Hello all. I know its not ideal wood but ingot alot for free all split and delivered so I said what the heck. It has been stacked and drying winter. Would it be good by now? Thank you
Hello all. I know its not ideal wood but ingot alot for free all split and delivered so I said what the heck. It has been stacked and drying winter. Would it be good by now? Thank you
Five reasons why every experienced wood burner should have a cord or two of Poplar on hand:
- Easy to find, not a usually high demand wood/tree.
- Easy to process. Easily doable (read lift and move) rounds of Poplar would be nigh impossible or much harder if they were Hickory or Oak. Far easier to split as well.
- Quick to dry, usually 6-8 months and you're ready you can get good heat out of them
- Quick to burn, perfect for shoulder season in the American Siberian areas or the dead of winter where smart people live, like SC TN, where it doesn't get down below, say 20 degrees or so (God forbid!) and usually much warmer (read 40's).
- Since it's easy to have on hand, easy to process and easy to dry, it's the perfect wood to give to less experienced wood burners caught unawares or other people in an emergency needing immediate well dried seasoned wood. Is it perfect firewood? Of course not; but if you're giving it to help someone, you can warn them of the downsides. The upside (besides the good will) is that they should develop a good appreciation of the benefits of well dried and seasoned wood and be better prepared next year.
While I agree with all your other points in favor of Poplar, I cannot agree that it is always easy to split. I've had two (Tulip) Poplars down on my property, one was a joy to split, just wave the axe, maul, or even a sharp vegetable knife near the round and it would just fall apart. The more recent one was almost impossible to split, it tried it green, I waited a few months tried again. My Fiskars that would split a 30" oak round with a half speed swing would barely make an indentation, it typically took me 5 or 6 swings of the sledge and wedge to get each split, and it would never split straight. I'd tackle two rounds, then need to take a break till the next day..
- Easy to process. Easily doable (read lift and move) rounds of Poplar would be nigh impossible or much harder if they were Hickory or Oak. Far easier to split as well.
While I agree with all your other points in favor of Poplar, I cannot agree that it is always easy to split. I've had two (Tulip) Poplars down on my property, one was a joy to split, just wave the axe, maul, or even a sharp vegetable knife near the
Right. I was wondering which "Poplar" the OP had gotten. I only have Yellow (Tulip) here, not the "Popple" or Aspen they have up north, where he is. The Audubon Guide shows Tulip in lower Michigan, but not WI. It looks like Tulip has a little more BTU than Aspen but they are both pretty low.Actually...tulip poplar (also called tulip tree or tulip poplar) isn't a true poplar; it's in the magnolia family
yep those cone-y flowers give it away.Actually...tulip poplar (also called tulip tree or tulip poplar) isn't a true poplar; it's in the magnolia family
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