Buckthorn........

[Shari]

Picked up about 1/2 face cord of buckthorn from my sis today. It's been cut since last summer but in logs. It split up real nice but it r-e-a-l-l-y stinks!

Pickings have been slim around here...... put up around a cord of locust in the last couple of weeks ... working on 2014/15....... might be a cold 2014/15 winter for us.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

buckthorn

Can't say I know that one. I wonder if it goes by another name here, if it grows here.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Ha, just looked it up. Not native to the U.S. but it is growing in Kentucky. Still don't think I've seen it.

 

[Shari]

They have u-g-l-y thorns - that's why my sis got rid of them. The 3 trees were only about 7" diameter but they had almost 2" long thorns. You really don't want to accidentally brush up against them as the thorns will get you every time. BIL de-thorned them before I got them - well, he got most of them.

 

[blades]

You do not have to see it to feel it, Poke poke, some what like locust or Russian Olive, mean thorns.
Shari there were two ads posted Monday night 11:30 pm one for black locust and one for sugar maple, I got the bulk of the locust with my tailgate lift. The maple add was pulled before I had a chance to check it out. Both were less than mile or so from my shop. Long haul for you. I think things will get a bit better in a bit. Lots of places are so wet yet that access is nearly impossible without causing major landscape damage. I still have half of Vernon Marsh in my back yard. I have a tree service contracted for a pair that are a hazard for the power lines, they will get back to me in a couple weeks just too wet back there for machinery. I walked through it the other day sinking over the toe tops of my boots.Still a lot of drainage from SunnySlope down towards my place.

 

[Shari]

I missed on an offer of elm yesterday - not my favorite but I'll take it.

 

[bogydave]

Keep plugging away.
Don't sound like you are "wood snobbing" .

I bet you end up with plenty of wood for 14/15.

Hard work & persistence always prevails

 

[Ehouse]

I burned some Buckthorn this winter and it was great! I always thought it was Pin Cherry till I looked it up. I like the smell, kind of Pruny. One site referred to it as poor man's Hedge (might have been here). Red /orange wood, very dense, seasons well, doesn't get very big, but don't pass it up; it's good stuff.

 

[blades]

I burned some Buckthorn this winter and it was great! I always thought it was Pin Cherry till I looked it up. I like the smell, kind of Pruny. One site referred to it as poor man's Hedge (might have been here). Red /orange wood, very dense, seasons well, doesn't get very big, but don't pass it up; it's good stuff.

Ya it ian't that bad just geting them thorns out is the killer as they always leave some tiny tiny piece behind that hurts like xxxx and festers until ya do a little digging with your choice of tools.

 

[Shari]

Ya it ian't that bad just geting them thorns out is the killer as they always leave some tiny tiny piece behind that hurts like xxxx and festers until ya do a little digging with your choice of tools.

I kneeled on one yesterday when moving the logs........

 

[blades]

double ouch!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Shari, sounds like you'll be burning some wood very soon. Weather forecast does not look good.

 

[Shari]

BS, I still have wood stacked on the front porch. Looks like I'll be using it this weekend @ night. Yesterday it was in the mid 80's.

 

[blades]

Maybe 60ish today, only 50's Sat. Good splittin weather if it doesn't rain all the time. Fired up the stove last night to bust the chill out of the house.

 

[3fordasho]

As mentioned Buckthorn is very good firewood... if you can find it in bigger than 2" diameter. Lots of work to process for not much wood. I've never noticed much smell to it. It is very low moisture content and seasons very quickly. The woodlot I'm working was completely overwhelmed with the stuff but 95% was too small to bother with for firewood. A very invasive species and very difficult to get rid off.

 

[BuckthornBonnie]

There are two different types of Buckthorn (Common and Glossy). Although they are both invasive and are difficult to deal with, Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) has more thorns than Glossy Buckthorn. I love burning it since it's an invasive species, gives me free BTUs, and burns hot with decent coals. I have smelled the "fruity" smell on some loads, but haven't smelled anything particularly bad in my dealings with it.
This winter I went crazy in my woodlot in an attempt to eradicate it. The biggest one I found was about 13" in diameter and gave up quite a bit of decent wood. I calculate that I could heat my home for 3-4 years by just burning the Buckthorn on our 25 acres. If you're hard-up for wood, offer to cut it out of neighboring woodlots.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

BS, I still have wood stacked on the front porch. Looks like I'll be using it this weekend @ night. Yesterday it was in the mid 80's.

Ya, we had 81 two days in a row. Today in the 40's.