How long are standing dead trees good for??

[ChadMc]

Hey quick question....I have a LOT of dead standing ash, cherry, and walnut that I just can’t get to now. I have enough that I’m splitting and stacking as it is. My plan was to mark them in the summer. Question is how long do they stay good for especially standing through the summer. I’d hate to go back next fall and see they’re no good anymore.

Thanks.

 

[fvhowler]

I do the same thing on my property. I'm always looking for dead standing trees for firewood, mark them and get them when I can. Probably depends on the species. Not sure about Ash and Walnut but I suspect they would last awhile standing dead. Keeping them off the ground is key. Oaks can stand for years and still be good. I've cut down Post Oak trees that were dead for a few years and the wood is still decent. Just last week I cut down a Post Oak that died last year and it was great...still high moisture content and no bugs. On the other hand, from my experience Red Maple does not last long. You have to get that quick.

 

[johneh]

they don't last forever. if you get too them
within a year or two you should be good to go

 

[hickoryhoarder]

My neighborhood is full of red maples, silver maples, ash, and some hickory that are standing dead. People don't always get around to them quick. When I've had a chance to use dead red maples for firewood -- three times -- they're good. After standing two or three years. The ash someone just cut down a block away -- standing dead two years -- looks superb.

I think of it like firewood stacks. How much sun, shade wind, bugs are in the mix?

My favorite kindling is 1 inch or 2 inch dead branches that fall out of our own big trees. It does not die and then fall the next week. They're up there a while. Best kindling there is. As soon as they hit the ground, then scooping them up becomes important.

 

[weatherguy]

I have 3 dead hickories that have been dead 5 years, Im still getting good firewood from them. To me its money in the bank but I think Ill take the rest down this summer and split and stack.

 

[ChadMc]

Ok sounds like waiting till next fall to start at them will be fine. The woods in the summer is a jungle back there so I’ll mark and wait.

 

[Woody Stover]

I think Black Cherry and Black Walnut are quite rot-resistant, the heartwood anyway. White Ash and Hickory won't last as long, and if they fall you need to get 'em ASAP. You'd think Hickory would be tough, but it doesn't withstand the elements well..

 

[Grizzerbear]

If its standing dead like you say I think the amount the wood rots will be negligible from now until this fall. It's starting to get warmer here and the ticks are coming out so I won't be in the woods cutting until then as well. If it were on the ground I would probably try and get it bucked up real fast depending on species....like hickory. Also a standing dead tree here and there is good for the wood peckers, squirrels, bats and many other birds so it's not terribly bad to lose one from that aspect.

 

[Ashful]

Some past members of this forum have reported EAB-killed ash getting very brittle and unpredictable in felling (think barber chairs), if left standing more than a year or two past death. I have no personal knowledge of this, just repeating what I’ve read here.

I have felled a lot of dead trees, with never an issue beyond some big old oaks being hollowed out by carpenter ants, but I rarely have the advantage of knowing for how many years they’ve been standing dead.

 

[tadmaz]

Dead/brittle trees can be sketchy, be very careful. In my experience standing dead cherry will rot faster than ash or walnut.

 

[Woody Stover]

Some past members of this forum have reported EAB-killed ash getting very brittle and unpredictable in felling (think barber chairs), if left standing more than a year or two past death. I have no personal knowledge of this, just repeating what I’ve read here.
I have felled a lot of dead trees, with never an issue beyond some big old oaks being hollowed out by carpenter ants, but I rarely have the advantage of knowing for how many years they’ve been standing dead.

Yeah, I think Ash are more prone to dropping limbs like that, from what I've seen. Oaks here don't seem to do that near as often, or as quickly. This Ash has been dead four or five years, and has been dropping 'em pretty much all along. Part of that is probably because it's a yard tree and the branches spread more horizontally, so had more weight stress once the tree died.

Dead/brittle trees can be sketchy, be very careful. In my experience standing dead cherry will rot faster than ash or walnut.

Seems like they will drop some branches here and there, but as far as the heartwood, I've found Cherry to hold up well. I've found logs in the woods lying on the ground with all the sapwood gone, but the heart was still rock-solid. Sapwood rots really quick, though..

 

[ChadMc]

Ok....he’s the big question haha. The woods is going to be pretty green in another few weeks. If I drop a few and buck them and stack the rounds off the ground. Is that better to avoid rot? Rather then leaving them stand till next fall. I guess I can slowly pick away at splitting through out the summer. But I’d rather not if I can avoid it.

 

[Woody Stover]

If I drop a few and buck them and stack the rounds off the ground. Is that better to avoid rot?

Let 'em stand. Less exposed wood for water to intrude, and water drains off a vertical surface better.

 

[venator260]

I think that they last a good while. Up until a year or two ago, I was getting good wood from standing dead ash. It's getting variable now, but at this point the EAB has been here for over a decade. As an example, my dad and I just cleaned up some ash taken down by a tree service for our neighbor. Of two trees about the same size, one was punky mess... I threw away a good bit of it and may regret keeping what I did. The other had about a 1/2 ring of punk on rounds that were 20-30 inches across. The rest was good and solid.

It doesn't take much to cut them down. If they hit the ground and bust apart, they probably aren't too great. As others have said too, watch for falling branches

 

[Grizzerbear]

I would just let them stand. You say you have enough that you are splitting and stacking as it is. If you buck them up then you will just want to split em. Dont want to get too many irons in the fire. Let them stand they will be good still come fall.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

usually til they fall over, then the clock starts ticking

 

[Osage]

usually til they fall over, then the clock starts ticking
[/QUOTE
Have seen hedge posts that are 75 yrs plus that are still good. A standing dead hedge tree would probably be good for 100 plus.

 

[Osage]

Not sure why my quote got mixed in with kindred's? But my response was "Have seen hedge posts 75 yrs plus that are still good. A standing dead hedge tree would probably be good for 100 plus.

 

[Grizzerbear]

There are still white oak trees standing here that were sprayed from plane to create pasture for cattle when my father was a boy. A long time depending on species.