seasoning time for small hard maple rounds (tree limbs)

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Jack22

New Member
Mar 10, 2011
95
Warren County, New Jersey
I have allot of downed branches on my house and in my yard. I am going to cut them up but I do not think they are big enough to split even once. How long does it take for real small rounds to season? Thanks for any info.

-Jack
 
Unless its most any Oak variety,6 months to a year & you should be fine.Maple dries fairly quickly.Can be 3 -4 months if they get plenty of sun & wind.
 
Depends on how weak the wood was before it fell. Most falls from wind are the dying branches. They season quick.

"Live branches" are gonna take longer, but stacked in single rows, will dry quickly.
 
Jack, I'll bet they will be fine in a year.
 
Backwoods Savage said:
Jack, I'll bet they will be fine in a year.

Yep. I agree with Dennis. I use some of the smaller stuff and under 4" across I just stack it with the splits. It is fine after a year.
 
Don't know how well controlled your Keystone is, but just to mention that too many small rounds in a load could burn too hot. It does in our stove. 3 and 4 inch rounds of sugar maple were good cut & stacked a year here.
 
Glad you posted this question, Jack! I'm splitting a Sugar Maple now. I have a hard time leaving wood when I buck a tree, so I've got branches down to about 1.5". Good to know it will be ready when the rest of the wood is, and I can go ahead and stack it with the splits. I know Oak is a different story, though. I've had some small branches that were still damp after a year.
I guess I should devise a storage plan and keep that little stuff separate from the splits...
 
My experience is these small branches take longer to season...it always amazes me when one of those 2" pieces sizzles away while the normal size splits split and stacked at the same time burn fine.
 
8-18 months . . . depending on size and species of maple.
 
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