So What's the Deal About Ash? (the tree)

[Poult]

I've had people tell me you can cut it and burn it right away without waiting for it to cure. And I see on here some of you say ash doesn't need so much curing. What's the deal with this wood? How can a tree have less moisture in it than any other live tree? Or is it something else about this kind of tree?

Poult

 

[jpl1nh]

Great question!! First, I'll kind of challenge the point about cutting and burning right away. It will definately burn better with proper seasoning. That said, many say it burns better than most anything in a greener stage and it does seem to season faster than most woods. Not sure of the reason but I'll speculate that the Vascular construction of the wood is larger diameter than most woods allowing faster evaporation of moisture from the wood. Think of wood as a whole bundle of miniature straws that allow water to flow up and down the length of the trunk. Ash might be made of larger diam "straws". Just a theory.

 

[skinnykid]

All I know is that it is hard as heck to split. The stuff that I have got split seems denser than most.

 

[fossil]

I'm not an ash burner, nor am I an arborist, but I think I'd hesitate before making the assumption that all living trees have the same moisture content. Makes more sense to me that it would depend on species. Some trees cut while living may contain more water per pound of tree than other types of trees. And the internal structure of a particular tree species may allow it to lose its moisture content more rapidly, once felled, limbed, bucked & split, than that of another. Pure speculation on my part, for the most part, but I do know that different trees are different trees. Rick

 

[jpl1nh]

I'm not an ash burner, nor am I an arborist, but I think I'd hesitate before making the assumption that all living trees have the same moisture content. Makes more sense to me that it would depend on species. Some trees cut while living may contain more water per pound of tree than other types of trees. And the internal structure of a particular tree species may allow it to lose its moisture content more rapidly, once felled, limbed, bucked & split, than that of another. Pure speculation on my part, for the most part, but I do know that different trees are different trees. Rick

:lol: The older we get, the more we know we don't know, but we do know what we know! (or somethin like that)

 

[fossil]

:lol: The older we get, the more we know we don't know, but we do know what we know! (or somethin like that)

Exactly! :lol: Rick

 

[Poult]

I didn't believe the guy that told me that you could burn it right away, either. Never thought of the structure of the wood, though, and that makes sense. About all I've got on this place is ash, and the guy I was talking to was real enthusiastic about it. Use to burn a lot of elm years ago, that was dying from Dutch Elm disease, but ash was always the other wood we used. I didn't realize then there was anything special about it. Thanks for the replies.

Poult

 

[Burd]

The grain in the ash tree is much tighter than most hardwoods. The tighter the grain the less moister is in the wood.
So I think I read that some were. not sure
Just like the straw theary except the straws are smaller and there is less water in the straw. Less water Less Evaperation Less creasote

 

[brooktrout]

All I know is that it is hard as heck to split. The stuff that I have got split seems denser than most.

The ash I got was easy as heck to split...The hard maple, on the other hand...

 

[jpl1nh]

Considering the strength of ash as a wood, I think Burd's theory makes more sense. We could draw straws to find out. %-P

 

[Vic99]

Seems that a live ash tree starts with relatively less moisture in the wood than other species. See "Excess Moisture" in the second table:

http://mb-soft.com/juca/print/firewood.html

So, ash starts with less water. I would hypothesize that water does not evaporate at the same rate for 2 different species. One explanation might be as Burd points out. Perhaps the structure of the wood xylem (tubes that carry water up the plant . . . basically the tree rings that you see in the cross section of a tree) is different in ash than in other species. This may cause ash to take less time to season.

However, I have no direct experience with ash. We probably all have experience with some species seasoning much faster or slower than others. I've seen willow season quite quickly for example.

 

[renewablejohn]

In the UK Ash historically has been the staple wood for burning due to the trees ability to regenerate after it has been coppiced. Some coppices are over 300 years old which is probably twice the natural life span of a normal ash tree.

 

[savageactor7]

I've been burning ash for years but always let it season first...so I don't know about burning it 'right away'. I suppose I could get it to burn in my old non EPA stove but I don't really think it would burn well in the newer stoves. Never heard any rumors about burning it right away either.

I got quite a bit of ash too and it's my favorite tree to harvest...minimum small limbs to deals with and it splits easy.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

All I know is that it is hard as heck to split. The stuff that I have got split seems denser than most.

skinny- I'm not sure that what you're splitting is ash. White ash splits straight with merely a stern look. We also have black ash- less dense, not hard to split.

Other parts of the country have green ash, texas ash, and all sorts of stringier stuff. The compound leaves of the ash resemble those of various hickories- definitely tough to split. The bark is furrowed like black locust which has different compound leaves, but is a bear to split, and white oak- unmistakeable leaves and harder to split.

White ash may be about the easiest to split hardwood that we have.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I'm not an ash burner, nor am I an arborist, but I think I'd hesitate before making the assumption that all living trees have the same moisture content. Makes more sense to me that it would depend on species. Rick

It definitely does. You can look up whole tables of moisture contents. Try Bruce Hoadley's "Understanding Wood". He's the expert. taught me to tie flies as well.

I will add- white ash has very distinct early growth (makes it easy to peel down to a ring when making a bow). This would act as a capilary to take moisture out of the cut end I would guess. It also makes it take a stain in a neat way.

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

White Ash here in going fast due to EAB. Burning lots of it, say 85% of my wood. Cut green I've seasoned it in as few as 2 months. No Creosote issues, allow a little more draft and it worked.

Split it green! It gets a fair amount harder to split once it starts to dry.

It is a joy to light, especially when dry.

ATB,
Mike P

 

[woodconvert]

I know some people that'll burn it green but it's not what you think. Yeah, they'll burn it...with a roaring oak fire going. I've read it's got something like 20% moisture on the hoof so it'll hiss for a short period in an already hot fire then burn good after that. Trying to start a fire with green ash...ya may need a torch.

The stuff when seasoned burns real well and thanks to the EAB there seems to be a good supply. Burn it if you can get it.

 

[savageactor7]

Well Poult if it's hard to start just recycle one of the old atomizer spray bottles like rain-ex and refill it with diesel fuel...it's safe and will start anything on fire...that's what I use on my campfires...4-6 shots on the upwind side and we're in business.