Hickory, White Oak, and Cherry

[Big Lone]

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.

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

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.

 

[Rebelduckman]

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.

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

 

[PA. Woodsman]

That's a great combination of woods you got there!

 

[claydogg84]

Cherry in one season, hickory in maybe 2, and white oak in 2, maybe 3.

 

[Big Chris]

Just stack it in a windy place and get a moisture meter. Test them through out the summer u maybe pleasantly surprised.

 

[Woody Stover]

I can get oak/hickory to 20% in 2 summers and everything else in 1

You got that Red Oak that you cut live to 20% in one summer?

 

[Rebelduckman]

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

 

[Woody Stover]

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!

 

[Coach B]

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.

 

[Big Lone]

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.

 

[Jags]

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).

 

[Rebelduckman]

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

 

[Woody Stover]

Split it all. It will actually store for a longer period of time once split. The idea is to get it dry.

Yep. I would split, stack and top-cover it. The Oak sapwood will hold up better than if you leave it in rounds.

 

[woodsHAM]

split stack leave uncovered until a month away from burning.

 

[Big Lone]

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.

 

[CTYank]

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

 

[Big Lone]

...... I finally finished bucking, splitting and stacking. Check out the pic below.

 

[claydogg84]

Nice, I take it you don't like building end caps?

 

[Big Lone]

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.

 

[Woody Stover]

Nice, I take it you don't like building end caps?

I don't either...I cheat.

Stacking hickory as rounds is a really bad idea. Helps retain moisture in sapwood, and encourage powder-post borers. DAMHIKT

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!