What can I expect from Dead Ash!

[ruserious2008]

Say that holding your tongue and see how it sounds!
Ok got some big honker ash trees in my yard and my neighbors that I want to take down. Nothing within the fall distance and I'm going to have a friend more skilled in this than I assist so hopefully I won't be posting from jail or the hospital! My question is what can I expect from these moisture wise? I would guess they are 3-5 years "dead" (since I've last seen leaves on them) and should I expect them to be ready to burn or will they require the usual 2 years of seasoning?
Thanks

 

[Backwoods Savage]

From what we are seeing here, I'd say you can cut now and burn next winter with no problem. I doubt there is much moisture left in them and they will burn great. Good luck.

 

[Thistle]

Easy splitting,fast drying & loads of heat.

 

[rdust]

Upper part of the tree will probably be usable right now, lower part will need a little time. I'd guess low 30's in the lower part and it will be good for next season.

 

[pen]

Sounds like one fine piece of ash.

pen

 

[flewism]

Easy splitting,fast drying & loads of heat.

What he said,

 

[woodsmaster]

I've been cutting dead standing ash. Its been dead around 3 years 21% moisture right off the stump. the smaller branches are very dry. It will make great firewood anytime you are ready to burn it. I can cut split and burn in the same day with no sizzle.

 

[velvetfoot]

Is it true that most of the ash trees in southern Michigan are now dead? It really blows my mind.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Sad, but it is true. Almost all of ours is dead or very close to it. Driving around some areas it really looks awful. I recall last summer driving south or SW of Lansing and seeing some big groves of ash....all dead. Several years ago lots of towns and cities were cutting all the ash thinking that would stop the borer. All that happened is that the trees got cut sooner than they would have had to have been cut.

This is actually worse than I remember back in the 50's when the dutch elm disease hit.

 

[hemlock40a]

My experience with dead White Ash is similar to what others have posted. I cut and stacked some logs last Fall and split them this past March. The moisture reading was 18-20%.

Regarding Michigan Ash trees: I'm in the NW Lower Peninsula. We've been losing our Ash trees since the 90's and it's not the Emerald Borer. The roots and heartwood near the base deteriorate, weakening them, and the wind knocks them down. It's also happening to our Eastern Hophornbeam (Ironwood). It may be a coincidence, but the average temperature keeps rising (the trees leaf-out ~2 weeks earlier than they used to, e.g.), and unlike the southern half of the LP, we've been in and out of drought most years since the mid-90's.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum hemlock40a.

Sounds bad up there and you live in a beautiful area of MI. However, you are a bit wrong about the drought conditions. We too have been in terrible drought. Last fall I said that I had seen it that dry several times but never at that time of the year. We got little moisture this winter because most of our snow was fluff and so far this spring we've had little rain. But most of the dry is just a repeat of many years. There was a wet spring a couple years ago and some crops were lost but overall, we are terribly dry here. Even this morning it was the same old story. Rain moved across the state. We got nothing. Yes, it is dry here too. But then, this is more central MI and yes, further south they are not as dry.