seasoning time for maple

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tumm21

Member
Jul 16, 2011
212
North Jersey
Im not sure if it is soft or hard maple but the base of this tree was 48 inches in diameter. I split and stacked it on pallets 3 rows deep stacked tight in February. I looked at some of it today and the bark is starting to fall right off the top row of wood. I do not have any tarps on this wood. Do you think it will be ready for November? I also have about 2 cords of hickory to get me by for a little bit. This wood has been stacked for two full summers. I was hoping to start with the maple and then use the hickory during the worst part of winter. I have about 6 cords of the maple that I am not too sure about being ready. What do you think.
 
I've stacked Maple in the late spring and burned it in Feb of the next year. I didn't have a MM at the time, but it burned fine. The only concern I have with your February harvest is that you say you have it stacked 3 rows deep and tight. Hopefully as you burn through it the rows behind will have some time to season if they are exposed to the prevailing winds! If it's what you've got, then it doesn't really matter, just burn it and consider it a lesson on preparedness. If it burns poorly the worst case scenario is that you are gonna be wasting a little extra wood and need to clean your chimney more often. (unless, of course, you have a Cat stove you'll be gumming up...)
 
Burn? Yes.
Burn well? Well, no.
Give it one more year and the answer will be yes!
 
If Sugar Maple, it will burn, but wont be Primo.

If Silver Maple, it will burn, like the hinges on the gates of H#LL :)

My Silver Maple last year was C/S/S in April/May and was about 20% (some below, but the big 6 x 6 splits were a little above).

I split mine pretty big and was impressed. I hope to get more soon.... The weakest wood I have now is Cherry, then Ash, then White Oak, then Honey Locust.... Like me some soft maple.
 
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I think it will burn, maybe not the greatest but probably adequately. I had some read maple last season that seemed well checked and light after 6 months. It burned awesome at a year, even the big knots.
 
Im not sure if it is soft or hard maple but the base of this tree was 48 inches in diameter. I split and stacked it on pallets 3 rows deep stacked tight in February. I looked at some of it today and the bark is starting to fall right off the top row of wood. I do not have any tarps on this wood. Do you think it will be ready for November? I also have about 2 cords of hickory to get me by for a little bit. This wood has been stacked for two full summers. I was hoping to start with the maple and then use the hickory during the worst part of winter. I have about 6 cords of the maple that I am not too sure about being ready. What do you think.

If it were mine, I'd be inclined to dig few splits out of the middle & try them in the fire pit. If they light readily & burn w/o hissing & spitting rest easy. If not, you've still got a little time to spread them out & get them a little drier. A C
 
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I think it should burn okay, maple typically dries pretty fast - did you say 48 inches in diameter? That's a heck of a big tree! I leave those for someone with a bigger saw and more energy!
 
I agree with AC. Try some in the middle of the pile now while you have time to spread it out and still get some good sun and air to it. Probably wouldn't hurt to just go ahead and spread that stack out anyway, if you have the room. If it were me and that was what I was up against I'd do what I could to get that maple dried out so I could save that hickory for later.
 
A.C. is right. Give some a try.

Hard maple usually wants at least a year. Soft maple will be ready in 6 months.
 
How about big box elder slpits??? Seeing it's in the maple family!!!!
 
A year.
 
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