yard, how long will White Ash last not split, just left as rounds before it starts to rot?

My plan is to put some 2x4's down and leave the rounds stacked but not covered.

Thanks!

Wawa

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

A " log yard" does not make sense. It always best to split and stack asap. Plus rows of split wood look nicer than a bunch of logs stored long term.

 

[Wawa Coffee]

A " log yard" does not make sense. It always best to split and stack asap. Plus rows of split wood look nicer than a bunch of logs stored long term.

All true. Just hate passing up on this much wood right next door. I guess the alternative would be to grab it and split asap.

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[warno]

If you stacked the unsplit rounds up off the ground you should be ok. They will start to dry but it will be slow going. But I have to ask what's the difference of stacked rounds vs. stacked splits? Other then the labor of splitting. I mean if you have room to stack the rounds why not C/S/S it all?

 

[Wawa Coffee]

Other then the labor of splitting.

^

Really is just a time issue. I work 12 hour days and the weekends are hectic with family. I guess what I'll end up doing is whittling away at them little by little and get it done over time.

Thanks gents for the replies!

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[red oak]

^

Really is just a time issue. I work 12 hour days and the weekends are hectic with family. I guess what I'll end up doing is whittling away at them little by little and get it done over time.

Thanks gents for the replies!

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Yes that's my plan also - split here or there when I can and it will all add up. Ideally you'd want to get those pieces split and off the ground as soon as possible so that real drying can begin. Gives me daily exercise too!

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

Off the ground they will last at least a couple years, if already dead that time is reduced. I'd do like you said and you'll find time here and there, especially in winter. I burn about one cord of ash per month under normal Ohio winter cond. So 4-5 cords per year. I dropped a 36" dbh ash last fall which yielded about 3 cords using almost all of it. Have fun.

 

[firefighterjake]

Cut, split and stacked off the ground? I've got some stacks outside right now that have been out for two or three years now with no issues . . . uncovered.

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

Cut, split and stacked off the ground?

No I was referring to leaving them in log length. CSS as you said adds years in multiples.

 

[Woody Stover]

^Really is just a time issue. I work 12 hour days and the weekends are hectic with family. I guess what I'll end up doing is whittling away at them little by little and get it done over time.

Ash splits fast; Split and stack ASAP, and you will have some great wood. Let it sit around un-split, and decay will start to set in. Rounds will hold up better than logs, though...

 

[Jeffm1]

How many seasons ahead do you think it is safe to get strictly with White Ash? Between the two neighbors next to me they're dropping SIX(!) huge mature Ash trees. I only go through two cord per year. I don't even have a place to store that much, but supposing I convinced my wife to let me turn a portion of my back yard into a log yard, how long will White Ash last not split, just left as rounds before it starts to rot?

My plan is to put some 2x4's down and leave the rounds stacked but not covered.

Thanks!

Wawa

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

I am a big proponent of building the wood yard. I am in the middle of doing that myself. All my wood is stacked in the front yard and we have a fenced in back lawn, patio and playground for the kids. We live on a 2 1/2 acres lot that is underutilized so I built an extension yard for the sole purpose of processing firewood. It will include a woodshed. Looks neat and tidy from the neighbors view, not that I really care or that anyone said anything.... it just makes things more efficient. I am almost done now. Maybe by the end of the month...will post more pics when complete under a new thread to show it off.

 

[Oldman47]

This year I have been splitting ash that came down 5 years ago and has been stored off the ground in 2 foot long rounds. Between the decaying bark trapped in the pile and the leaf build up it is not drying well until I split and stacked it again.

 

[CheapBassTurd]

With the EAB infestation well underway a few years now ash is the most common fuel
along southern Lake Michigan. Asplundh drops everywhere, and more being added monthly.
Residential properties are having them felled at a high rate too for safety issues as the leaves thin out.

Other than currently being gentle to a rotator surgery, mine get split and put in the stacks right when
they get home. The rounds I'm waiting to split are palletized and the loose bark peeled off, some completely.
They should fly apart with the X-27 once below freezing. The sooner the better on dehydration. What I generally
get is seasoned but wet. It requires debarking and immediate splitting with the swamps and humidity here.

PS. I do little increments often and a LOT gets done. You'd be surprised how fast the
job gets done if ya just nail it 15 minutes a day before walking in after work. A lil' mental wind
down/ alone time too before the 2nd madhouse begins. lol (we have 4 kids at home)

 

[SeanBB]

I had a large ash tree taken down about fifteen years ago. One large knarly piece resisted my best efforts with the maul and ended up as a chopping block. It resided on the earth in my old open sided barn and when that was replaced it was moved to my new open sided barn. There is no rot on it at all but it is as hard as steel. I imagine it would blunt a chainsaw pretty quickly and a maul would just bounce off it.

 

[ohlongarm]

How many seasons ahead do you think it is safe to get strictly with White Ash? Between the two neighbors next to me they're dropping SIX(!) huge mature Ash trees. I only go through two cord per year. I don't even have a place to store that much, but supposing I convinced my wife to let me turn a portion of my back yard into a log yard, how long will White Ash last not split, just left as rounds before it starts to rot?

My plan is to put some 2x4's down and leave the rounds stacked but not covered.

Thanks!

Wawa

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Speaking from my experience,logs or rounds at least 3to 4 years,if in doubt I'll post pics of ash logs with no bark,3 years old with zero rot laying in shaded ground.