Scrounge wood ID and advice needed

[jatoxico]

So this is my scrounge from Monday and today. The back row is all maple mostly from large-ish rounds (28" or so) split on site.

One member admonished me to get off my butt and scrounge up some pine to help solve my likely shortage for next year (I'm looking at you EC ). Go out this am and voila,there it was few nice rounds of white pine.

Now the stuff I need an ID on is the birchy looking stuff. The leaves were nearby but I'm not certain they go with the wood in fact they look like they could be two different leaves. Any ideas what this stuff is? It's light (compared to oak and maple).

And, looking closely at the outer wood you can see the tree was dead or dying. I know birch can rot quick. If anyone has any experience with what ever this is, considering what you see do you think it needs to go under cover full time right away? It seems like it might be ready to burn now but I'd rather keep it until next year.

 

[Dieselhead]

black birch by the looks, but pics are kinda bright dosent look too punky get it split and it wont rot on you

 

[paul bunion]

Yes. Black birch

 

[Lakeside]

do you think it needs to go under cover full time right away

I do not totally cover any wood at least for the first 2 years. Cut ,Split, Stacked off the ground & Top cover would be my next step.

Black Birch is good stuff !

 

[jatoxico]

I do not totally cover any wood at least for the first 2 years. Cut ,Split, Stacked off the ground & Top cover would be my next step.

Black Birch is good stuff !

Gonna split it tomorrow before the snow. I will get a better handle on it then. The outer layer of wood looks punky but maybe just looks that way because the saw ripped through it so fast.

I have some wood top covered, most not except for whats in my wood shed which is just enough to hold what will burn the coming year. Don't know if the birch I got will hold up well. Notice the 'shrooms in a couple pics?

 

[Applesister]

Dry mushrooms burn just as neatly as dry wood. There is always a portion of a tree with a limb or so that goes like this.
I think its efficient to utilize the whole tree for heat.
Especially if you already have it cut to size. And its already stacked.

 

[jatoxico]

Dry mushrooms burn just as neatly as dry wood. There is always a portion of a tree with a limb or so that goes like this.
I think its efficient to utilize the whole tree for heat.
Especially if you already have it cut to size. And its already stacked.

I agree I burn it all. I just mention the mushrooms to point out that some of the wood is a little punky. I have oak with mushrooms and it doesn't worry me I know the heart wood is good for a long time. But I don't get much birch around here. From those times I have come across it I know it goes bad quick.

Good thing is those logs (biggest are 10") were all sitting out on the road already cut to about 18" which is fine for my stove since it will take splits up to 24". I won't wait, I'll split ASAP since that seems to be especially important for birch.

 

[jatoxico]

Thanks for the ID on the birch. It is split and under cover. Much more time before splitting and stacking and it would probably be shot. The stuff that was still live when cut is heavy, not like oak/locust heavy but solid. The dead standing is much lighter. Left out in the weather I think it would turn to garbage so I made room under my little shed. See how it goes, no experience with this stuff but know enough to know that there is not too much heart wood in the birches.