Just bucked and split hickory, white oak, and cherry, how long will it take to season? I live in North Alabama with really hot summers.
Hickory, White Oak, and Cherry
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Pennsyltucky Chris
Minister of Fire
I would say the Cherry will be around 10% after one summer. In my experience, Hickory dries in a year. You might need 2 for the Oak. (I single stack everything)
Just my guesstimation.
Just my guesstimation.
Rebelduckman
Minister of Fire
I'm a little further south from you but our weather is similar. I can get oak/hickory to 20% in 2 summers and everything else in 1. I had poplar to <20 last year in 3 or so months
claydogg84
Minister of Fire
Just stack it in a windy place and get a moisture meter. Test them through out the summer u maybe pleasantly surprised.
Rebelduckman
Minister of Fire
You got that Red Oak that you cut live to 20% in one summer?
Heck naw! It's hot down here but not that hot! All oak live is 2 summers
OK, I misread, just saw Hickory in your first post.
I was ready to move down there if it was 1-year Oak! 
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I'm pretty close to you and have burned plenty of all three. In a perfect world the cherry will be good in one, the hickory really good in two, and the oak great in three. 
![[Hearth.com] Hickory, White Oak, and Cherry](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/158/158396-1a88264c28bedbe1ce39016f79cec50f.jpg?hash=qg9TqLHkhW "[Hearth.com] Hickory, White Oak, and Cherry")
Link Removed Link Removed Thanks for the responses. Also, should I leave the wood I don't plan to use for the next two winters unspilt or would it be better to go ahead and split it all. Currently, I have split enough for about 1.5 winters.
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Split it all. It will actually store for a longer period of time once split. The idea is to get it dry.
(Whoo hoo - broke the 16,000 barrier).
(Whoo hoo - broke the 16,000 barrier).
Rebelduckman
Minister of Fire
I have no rounds stacked here presently. Everything is usually split within a week after cut. It doesn't really start drying until busted open
Yep. I would split, stack and top-cover it. The Oak sapwood will hold up better than if you leave it in rounds.
Yea thats what I thought. A friend of mine said he would not split it all because it would last longer in rounds. Also, he thinks that the wood will be seasoned by the winter.
Pass on leaving it uncovered. Birds and rain dump on it, and don't add to its fuel value. Of course, top-cover only.
Moisture migrates something like 20 times faster along wood grain than across it. Consider, though, that once it's split the mean distance it has to travel is much shorter, and the exposed surface much greater. Not to mention that debarking speeds up drying a lot.
Stacking hickory as rounds is a really bad idea. Helps retain moisture in sapwood, and encourage powder-post borers. DAMHIKT
Moisture migrates something like 20 times faster along wood grain than across it. Consider, though, that once it's split the mean distance it has to travel is much shorter, and the exposed surface much greater. Not to mention that debarking speeds up drying a lot.
Stacking hickory as rounds is a really bad idea. Helps retain moisture in sapwood, and encourage powder-post borers. DAMHIKT
![[Hearth.com] Hickory, White Oak, and Cherry](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/158/158911-c06f5ed4cc9525ee0c607c6f10969be5.jpg?hash=VpJItwNf1A "[Hearth.com] Hickory, White Oak, and Cherry")
...... I finally finished bucking, splitting and stacking. Check out the pic below.
claydogg84
Minister of Fire
I am about to go now and put some fence post on the ends as caps .
I should have put them there first, but I had to cut down some barbwire fence and pull up the posts. So, I just waited until I got that done.
I should have put them there first, but I had to cut down some barbwire fence and pull up the posts. So, I just waited until I got that done.
I don't either...I cheat.Nice, I take it you don't like building end caps?
![[Hearth.com] Hickory, White Oak, and Cherry](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/158/158935-d35a6728c536e7b314cdda6fa4ecb1e2.jpg?hash=XBFP5AiHnF "[Hearth.com] Hickory, White Oak, and Cherry")
Yeah, I made that mistake with some Hickory and White Oak I scrounged. I'm about to buck and split some 4' logs I've had stacked, uncovered, for a couple years. We shall see. I've got a dead Shagbark here to get; I won't be making the same mistake with it!
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