Polling everyones input on what they burn and how long they season it?

[Hogwildz]

What majority species do you burn, and how long do you season it prior to burning?
I burn majority of white oak try to season 1 year+ prior to burning the next season.
I have burned at a few months season with no choice, promoted much more creosote & not as efficient burns.
Just my personal experience.

 

[myzamboni]

I burn what I can scrounge. Right now that is pine/fir/spruce. I try to season for a year, because in addition to it being low moisture, it keeps me out there getting wood so I am a year ahead.

Where I am at, the pine is ready in 6 months (look at the stove I run and you see why . . .smaller splits)

 

[aandabooks]

I burn alot of oak and elm. Some hickory and locust if I can find it and some of the softer hardwoods early and late in the season. Maple and cottonwood. My first year burning was a scramble but since then I've been consistantly 2-3 years ahead in the woodpile. Even if I cut a live tree down today the earliest I would burn it would be the 2011-2012 winter.

 

[Hogwildz]

I burn what I can scrounge. Right now that is pine/fir/spruce. I try to season for a year, because in addition to it being low moisture, it keeps me out there getting wood so I am a year ahead.

Where I am at, the pine is ready in 6 months (look at the stove I run and you see why . . .smaller splits)

Serious question? Does it get cold, or I should ask, how cold does it get out in Silicon Valley?
Love the Rollins avatar btw Henry rocks and is a crazy MOFO.

 

[11 Bravo]

I burn standing oak, cherry, elm and maple. Cut / dropped / split / stacked, typically in April. It's good to go by November in time for deer season......I did have a problem my first year when I had to do this in August.....just didn;t dry in time...........Paul

 

[Backroads]

Serious question? Does it get cold, or I should ask, how cold does it get out in Silicon Valley?

It does get cool there. I have an uncle over in Half Moon Bay and I was there in June and he had his pellet stove going!! I was shocked but he said because of the ocean it cools off so much at night they need to run it to take the chill off.

As for myself, mostly oak. A little maple and ash. Even less poplar. As for seasoning it varies due to what it is and what I cut. The poplar is from fallen trees, definately 1+years, Maple about the same. The oak I'm cutting though is all standing dead and really dry to begin with so once it's split it finishes what little drying it needs.

 

[savageactor7]

Ash, Maple, Elm, Poplar and some lesser amounts Cherry and Apple...one year.

Trees harvested in the fall when leaves fall off, logs staged up for spring C&S;-ings then wood is piled up for the following winter. We're usually a year ahead but with the new stove burning less wood it could be 2 and then some. I'll know for sure with being our 1st full season with the newer EPA stove.

In the past I've also burned wood C&Sed;in the spring so 6mos out in the sun will provide seasoned wood too. Over time I just got ahead by doing wood a little bit at a time...like after supper for 30-45 minutes rather than make a project out of it.

 

[Pine Knot]

I burn Locust, Oak, and Maple seasoned a year to eighteen months, with a small amount seasoned 6 to 9 months to help prolong burns at night. This year I'm burning a lot of Locust post taken out of a fence. They were seasoned about 30 years.

 

[caber]

Whatever was in the way as we're clearing our property and whatever I can scrounge for free. A lot of poplar, which dries in a matter of a few months and never gives any worries. A lot of maple as well. Plus occasional elm, hickory and oak which I give 8+ months to dry. Lately a lot of unidentified stuff since it was standing dead or had fallen 2-3 years ago - already 80% dry. I'd really like to get a year ahead and never worry about moisture, so I'm dropping, bucking and splitting like crazy this summer.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Mostly red oak seasoned 1 year.

 

[sullystull]

I have a forest service permit. Therefore, most of the stuff I cut (oak, locust, cherry) has already been "down and dead" (a requirement of the permit). I cut, split, and stack in March/April and begin burning that fall.

 

[Jags]

Oaks, Ash, Hard/Soft Maple, Elm if its in my way, Cherry, Osage. I try to stay 2 years (or more) out. So basically, everything is seasoned for 2 or more years.

 

[Vic99]

I scrounge all of my wood. Seems to work out to:

The Good Stuff: Sugar Maple(mostly), Apple, Hickory 40%
Medium: White Birch, Elm: 15%
Soft woods (mostly White Pine): 25%
Miscellaneous: 20%

Seasoned for a year. I am almost 1 year ahead, and next year will be trying for 1.5 to 2 years ahead.

 

[smokinj]

soft maple, ash, cherry, elm,and hedge apple all easy to get free around here!

 

[Hanko]

whatever the tree guys dump. Tons of ash the last few years, which I like. Have lots of hickory, oak, and cherry too. have managed to scrape up maybe 20 cords so far this year. The three of us have all our wood put up for this year and still have 10 left which will be 2 years old in 09. I really like to season 1 year

 

[bluefrier]

I burn Mixed hardwood. Seasoned at least 9 months

 

[rich81]

I have a forest service permit. Therefore, most of the stuff I cut (oak, locust, cherry) has already been "down and dead" (a requirement of the permit). I cut, split, and stack in March/April and begin burning that fall.

i need to get me one of them permits!! i burn a mixture of oak (red&white maple, ash, birch (yellow and white) this year i'm burning some pine to after being on here i can't seem to throw it in the burn pile anymore. i put a few pieces in the stove the other day and they burnt good. the majority of my wood will seasoned for a year and half, the rest 6-7 months. my first year my wood had been stacked for 4 months and although it was tough the first month, once i had some wood down the basement the stuff burnt good

 

[RedRanger]

Mostly nothing but softwoods in this neck of the woods. Douglas fir, big-leaf maple, alder, and western red cedar. I burn 6-7 cords a year and always have 14+ cords on hand for the start of the burning season- 8 in the sheds and 6 outside. This stuff only takes 6-10 months to get to 20% moisture content.

 

[Rob From Wisconsin]

Burn whatever I can find in our woods that is "standing dead".
Avoid cutting living/green stuff.
Majority of wood ends up being Aspen/Cottonwood.
Dries and is ready-to-burn in less than 6 months (some is ready-to-burn "as is").
Harvest some harder wood, (rock elm, oak, ash, etc.) but takes a bit longer to dry (6+ months).

Two years????
I guess our air is a bit drier up here....

Rob

 

[billb3]

Predominately pine-oak here.
Some cherry (targetting / cutting a lot of it down, supposedly why I have troubles with plum trees)

I cut this year for next year.
Have done the "try to get it dry enough for this year" dance. Have also seen three inch thick creosote.
I cut this year for next year.

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

Over the years I've burned the following list below. Seasoning depends on availability of wood and species (1 year is ideal)
Over Half my stack this year will have been split for 11 months to 1.5 years (by Nov 2008) and by the time I eat that stack up the other half will have 8-10 months to season which is good enough to get me through the rest of the winter.

Mostly

Pignut Hickory
Shagbark Hickory
Red Oak
White Oak
SweetGum
Red Maple
Sugar Maple
Cherry
Birch
Ash

Some

Elm
Apple
Pear
Hemlock

 

[Todd]

I burn mostly Oak, Black Locust, different Maples, and on occasion stuff like pine, elm,and boxelder. I'm working on 3 years ahead on my supply. Oak takes 2 years to dry out in my stacks so I plan to stay ahead of the game.

 

[ScottF]

50% red oak and 50% hard maple, Just the way it always works out. Cut split in the spring and burn in the late fall until I get caught up and get a year ahead.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Mostly white ash, elm, soft maple and cherry and a very little oak. Our wood pile is now about 7 years ahead so the wood is well seasoned.

 

[Rich_CT]

I have mostly black cherry and oak. With some beech, maple, locust and birch.

This will be my first full season heating with my insert. I have 5 cords for this coming season, which is mostly black cherry that was split and stacked in early spring. So it should be seasoned about 9+ months for this season.

I've got another 2+ cords of mostly white oak already split and stacked. Trying to get a head start on the 2009-10 heating season.