Wind Blown Trees

Well, this spring I took down 2 cords of blown over (for a few years) trees. Some were snapped off etc. all hardwood, mostly soft maple and beech. No leaves on the tops at all. I figured, as did my saw, that they were pretty much already dry..Split and stacked by June/July. My stove on the other hand says different. Getting some sizzle in the splits and cant believe it!

Was the bark still on the tree? You'd be amazed how good bark is at retaining moisture (one of its primary functions!)

that it was!

I too have been surprised that a dead, standing tree w/ all its bark retains as much moisture as it does. In a way it's good to prevent rot and not have it lose its value in BTUs. Certainly will be more dry than a live, felled tree. But ya still gotta pay your dues and let it season.

yeah, its not terriable and burns but its not my typical bone dry wood. luckily I ahve 2 cord of 2 year old dry wood..

Yes, until the wood has been cut into firewood size, there is not a lot of evaporation possible, especially when the bark is still on. However, that wood should not take as long to season as freshly cut wood.

If possible, stack that wood in single rows out in the wind and sun and it will be better come winter time.

well it was split and stacked by July uncovered and in good sun and wind. As of last weekend, it is now under the cover of my screen patio attached to the house.

I had a similar experience a few years back. I had felled several sugar and red maples a yellow birch a cherry and left them where they were for a year. I then processed them and stacked the wood in late august thinking it was seasoned and would just need to dry a bit. It wasn't until spring that they lost some "sizzle" and the following fall that they burned nice and dry. The cherry dried out much quicker.

I have some big oaks that have been down for YEARS, like 10-15 years. STILL damp on the inside of the trunk pieces.

Amazing.

There is a 24" pine behind the building that I work in that my boss said I could have. It's been on the ground for 2 years, and was VERY green still. We found some downed hickory in the woods where we cut. there was a 5' log with NO bark that was some what dry, and a 4' WITH bark that was as green as live standing. 3 years.