Moisture content of Hedge

[Cutter]

Well having read so much about moisture content of wood here over the last several months, I decided to get a meter and see for myself what I was getting on my Osage Orange. I had heard or read that hedge had a naturally low content so I had to see. I took four pieces, all about four to five inches in diameter and about 30" long. One was just cut down last week. It still had green leaves on it. The next was a piece of standing dead and has been dead for a few years. Third was a section that has been in a covered shed, cut late last winter. And the forth was an old fence post that has been in a hedgerow for upwards of 80 years. I cut a fresh section out of the middle of each piece and split them down the middle. I was amazed to find that there wasn't 2% differece in any of them. All read between 14- 16%. Of course the one that still had leaves on it had a pretty high content along the bark and cork cambium (30-35%) but it was back to 16% one quarter of an inch into the old growth.
So sense hedge is all that I cut and burn, I will be selling my meter to a parinoid buddy and not worrying too much about what I throw on the fire. I have a pretty fair aqmount of wood cut split and stacked from last winter setting up in one of our tree lines. I decided to leave it in the fenceline over the spring and summer rather than move it down to the house. Well I hope that it wasn't a bad decision. I can't get to it untill all of the crops are harvested and our harvest is real late this year due to late planting and corn and beans holding on to too much moisture to cut. Moisture content biteing me in a whole different way. I hope what I have stacked by the shop gets me through till harvest is done.
Brad

 

[LLigetfa]

I hope your meter can be trusted. Personally, I would not have any faith in the readings and would do some test burns.

 

[Cutter]

I took the meter and ran it through lots of differend woods in the shop. I continually got the same repeated readings from different kiln dried woods (oak birch maple and walnut) and then different framing lumbers. The meter seems very consistant and reliable. I would even go back to the same test spots several time and always got the same readings. As far as test burns, it all burns like gasoline. If I do burn some that was rather green, I get a little sap flow from the bark for a few min. but then just burns the same. I have never had any creosote problems.

 

[LLigetfa]

Of course the one that still had leaves on it had a pretty high content along the bark and cork cambium (30-35%) but it was back to 16% one quarter of an inch into the old growth.

My concern was given that the bark, cork, and cambium are softer than the really hard wood, that it might be a penetration issue. Four prong meters are harder to get good reading on irregular hard surfaces.

 

[JerseyWreckDiver]

One thing to check on. Any meter worth it's salt will come with a chart of correction factors for different species of wood since the density and chemical structure will cause different woods with exactly the same moisture content to read all over the spectrum. I don't have mine in front of me, but I'd be willing to bet Hedge is one that has a fairly high correction factor.

 

[bsruther]

Last winter, I had some fully seasoned Osage and some Osage that was six months dead, I could definitely tell a difference between the two when they were burned. I think that Osage will season faster than a lot of other hardwoods, but it has a sticky sap that seems like it would create some creosote.

 

[derbygreg]

I always read that it was low in moisture. I have some seasoned about 20 months, and some cut down last month. Both piles are split about the same. I'm going to test it when it is cold.

Its not cold enough here in Central Ohio to burn yet.

 

[jdscj8]

Im burning the hedge from my fence line I took out in mid april if anyone remembers the tread, It's burning in the shop right now and doing great, i only put it in cause it was close to the shed, i have 4" to 6" rounds in there. It's burning like it's reading, 21% down to 16% on my meter, At those #'s i'm going to burn alot of it this year. JD

 

[mike1234]

I burn quite a bit of hedge. A lot of the time I can't even get a moister reading, the wood is just too hard to get the probes into. Take the reading from the ends, and know that the reading is probably higher than the end readings display. I think dead branches and dead hedge (the stuff that has turned dark) has a reading under 20% the day you cut it. I know other dead standing trees and branches are not that way, but throw a dead piece of hedge on the fire and listen for a sizzle ..... none. Throw a branch from a 2 year old dead standing elm on the fire, lots of sizzle.

Live hedge takes at least 1 hot summer to get there, although 2 is better. The live stuff I cut this last winter, is still not seasoned as far as I am concerned, although a moister reading from the end is about 20% when I can get one.

 

[Corey]

I've got a big pile of hedge, so some testing with the meter may be in order. I've got a correction list for the Delmhorst - but of course, Hedge / Osage isn't on the list - though most of the woods on the list seem to be within -1/+3% of Doug Fir which is considered 'standard', so it's not a huge correction. I know a good live hedge tree can rain down milky sap which dries to a sticky goo. I think my chainsaw has some areas which are permanently encased, but it does add a nice grip to the handle. Years ago, I poked around on a freshly split piece of seasoned hedge and found mid teens at the edges and ~20% at the center, but have never looked at something green - though come to think of it, I don't really have anything green right now either!

 

[smokinj]

I've got a big pile of hedge, so some testing with the meter may be in order. I've got a correction list for the Delmhorst - but of course, Hedge / Osage isn't on the list - though most of the woods on the list seem to be within -1/+3% of Doug Fir which is considered 'standard', so it's not a huge correction. I know a good live hedge tree can rain down milky sap which dries to a sticky goo. I think my chainsaw has some areas which are permanently encased, but it does add a nice grip to the handle. Years ago, I poked around on a freshly split piece of seasoned hedge and found mid teens at the edges and ~20% at the center, but have never looked at something green - though come to think of it, I don't really have anything green right now either!

dont have a meter but sure woulnt try hedge for atleast a couple years