Got pine...

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mwhitnee

Minister of Fire
Jun 10, 2015
586
Central Mass, USA
I know I can burn it inside in my stove. Never have. Maybe 2 cords. Going to start splitting.

How long does it need to be seasoned to burn it safely? How soon after splitting does it need to be covered? Thanks.
 
Pine needs to be under 20% like any other wood. Probably anywhere from 9 to 18 months, depending on climate, location stacked, & size of splits. As for top covering, I cover mine right away because if I do not, my stacks get buried in pine needles. Top covering again depends on location and climate...and personal preference.
Hope that helps.
 
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I don't cover mine because the wind here makes all the savings you get from burning firewood turn into tarp money. Takes about 10 months to season here. I cut it in winter spring comes end of may then its ready by next winter

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
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Some say 6 months, I've always had enough that I've never burned any that hadn't been in a pile for over a year.
I know a year is good.
Not covered is not good. I find it starts getting soft and papery left soaking wet all the time in the weather here.
Unlike, say, nice hard red oak heartwood.
 
I don't cover anything. It's cross stacked in a open place where wind and sun can get to it. Split and stacked mid April and it's better than half way there and will be ready by Nov. Probably move it to the shed in Oct. If your just stacking now it won't be ready this year so cover any time you like.
 
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I like pine . . . I usually burn some white pine or other softwood in my stove in the early Fall and late Spring. I try to give it at least a year's worth of seasoning before use for best burning.
 
I drop my trees for the year in the middle of winter. They sit on the snow until it melts then it's processed into firewood. Cut and stacked by April usually and by November it's below 20%.
 
Pine seasons in about 9 months here in western North Carolina. Pine tends to season fairly quickly but you will want to check it with a moisture meter to make sure that the inside of a fresh split is under 20%.
 
you'll know when it's dry you'll pick up a split and it will fell empty. in my moist area about a year. spruce will be a little more
 
Absolutely top cover! Split some eastern white pine over this winter and its around 20% now. I split medium to small
 
I've started splitting all my wood small to medium. It dries quicker, lets me stack the firebox more tightly and it is easier for my kids and wife to help stacking.

I'm trying the plastic wrap method to keep the stacks warmer and dry the wood more quickly. We will see.
 
I have 6 pines between the garage and neighbors house that need to come down, smallest being at least 40' and the biggest being probably 75' or so. For how much hardwood is available around here on Craigslist for free, is it really worth it to keep any of that stuff once it comes down? I'm sure it'd make the job cheaper and the tree guy happy but man....that's years worth of pine burning...
 
I have 6 pines between the garage and neighbors house that need to come down, smallest being at least 40' and the biggest being probably 75' or so. For how much hardwood is available around here on Craigslist for free, is it really worth it to keep any of that stuff once it comes down? I'm sure it'd make the job cheaper and the tree guy happy but man....that's years worth of pine burning...

"Pine" is such a general term, many types of pine and the variation in btu and density is huge! Even the same specie has huge variation depending upon the soil and climate it was grown in. But, yeah, the trees need to come down and you have to do something with it so I would cut it up into firewood. Because it's already right near your stove, no transportation required. Just let it season well.
 
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I have 6 pines between the garage and neighbors house that need to come down, smallest being at least 40' and the biggest being probably 75' or so. For how much hardwood is available around here on Craigslist for free, is it really worth it to keep any of that stuff once it comes down? I'm sure it'd make the job cheaper and the tree guy happy but man....that's years worth of pine burning...
Where are you located? Wouldn't mind taking some off your hands if you're close. :)
 
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Good point that it's already there. It's just A LOT...so, sportbikerider, I'm in Rochester. Maybe a bit far to travel for pine but if you want me to keep you in the loop as to when the job gets done, I can absolutely do so.
 
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Biggest hassle with white pine is the borers that move in under the bark when the logs are sitting, they can do a number on the BTUs, once split they aren't an issue. If the logs have to sit unprocessed its worth taking a spud to the bark and knocking it off.
 
Then there is my end of the scale. My pine is ready to burn the moment I split it and stack it.
It is all beetle kill pine, and has been laying on the ground for over a year.
But, I don't cover it right away. I wait until October, when the snow starts to fall.
 
also don't forget that you will burn way more pine than hardwood. i go between 2 and 3 cord of hardwood a year. when i had some pine a few ago i totaled out at 6.5 cord for that year
 
We have 2-3 C pine on this years menu. Dropped last summer and fall but only
split July and August. It was wet, sticky, but smelled like a brand new air freshener!!
It'll go next season if necessary as there's plenty of the usual midwestern blend of
oak, ash, maple making up 50% of the stacks and a splash of all the others indigenous to
the area besides the pine. I have enough to burn without touching the pine but we love the
smell and even if it's wet some will be added to a well burning firebox already in process.
I bring in a few chunks to put around the hearth anyway and visitors love the natural campfire n' pine
smell.......right before they fall asleep in the 80 degree stoveroom. LOL
 
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We have 2-3 C pine on this years menu. Dropped last summer and fall but only
split July and August. It was wet, sticky, but smelled like a brand new air freshener!!
It'll go next season if necessary as there's plenty of the usual midwestern blend of
oak, ash, maple making up 50% of the stacks and a splash of all the others indigenous to
the area besides the pine. I have enough to burn without touching the pine but we love the
smell and even if it's wet some will be added to a well burning firebox already in process.
I bring in a few chunks to put around the hearth anyway and visitors love the natural campfire n' pine
smell.......right before they fall asleep in the 80 degree stoveroom. LOL

We have about the same mix in our woodpile. Along with the pine I've got some hemlock and poplar which makes up about 3 cords of softwood. I've got another 6 cords of hardwood which is primarily red oak. Thankfully this is about 3 years worth of wood.
 
Then there is my end of the scale. My pine is ready to burn the moment I split it and stack it.
It is all beetle kill pine, and has been laying on the ground for over a year.
But, I don't cover it right away. I wait until October, when the snow starts to fall.

That might be why mine seasons so fast. Never thought about it. When I mark my trees in the fall it's always the ones that are dead or usually almost dead. Then in the winter they come down.
 
I noticed the other day that one of my piles of pine was starting to lean. I went to push it back into place and it flew apart like I was a super hero punching through a wall! It was a great feeling!

The wood was really dry and light, which was awesome. I can't wait to burn it!