What do you guys do with remaining bark when you stack your wood?

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yuryk

New Member
Feb 17, 2024
98
Eastern MA
Dear Community!

I'm still learning the science of burning and preparing wood... I had 3 cords delivered so far. I stacked them well, but have a lot of bark leftovers. I tried to put most of it together with the logs, as if they're together, but still have plenty left. So far I put it to a separate carton box, but what are you guys doing with it? Do you stack it together with the wood to later burn it in the stove? Or do you leave it out for the campfire? Or maybe just throw it away?

Thanks!
 
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I go through the debres and pull out small pieces of wood and stuff using it a fire starters. Most of the debris get thrown away. Theres just to much good wood available to really be dealing with scrap
 
On extreme cold days I burn splits without bark (and without sapwood if I have a choice) - more BTUs going into the firebox that way.
And bark is good for what mpaul said after the load is gone.

In the end the question is space. If you are on a space budget, throw it out. If space is not an issue but BTU per dollar is, keep it
 
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On Halloween, when the kids say Trick or Treat! They never expect bark!
 
I save the larger pieces for burning down coals or just to burn whenever, smaller pieces for kindling, and all the leftover stuff after doing this hits the compost pile.
 
We have a composter (homemade) for bark. Small bits of wood
is collected and used as kindling.
 
I have a large bin that it goes in. Use it for campfires or to burn down coals during cold snaps.
 
I use excess bark as mulch around plants and as ground cover in my stacking area. Helps keep the weeds and the mud down.
 
I use bark as mulch in the garden. Not directly on beds--that would be a nitrogen suck. I use it to keep the weeds down between my raised garden beds.
 
Wood or bark is fine on top of the soil as a mulch, no real nitrogen suck there. Now if you till it into the soil it's gonna suck big time
 
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Reactions: Prof and bigealta
Yup mulch, in every way you use mulch in your yard.
 
I burn bark. I don't have a great wood supply, so if it's acceptable to burn, I will. I usually separate it.

Seems like such a distant thought. This July was the warmest (more accurately hottest) on record here. I didn't like it.
 
Sometimes it gets burned in the fireplace, other times it gets burned in the fire pit. It just depends on the day...
 
Gets left in the woods if it comes off during cutting. Gets tossed into the woods when I'm splitting if it comes off then. It gets tossed into the woods if it comes off when I'm loading splits to bring them into the house. If it comes off when I'm loading the furnace, it gets tossed into a trash bin that then gets emptied into the woods when full. So, in short, they get tossed into the woods. ;lol
 
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Reactions: johneh
Same here in PA--it has been so hot a dry that I long for Fall!
I burn bark. I don't have a great wood supply, so if it's acceptable to burn, I will. I usually separate it.

Seems like such a distant thought. This July was the warmest (more accurately hottest) on record here. I didn't like i
 
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Reactions: Stelcom66
I used to save it all and burn it in the stove. I hated throwing BTUs away. Now, I think it is not worth bringing the mess in the house and try to remove all the bark that I can before it gets to the house. We have a burn barrel that we use for disposing of yard waste when the compost bin gets overwhelmed so a lot of it goes in the barrel. When I am producing bark I keep a trash can nearby and throw it in, then haul that to the barrel when it gets full enough and throw it on the fire.
 
Fire pit if it comes off while splitting/processing. Or burn in the barn noncat stove if it comes off after being dried like while splitting down oversized chunks for the stove.

It does burn. I would never pay to put it in the landfill.