50% moisture content in standing dead Ash tree

[Ajcoxen]

Thought I had a dry standing dead Ash tree. Felled it and checked it with my meter….


50% haha

Some of it was dry below 20% but only a few branches. The trunk was very wet.

 

[Simonkenton]

Surprising. I have wacked a standing dead ash and it read 24 percent. Another read 29 percent.

 

[NickW]

Location, location, location... I had a bunch of dead black ask standing in a swamp. After css for 6 months some wouldn't even give a reading on a fresh split. Granted it wasn't stacked in an ideal location at first, but still I was shocked.

 

[Woody Stover]

I took one down a few years back, that was standing dead for five years at least. It was still reading 30%. I think sometimes these high readings can be due to free moisture as opposed to bound moisture within the cells that takes longer to dry. I have no idea if what I just said is actually true, but I think I recall hearing something along those lines. 😏
I should have monitored that 30% wood to see what it did, but I didn't need it for a couple years so I let it sit and didn't think about it. This tree was in a well-drained area..

 

[gzecc]

I've never seen a reading that high. Especially ash. Sure your meter is accurate?

 

[Ajcoxen]

I've never seen a reading that high. Especially ash. Sure your meter is accurate?

I did realize that it probably wasn’t on the “ash” setting. It’s brand new, cut some cherry logs that have been down for 12months and it said they were 30%, but very fragrant and heavy. Standing dead locust that was cut 12months ago and it’s less than 20%.

 

[Woody Stover]

Thought I had a dry standing dead Ash tree. Felled it and checked it with my meter….
50% haha. Some of it was dry below 20% but only a few branches. The trunk was very wet.

Wow, those growth rings look really wide apart. That must be Green or Black Ash I guess?
I haven't seen those here so far, just White Ash, like the 30% one I mentioned above.

 

[Vg3200p]

I've seen dead ash that high before. Luckily ash dries quickly compared to most hardwoods

 

[Ashful]

Not a huge surprise to me, although I've never put a moisture meter to freshly cut, dead or alive. I've seen water literally dribble out of a dying ash, almost like water from a garden hose on one or two occasions, if left standing any period of time after making the face cut and removing the cookie. They can hold some water.

What is a standing dead tree other than a bunch of standing capillaries, a big bundle of straws? Whenever I hear people talk about cutting standing dead trees, and it being ready to burn off the stump, I just think they're not properly measuring the MC%.

 

[Garbanzo62]

Yeah I had the same dead Ash tree go from 19% from the top part to over 42 at the trunk. Most of my dead standing ash is in wetlands so they have plenty of water to draw up.. Surpisingly even the stuff I split and stacked in Sept still reads above 20%

 

[j7art2]

50% is pretty high for ash. How punky is it at the base? I normally only get that high when it's punky.

Good news is split and stacked, ash seasons fast in my experience.

 

[Garbanzo62]

Both of these pieces of Ash were cut and stacked at the same time in the same pile back in Sept. Now some was from the stalk that was still standing and some was from the piece that broke off and was on the ground for an unknown amount of time. Most of the on the ground pieces were slightly punky and these are two fairly solid pieces. Tested a dozen of so. It is a crap shoot. Some 13 to 20% the rest 22 to over 42% (meter max is 42%).

Update: I realized that the pic on the left might not be ash. There was some limb wood from an unknown tree species that was down for some time (not on the ground) However, I have other Tests with the ash from the pile

 

[Ashful]

Piece on the left may be oak, going by the figuring.

But the other two are ash, and 18% to 40% is indeed quite a range for the same tree taken on the same date, and stacked in the same place. But I guess trying to dry in winter conditions can do that. Should level out after next summer.

 

[Woody Stover]

I had the same dead Ash tree go from 19% from the top part to over 42 at the trunk... Surpisingly even the stuff I split and stacked in Sept still reads above 20%

If you have some 42% wood stacked in Sept. that's now at 20%, that would seem to support the "free water" as opposed intra-cellular water theory, if that's even a theory. I just started reading a little bit about it wood drying, and I'll have to pick that up later, I glazed over pretty quickly just now. 😆

Whenever I hear people talk about cutting standing dead trees, and it being ready to burn off the stump,

Smaller ones with the bark fallen off, maybe. Big Oaks with bark off, maybe....40%+. 😖

Piece on the left may be oak, going by the figuring.

Looks from here like Maple left, Ash right..

 

[Garbanzo62]

Unfortunately this pile was split and stacked, before I had a good understanding of the different drying times of different species. So there is a mix in the pile. But even with the Ash pieces, having to test each piece is a PIA. Hopefully the pile of slab wood I have will last this season. If I run out and need some to burn, I'll incur the pain of testing individual pieces.

 

[NickW]

Remember you have to test on a fresh split at room temperature every time or you won't get accurate readings. The outside 1/2-1" dries out quickly, but the center takes much longer.

White ash for me at home seems to season quicker than the black ash I have in the Northwoods. Probably due to where they grow. In my experience white ash typically grows in "dry" soil while black ash is typically a swamp tree.

 

[Garbanzo62]

Testing on a fresh split, but given the discrepancy in MC, carting a bunch into the house to get to room temp first is not practical. I understand the meter will read a percent or two low given the outside temperature.
Now my Stihl meter says the operating range is between 32 and 99 F and it has a build in thermometer. So it might adjust for the outside temp. I don't know, but it does not say that the material to be measured should be room temp. I am going to operate on the assumption that it will be 1 - 2% low assuming it is 40 - 50 degrees outside.

 

[Woody Stover]

Unfortunately this pile was split and stacked, before I had a good understanding of the different drying times of different species. So there is a mix in the pile. But even with the Ash pieces, having to test each piece is a PIA. Hopefully the pile of slab wood I have will last this season. If I run out and need some to burn, I'll incur the pain of testing individual pieces.

As you go along, you'll get a feel for how heavy the species feel when the split is dry. That's a rough approximation though..
If you've got a woodlot to work, you might be able to find small, dead trees <8", standing or down with bark falling off, that may be pretty dry--that stuff would get you through.