seasoning walnut rounds

[colophoto]

Hi all,
I scored a rare craigslist find (esp for here) and got about 1/3 cord of black walnut for free. many are smaller rounds 4-5" in diameter. All are fresh cut this week. I'd really like to leave them unsplit as they are the perfect size for our overnight burns. I'm curious if leaving them unsplit will mean I have to wait forever for them to season? in our dry sunny climate I'm hoping for 1 year. do they really need to be split to be any good at that size? I've never burned walnut before, if I do split them will I still be able to get a good long burn? our quadrafire stove has a pretty little fire box so I'm always trying to get bigger pieces in there for night time.

thanks!
mark

 

[Applesister]

just get them drying. And get the next pile going.
Nose to the grindstone...and dont look up.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Hi all,
I scored a rare craigslist find (esp for here) and got about 1/3 cord of black walnut for free. many are smaller rounds 4-5" in diameter. All are fresh cut this week. I'd really like to leave them unsplit as they are the perfect size for our overnight burns. I'm curious if leaving them unsplit will mean I have to wait forever for them to season? in our dry sunny climate I'm hoping for 1 year. do they really need to be split to be any good at that size? I've never burned walnut before, if I do split them will I still be able to get a good long burn? our quadrafire stove has a pretty little fire box so I'm always trying to get bigger pieces in there for night time.

thanks!
mark

I burn mainly lodgepole pine, but I've ended up with a some walnut too from neighbors and friends trees I've cut. I found it can take a couple years to season if you don't split it, even on relatively small 4-5" sized rounds. The bark seems to hold the moisture in, so I'd split those ones if you really want to burn them next winter.
As far as the burning qualities, I like the smell of burning walnut wood, though I rarely get to smell it, and I find it about equal, BTU wise, to my lodgepole pine, although the walnut wood does feel a little denser.

 

[gzecc]

I've had walnut before. I would split them once. You'll get much better seasoning.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Even in Denver, you want to split them. It will make all the difference when you burn them.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

If you split them, they will burn better, AND the Broncos will win the Super Bowl.....trust that as I've burned Walnut many times and have been a Broncos fan here in PA. since 1973. Go Broncos Go

 

[DougA]

I burn a lot of walnut. Better to split it or wait 2 yrs. unless you can keep it in the sun & fresh air without much rain, then maybe.

 

[Hogwildz]

You can leave those in rounds. The bark will start to separate within a year. Then pull the bark off and they will be ready the next season.

 

[motorcycle07]

I have had walnut rounds in the 3-4" range season nicely in less than a year in a low airflow lean-to with high humidity summers. In fact, in my experience, walnut seems to season comparatively quickly.

 

[BobUrban]

PIA - but to speed things up a bit while retaining 90+% of the long burning rounds you can split off just a bit of bark and wood from one side to open up the round w/o. Easier to do with hydros. Now you have a little pile of kindling to boot.

 

[Paulywalnut]

If you split them, they will burn better, AND the Broncos will win the Super Bowl.....trust that as I've burned Walnut many times and have been a Broncos fan here in PA. since 1973. Go Broncos Go

Walnut dries out pretty quickly. When dry it gets very light with a tight grain like the flooring. Its ashame to burn some of those beautiful pieces.
Speaking of Broncos, the 1973 Ford Bronco is Sweet!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Speaking of Broncos, the 1973 Ford Bronco is Sweet!

I'm hoping the 2014 Broncos model is sweet, too.....

 

[Backwoods Savage]

That size I would probably not split but I also would not burn it next winter. Wait an extra year and you'll find it was worth it.