Future Tree Identification

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Bacffin

Minister of Fire
Hello everyone! First I want to thank everyone on this site for their valuable information they have provided me. Even though I have been lurking for a while and learning, this is my first post.
Last December I installed a Hearthstone Clydesdale insert in my fireplace and have been heating my house with less than stellar wood. My wife just loves the heat it produces compared to just keeping the house “warm enough”.
Most of the wood I have been burning is pine because I have 2.25 acres of 85 to 100 foot standing white pine. (Giant Q-Tips!) I have a lot of standing dead so I just c/s/s them and they are ready to burn. Once I take down all the standing dead, I will start thinning out the live ones. I have plenty of pine for the shoulder seasons for quite a few years. I purchased 2 cord last winter that was supposed to be 18 month seasoned...ya right, but we made it work. After reading on this site, I am convinced seasoning my own is the only way to go!
I have about 1 ½ cord of hard wood ready for this season and 2 cord for 13/14 and 1 cord for 14/15 (oak). I also have 2 cord of hemlock for 13/14, but that will probably be used for the shoulder months, like the pine. I am still not sure how much we will burn each season, but I am going to plan for 3 cord of hardwood until I get ahead.
So, looking at the “will I ever get ahead” syndrome, I bought a grapple load. After it was unloaded today, I was at a loss for tree type on a few of these logs. Do you mind if I call on you folks for tree identification when I am at a loss. I am hoping to c/s/s all this by species. Thanks in advance.
Bruce
 

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Welcome to the forum Bacffin. You are no longer a lurker.

Sounds like you have things about under control and that is good to get the grapple load. Many on here are excellent on identifying different woods but they will ask for some better pictures. Get some closer pictures if possible so that is shows the bark really well and some pictures after some have been cut and split. Until then, even an end picture will help.

This will probably seem good to you after having cut the white pine. No pitch here!

How will you be stacking this wood?
 
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Welcome to the forums with your first post! We do, as you already know from lurking, require lots and LOTS of pictures, on almost every thread you start (and most of the threads you post in) ;) Looks like you got a good start....
 
Welcome to the forum Bacffin. You are no longer a lurker.

Sounds like you have things about under control and that is good to get the grapple load. Many on here are excellent on identifying different woods but they will ask for some better pictures. Get some closer pictures if possible so that is shows the bark really well and some pictures after some have been cut and split. Until then, even an end picture will help.

This will probably seem good to you after having cut the white pine. No pitch here!

How will you be stacking this wood?



You're right!... No longer a lurker I never looked at it that way.

I will post more/better pics after I figure out what the maximum size is. I have been doing a bunch of homework the past year regarding tree id, but it is not always clear. I have the red and white oak down pretty good by looking at the grain patterns and the two distinct smells separating them. Separating out the maples is another story though. I will appreciate the help on this forum for sure.

As far as stacking goes, I will be stacking the wood between the pine trees for now. I do plan on building a wood shed, but for now I will utilize these pines.

I hate pitch btw! I could go on forever on that subject!
 
Welcome to the forums with your first post! We do, as you already know from lurking, require lots and LOTS of pictures, on almost every thread you start (and most of the threads you post in) ;) Looks like you got a good start....

Thanks Scotty...pictures are worth a thousand word, I agree!
 
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You're right!... No longer a lurker I never looked at it that way.

I will post more/better pics after I figure out what the maximum size is. I have been doing a bunch of homework the past year regarding tree id, but it is not always clear. I have the red and white oak down pretty good by looking at the grain patterns and the two distinct smells separating them. Separating out the maples is another story though. I will appreciate the help on this forum for sure.

As far as stacking goes, I will be stacking the wood between the pine trees for now. I do plan on building a wood shed, but for now I will utilize these pines.

I hate pitch btw! I could go on forever on that subject!


Identifying the red and white oaks are quite easy especially when they have leaf. Red leaf has pointed ends but white oak will have rounded ones.

Pitch! You can get it off the hands really easy by using Miracle Whip! Doesn't take much either. Just rub it a little and the pitch comes right off. We had 2 boys and living amongst several pines we always had that Miracle Whip on hand.
 
Pitch! You can get it off the hands really easy by using Miracle Whip! Doesn't take much either. Just rub it a little and the pitch comes right off. We had 2 boys and living amongst several pines we always had that Miracle Whippet on hand.

I learned something new today! Thanks Dennis!
 
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Here are a couple more pics...still figuring posting out.
 

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Identifying the red and white oaks are quite easy especially when they have leaf. Red leaf has pointed ends but white oak will have rounded ones.

Pitch! You can get it off the hands really easy by using Miracle Whip! Doesn't take much either. Just rub it a little and the pitch comes right off. We had 2 boys and living amongst several pines we always had that Miracle Whip on hand.

Miracle Whipo_O...Are you kidding me?
You mean no more gas, diesel, acetone or lacquer thinner! Good grief. Thanks for the tip. My wife will like this one.
 
I'll let some others try to ID those trees.
 
I see some white oak, red oak, red maple, cherry and maybe some beech in that pile. Hard to tell from so far back...
 
Yep, more pics... Ithink I have it down now.
 

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I will be stacking the wood between the pine trees for now. I do plan on building a wood shed, but for now I will utilize these pines.
I can't tell; Have you got something under that wood that is already split, to keep it from contact with the ground? I wouldn't stack too high between the Pines; If the wind blows hard, the Pines might move enough to topple a stack.

I think I may be seeing some type of Ash log on the right side, on top. There might be some Sugar Maple in there, too. As was said above, get close-ups of the bark on different sections of the log and label them "tree 1," "tree 2" etc. Not sure about the one with the shaggy bark, top left. I think I might see some branches with leaves, pics of those would be very helpful.
Welcome to the forums! :)
 
Yeah, Woody is right. There is an ash log there on the upper right of the stack....
 
Thanks guys. I will get better pics tomorrow. It is dark and raining here. I have identified so far. Red oak, white oak, shagbark hickory, ash and some sort of maple. There is a white oak that looks like shagbark. Had to do a double take on that one. I will take closer pics of the logs before and while I buck them up and split them. They will not be on the ground long. I will have them in piles in no time. I think there is about 7-8 cord there. I will use this calculator to get a better idea of the cubic ft before I c/s/s it. http://www.forestryforum.com/calcs/log_weight.htm

Thanks Again,
Bruce
 
I can't tell; Have you got something under that wood that is already split, to keep it from contact with the ground? I wouldn't stack too high between the Pines; If the wind blows hard, the Pines might move enough to topple a stack.
I think I may be seeing some type of Ash log on the right side, on top. There might be some Sugar Maple in there, too. As was said above, get close-ups of the bark on different sections of the log and label them "tree 1," "tree 2" etc. Not sure about the one with the shaggy bark, top left. I think I might see some branches with leaves, pics of those would be very helpful.
Welcome to the forums! :)

Woody,

I try and stack the splits about 3 feet high and make sure they are between good size trees. Already had that lesson last fall:oops:. I have sacraficial pine under the stacks already split. Also, there is quite a mulch layer down there helping.

I'll post more/better pics later.

Thanks,
Bruce
 
I see some white oak, red oak, red maple, cherry and maybe some beech in that pile. Hard to tell from so far back...

Ohhh, cherry and beech too! That would be cool. I asked for some locust too. We'll see when I start going through it.
 
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too bad i live so far away, would love to grab a load like that.

cass
 
Nice set up.
That load should get you way ahead.
Now you'll always be burning good dry well seasoned wood.

Looks like you'll be having fun for a few days.
Great pictures ;)
 
the one with the bright white hinge in the lower middle is yellow birch??? if you have any maybe i guess ? but i do see red maple, white ash, ?>brown ash, a beech, red oak, white oak, alittle sugar, and several other possibilities that dont grow around me but a sniff, taste or a cut may solve that.
 
Miracle Whipo_O...Are you kidding me?
You mean no more gas, diesel, acetone or lacquer thinner! Good grief. Thanks for the tip. My wife will like this one.

Regular mayo works well too . . . for all sorts of sticky things . . . such as when you and your cat Harry S Truman get covered in commercial vinyl tile glue and you have to get it off your hands and your cat's fur . . . just saying. . . . ;)
 
Here are a couple more pics...still figuring posting out.
Looks like a smorgasbord of hardwoods. I've said it in the past. If I had to process pine exclusively I don't think I would be heating with wood. I can only speak of the pine we have in NJ. I believe it is the worst to process. They' re like giant christmas trees.
 
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Looks like a smorgasbord of hardwoods. I've said it in the past. If I had to process pine exclusively I don't think I would be heating with wood. I can only speak of the pine we have in NJ. I believe it is the worst to process. They' re like giant christmas trees.

Same here the pines are called Scrub Pine and they are the worst of the worst.
 
Looks like a smorgasbord of hardwoods. I've said it in the past. If I had to process pine exclusively I don't think I would be heating with wood. I can only speak of the pine we have in NJ. I believe it is the worst to process. They' re like giant christmas trees.

I like having the variety. By having a smorgasbord of hardwood, I will be able to pick and choose what I like best and learn the burning characteristics of each species in this new stove. I burn the pine because it is already there. I used to open air burn the stuff just to get rid of it.
 
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Same here the pines are called Scrub Pine and they are the worst of the worst.

Pines with lots of branches are a pain, but if you can get straight, tall pines without many branches they are really easy to process, season fast, and burn hot. They are still sappy tho.
 
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