My first ash tree

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.
Rebelduckman

Rebelduckman

Minister of Fire
Dec 14, 2013
1,105
Pulaski, Mississippi
Well I finally got an ash. Beautiful wood. Was beginning to think I didn't have any. What surprises me as much or more than the ease of splitting is the moisture level. I checked a couple splits from the bottom and they were 25-28%! Wow
[Hearth.com] My first ash tree [Hearth.com] My first ash tree [Hearth.com] My first ash tree [Hearth.com] My first ash tree
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: jaychino415 and D8Chumley
I burn a lot of ash - like 90% due to the bug here in Michigan and no end in sight. Every forest here is polluted with dead standing and dead fallen ash just ripe for picking. Splits relatively well, burns relatively hot and seasons fast - great combination.
 
I've cut a few deteriorating ash, and what always surprises me is the way they gush water like an open garden hose, after you make the face cut and extract the cookie. For a wood that dries fast, they sure are wet when alive (or half alive)!

Ash is a medium-BTU wood. Better than soft maple, but no where near oak or hickory. I probably have 4-5 cords of ash in my stacks, right now. For what it lacks in potential energy, it makes up with easy splitting.
 
Joful said:
I've cut a few deteriorating ash, and what always surprises me is the way they gush water like an open garden hose, after you make the face cut and extract the cookie. For a wood that dries fast, they sure are wet when alive (or half alive)!

Ash is a medium-BTU wood. Better than soft maple, but no where near oak or hickory. I probably have 4-5 cords of ash in my stacks, right now. For what it lacks in potential energy, it makes up with easy splitting.
Click to expand...

I didn't get that with this one. It was under 30% even at the bottom
 
Joful said:
I've cut a few deteriorating ash, and what always surprises me is the way they gush water like an open garden hose, after you make the face cut and extract the cookie. For a wood that dries fast, they sure are wet when alive (or half alive)!
Click to expand...


I don't think you were cutting ash. No ash I have ever cut has had anything resembling water coming out. Now maple, that is another story. Water flows like a faucet from the face cut.
 
  • Like
Reactions: husky345 vermont resolute
Lol... no mixing up live ash with maple, Bob! Will post a photo when I'm at my computer later. Both ash that have done this to me were over 40" DBH.
 
I have about 70 % ash in my pile. the bug is taking its toll on them. excellent wood gives off nice btus . easy to split, dries quick . good all around wood problem is that there is way to many dead ones to process . lol
 
I just dropped a 16" ash up in Northern NH this morning. Its on the northern boundary of where ashes typically grow, this one has a lot of curves for an ash but generally I hand split. Hard to beat for fast drying. The local loggers tell me that "ashes like to have wet feet" I generally see them near streams and wet areas in the woods.
 
Very nice, how's that Englander treating you?
 
peakbagger said:
I just dropped a 16" ash up in Northern NH this morning. Its on the northern boundary of where ashes typically grow, this one has a lot of curves for an ash but generally I hand split. Hard to beat for fast drying. The local loggers tell me that "ashes like to have wet feet" I generally see them near streams and wet areas in the woods.
Click to expand...

This one was close to a branch that usually floods out during heavy rains
 
Joful said:
Lol... no mixing up live ash with maple, Bob! Will post a photo when I'm at my computer later. Both ash that have done this to me were over 40" DBH.
Click to expand...
Here it is. I'm the one taking the photo, and my cutting buddy (who's much shorter than I) is standing by the tree. I cut this dying double-trunk ash in 2013, and there was some time after I cut the face and pulled the cookie, before I got to the back cut. When I went to do the back cut, we were surprised to see water running out of the open wound, like a garden hose left open. We thought it just unique to this one tree, because it was stressed, but have since seen the same in other similarly large ash.

[Hearth.com] My first ash tree

Found this photo with it. This is one day's cutting and skidding out of the woods. Mostly oak and ash, with one small sassafras in there.

[Hearth.com] My first ash tree
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rebelduckman, jaychino415 and Hickorynut
Joful said:
Here it is. I'm the one taking the photo, and my cutting buddy (who's much shorter than I) is standing by the tree. I cut this dying double-trunk ash in 2013, and there was some time after I cut the face and pulled the cookie, before I got to the back cut. When I went to do the back cut, we were surprised to see water running out of the open wound, like a garden hose left open. We thought it just unique to this one tree, because it was stressed, but have since seen the same in other similarly large ash.

View attachment 154304

Found this photo with it. This is one day's cutting and skidding out of the woods. Mostly oak and ash, with one small sassafras in there.

View attachment 154303
Click to expand...


That's a good days work there!
 
Finished off the ash. Wow I'd heard it was easy to split but I didn't know this easy. Didn't break a sweat!
[Hearth.com] My first ash tree
 
Very nice

bob
 
Ash doesn't hold a lot of moisture. Some people even burn it green. It dries really fast. If you split it now it will be more than dry enough by next season.
 
My hot summers help take time off the seasoning process. I think it may be ready. I've got some oak that'll be 2 years after this summer and it's already in the 20-25 range
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

P
Firewood drying by month
Replies
16
Views
2K
The Wood Shed
bigealta
bigealta
D
My splitting setup and “wood shed”
Replies
12
Views
19K
The Wood Shed
Wisco Shepherd
Wisco Shepherd
stoveliker
Big maple
Replies
7
Views
895
The Wood Shed
stoveliker
stoveliker
R
RSF Opel 2 Plus - corroding after three winter burns.
Replies
1
Views
111
RSF Energy: RENAISSANCE
EbS-P
EbS-P
bigealta
27% moisture content of Fresh Red Oak?
Replies
24
Views
4K
The Wood Shed
Isaac Carlson
Isaac Carlson
Top Bottom