Next year's firewood

[Megunticook]

Always aim to have next year's wood cut before March 1 (and split and stacked by April). This year I was a beaver in January and got everything down and hauled in by first week of February--not bad! Unfortunately I seem to have developed some tendinitis in my right hand so things are on hold until that heals up (I tried "working through it" but not suprisingly that made it quickly much worse). Trying to entice my 22-year old son to come home for a long weekend and buck, split, and stack!

Nice mix of red oak (for 2025), red maple, birch, and white pine (for kindling mostly). All from right here on my land. Typically get ash, too, but this year decided to focus on thinning a section of the woods where ash doesn't grow.

Hope everyone's doing well.

 

[DonTee]

Nice! How much wood do you usually cut per year?

I’ve been working on cutting some ash to sell in 24/25, and some wood to burn in my stove for 25/26. This light winter we’re having helps to keep things moving along.

 

[Megunticook]

Typically cut about 2 cords.

Love ash firewood. What do you get for it?

 

[xman23]

Nice getting the work done before the summer heat and bugs.

 

[all night moe]

Nice getting the work done before the summer heat and bugs.

I wish I had that luxury. No matter how far I try and get ahead, the more behind I get.
There's always just so much to do here. If I was in my twenties and thirties I might have been able to catch up.
I'm ignoring my age more this coming season. I'm going to keep at it.
Goal this year of 50 cord, and that's just firewood work.

 

[DonTee]

Typically cut about 2 cords.

Love ash firewood. What do you get for it?

Not a ton. It’s between $55 to $65 per face cord. But I enjoy working in the woods, and ash is easy to cut and split.

I burn about 12 face cords a year. I was 5 years ahead on wood, but I don’t notice that’s it dries any more after about 2 years. Ash that is. So I sold 3 years of wood this year and will sell some more next year. It’s a good little hobby that makes a little cash too.

And all the ash is dying, so I gotta do something with it. It’s going to be sad when it’s all gone

 

[Wildflush]

Not a ton. It’s between $55 to $65 per face cord. But I enjoy working in the woods, and ash is easy to cut and split.

I burn about 12 face cords a year. I was 5 years ahead on wood, but I don’t notice that’s it dries any more after about 2 years. Ash that is. So I sold 3 years of wood this year and will sell some more next year. It’s a good little hobby that makes a little cash too.

And all the ash is dying, so I gotta do something with it. It’s going to be sad when it’s all gone

I wish you were my neighbor. I’ve been getting mostly red oak which is great but takes longer to season than ash. I’d happily pay you $200 a cord!

 

[Megunticook]

Sounds like you're dealing with the emerald ash borer. What a tragedy. Been spotted the next county away so it's probably just a matter of time here but so far I haven't seen any signs of borer damage. Hate to think we'll lose every last ash tree. There's quite a bit down by the brook, seems to prefer those wetter spots.

 

[JamesGuido]

Not a ton. It’s between $55 to $65 per face cord. But I enjoy working in the woods, and ash is easy to cut and split.

I burn about 12 face cords a year. I was 5 years ahead on wood, but I don’t notice that’s it dries any more after about 2 years. Ash that is. So I sold 3 years of wood this year and will sell some more next year. It’s a good little hobby that makes a little cash too.

And all the ash is dying, so I gotta do something with it. It’s going to be sad when it’s all gone

a cord of ash here in southeastern Wisconsin is sold for 3 to 4 hundred bucks

 

[bcar]

Sounds like you're dealing with the emerald ash borer. What a tragedy. Been spotted the next county away so it's probably just a matter of time here but so far I haven't seen any signs of borer damage. Hate to think we'll lose every last ash tree. There's quite a bit down by the brook, seems to prefer those wetter spots.

Seems like every last Ash around Iowa will be lost. Not many healthy ones left the way it is.

 

[Garbanzo62]

Dropped a Dead Standing Ash a few weeks ago. I have at least 6 more. I'm in a Catch 22. I am running out of storage space, but the longer I wait the more it degrades. I just finished a wood shed to hold what I dropped. Hopefully, once I split and stack there is room to drop another one.

 

[DonTee]

Yeah we have the emerald ash borer here. I have hundreds of ash trees on my property and only the smallest of them don’t show signs of the EAB. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they’re all gone.

I figure I have 5 years to drop the ones I want to. Before they become too unsafe to work around. The big dead ash are really bad about shedding widow maker branches.

That’s also one of the reasons I started selling firewood. So I can process more ash

 

[mpaul]

Always aim to have next year's wood cut before March 1 (and split and stacked by April). This year I was a beaver in January and got everything down and hauled in by first week of February--not bad! Unfortunately I seem to have developed some tendinitis in my right hand so things are on hold until that heals up (I tried "working through it" but not suprisingly that made it quickly much worse). Trying to entice my 22-year old son to come home for a long weekend and buck, split, and stack!

Nice mix of red oak (for 2025), red maple, birch, and white pine (for kindling mostly). All from right here on my land. Typically get ash, too, but this year decided to focus on thinning a section of the woods where ash doesn't grow.

Hope everyone's doing well.

View attachment 324767

2025 for red oak? Are you planning on using a solar kiln?

 

[Megunticook]

No kiln ĵust 2 years split and stacked.

 

[Wildflush]

No kiln ĵust 2 years split and stacked.

My buddy in Maine thought his oak would be ready in 6 months. Told him not a chance, he also thinks it’s ok to burn Ash after 3 months 🙄.

 

[stoveliker]

The problem with ash (and pine) is that it does burn after a short time.
Even if it should not yet be burned.

 

[Garbanzo62]

I have Ash and Pine that I thought was going to be ready, but it is not. With a Dead Standing, the lower section wicks up a good deal of moisture and takes longer to dry out. The top half and any limb wood might be 17% and the bottom section could be 25+.

 

[Todd]

If you can cut down Red Oak in the Winter when there’s less sap in it and dry it two summers it should be good to go.

 

[all night moe]

in the Winter when there’s less sap in it

Yes, all trees in the winter have much less juices flowing.
Great harvesting time.