seasoning softwood (pine)

[j7art2]

Does pine typically take as long to season as hardwood due to it being less dense overall? I've got about 2 cords of it to process, and have access to another 4 or so. I'm curious if I'll be able to burn it this coming winter, of if I'll be waiting two years like I would with oak.

 

[gzecc]

One full year off the ground, split in single rows usually is all that is required for pine in my experience.
IMO Oak takes a true 3 yrs. I avoid it like the plague. Other hardwoods take 2 yrs.

 

[Dune]

Depending upon individual drying circumstance. All my rows are at the fenceline, 2 years for pine works good. Remember though, I split as little as possible, just enough to fit into the stove. That adds to seasoning time.

 

[firefighterjake]

Probably depends on the species . . . but up here . .. eastern white pine can easily season in a year . . . sometimes less . . . depending on sun, wind, how it is stacked, top covered vs. not covered, etc.

 

[Seanm]

Lodgepole pine is what i burn during the day here and from the odd time I've had to process it green I've had no problem with under a year and if you live in a milder climate then me you should be good. C,s,s in may or as soon as possible and then burn it in November, don't leave them as big splits but they dont have to be tooth picks either. Since lodgepole is one of the more denser pines I think you should be ok especially if your pine is lower in btus. You would need to be on the ball with how you take care of it like Jake above says. Fortunately for me I have access to more standing dead and blow down lodgepole then I can ever use so I'm not needing to process green pine but I have experience doing so. Sometimes when its easy as pie to take I will grab it (like the city bucking it up and helping me load my truck!) As a side note I have 3/4 cord of green fir and 1/3 cord green paper birch that I c,s,s expecting it to be below 20% mc for next season and they are both more dense than my pine. Enjoy this amazing wood!

 

[j7art2]

Since pine sap has much different consistency (thick and sticky as opposed to watery) can it be checked using conventional means via moisture meter with accurate readings?

 

[Dune]

Since pine sap has much different consistency (thick and sticky as opposed to watery) can it be checked using conventional means via moisture meter with accurate readings?

What species of pine do you have?
With pitch pine when the bark falls off it is ready.
White pine, cedar and juniper dry faster, IMHO.

 

[j7art2]

I have no idea. I don't know my pine tree species because nobody burns pine here (I never bothered to learn! lol)

Most of the needles are very thin, and the bark is quite reddish and flaky. I think that's white pine, but not sure.

 

[Dune]

I have no idea. I don't know my pine tree species because nobody burns pine here (I never bothered to learn! lol)

Most of the needles are very thin, and the bark is quite reddish and flaky. I think that's white pine, but not sure.

Pitch pines have very dark bark, more brown, not really reddish at all. They also tend to grow in a grotesque twisted manner and are useless except for fuel IMHO.

Hard to split by hand, they benefit from at least a year of drying before splitting.
Store horizontal, off the ground until dry enough to split. With a machine, it is no issue to split them. I go by the pile once a month and try to split a round. Then eventually I use a machine to finish the job.

 

[AK13]

I like burning white pine. I think one year is plenty unless you split it very large.

 

[Wood Duck]

Reddish, flaky bark sounds like Scots Pine, which is not native but is commonly planted all over the east and Midwest. I think one year is enough.

 

[Seanm]

Since pine sap has much different consistency (thick and sticky as opposed to watery) can it be checked using conventional means via moisture meter with accurate readings?

Moisture meters are calibrated to doug fir and are meant to be used in a warm environment so dont test outside if its freezing. The actual reading on your moisture meter will be off as much as 5 points when checking pine. So if its reading 15% you should be good. I contacted the company for my moisture meter looking for a calibration chart and never heard back. Moisture meters are a handy tool but c,s,s for a year and you will be fine.

 

[Poindexter]

Black and white Alaskan spruces are prime after one summer c/s/s/ and covered, I get mine off the ground with cinderblocks under the pallets and am down to 12% MC per electronic gizmo @70dF in one year. Burns great.

I think the evergreens dry faster because they are more porous. I do like to fell mine and get them split in early early spring so that sap is mostly locked up in the wood. I can't imagine willingly dealing with a big sappy evergreen in August, the sap would be all over everything. Chainsaw, chaps, my truck, my hair, my shirt, just everywhere.

 

[Mag Craft]

I cut and use a lot of standing dead lodge pole also. You cut and stack in the spring and burn come winter.
I do have some this year that is not going to get burned so come next winter I will find out if it really makes any difference.

 

[billb3]

I have no idea. I don't know my pine tree species because nobody burns pine here (I never bothered to learn! lol)

Most of the needles are very thin, and the bark is quite reddish and flaky. I think that's white pine, but not sure.

White pine has needles in bunches of 5
red, ( I think jack and scots pine, too )have bunches of 2- for these three the length of the needle and the way the pine cones display and bark aid to identify which is which.

IMO, Eastern White Pine, season at least 12 months and that's in a good seasoning location.

 

[MrWhoopee]

I cut and use a lot of standing dead lodge pole also. You cut and stack in the spring and burn come winter.
I do have some this year that is not going to get burned so come next winter I will find out if it really makes any difference.

Standing dead lodgepole is the fast-food of firewood, cut today and burn tomorrow.

We cut a lot of it here. Many (most) people wait until fall to cut for the coming winter. Before I had my own truck and a reliable cutting partner, I was actually out cutting in the snow for the current winter.

No more!

 

[Hogwildz]

8 months to a year for pine here.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Pine is a quick seasoning wood for sure. I've had some two year stacked and it is good and hot burning. Agree about oak. It takes forever to truly season it. I stack it and forget I have it for at least three years.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

I cut and use a lot of standing dead lodge pole also. You cut and stack in the spring and burn come winter.
I do have some this year that is not going to get burned so come next winter I will find out if it really makes any difference.

I have been cutting beetle kill Lodgepole pine almost exclusively for the last 4 years, and I always cut in the fall to burn that winter. To do it successfully though, I have to make sure I only cut the lodgepole trees that have been dead for a long enough time. They will season while still standing, but not all of them will be standing long enough.
The two telltale indicators I look for before I start cutting are
Gray needles: If the needles are green then obviously the tree is not even dead, and even if the tree is dead and the needles are orange then the wood will still contain plenty of moisture and will need some seasoning time after being cut and split.
Vertical splits in the trunk; This is a great indicator that the tree has dried significantly, and actually one reason that pine beetle kill dries so well while standing dead, If you look carefully the old dead trees (that have gray needle) you will likely see vertical cracks running the length of the trunk, this is caused by shrinkage of the wood as it begins to dry, just like splits in a stack. These cracks can be quite wide, and once the cracks develop it opens the rest of the trunk to the air and the rest of the tree can dry that much better. It is also why beetle kill lodgepole pine trees make poor quality lumber, the way the wood dries it has too many large cracks in it.
So if you are cutting beetle kill lodgepole pine and the needles are still orange, then it will definitely benefit from some extra seasoning time. But if the stuff you are cutting has large vertical cracks running the length of the trees and the needles are gray, the wood will likely be just great for burning right away. Of course a lot depends on the climate where you live.

 

[Mag Craft]

I have seen the trees your talking about with the vertical splitting going on. Never gave it much thought so thanks for the info.

 

[wardk]

I have been cutting beetle kill Lodgepole pine almost exclusively for the last 4 years, and I always cut in the fall to burn that winter. To do it successfully though, I have to make sure I only cut the lodgepole trees that have been dead for a long enough time. They will season while still standing, but not all of them will be standing long enough.
There are two telltale indicators I look for before I start cutting are
Gray needles: If the needles are green then obviously the tree is not even dead, and even if the tree is dead and the needles are orange then the wood will still contain plenty of moisture and will need some seasoning time after being cut and split.
Vertical splits in the trunk; This is a great indicator that the tree has dried significantly, and actually one reason that pine beetle kill dries so well while standing dead, If you look carefully the old dead trees (that have gray needle) you will likely see vertical cracks running the length of the trunk, this is caused by shrinkage of the wood as it begins to dry, just like splits in a stack. These cracks can be quite wide, and once the cracks develop it opens the rest of the trunk to the air and the rest of the tree can dry that much better. It is also why beetle kill lodgepole pine trees make poor quality lumber, the way the wood dries it has too many large cracks in it.
So if you are cutting beetle kill lodgepole pine and the needles are still orange, then it will definitely benefit from some extra seasoning time. But if the stuff you are cutting has large vertical cracks running the length of the trees and the needles are gray, the wood will likely be just great for burning right away. Of course a lot depends on the climate where you live.

If you get to the grey needle stage make sure nothing valuable is near the tree, a friend had his boat parked at our farm a bid wind dropped the pine on it.