Will I be ready for the 2009 season?

[Badfish740]

Right now I've got about two cords of scrounged wood split and stacked that I started gathering about this past September. Most of it is wood that had been down for a while before I picked it up. A fairly large amount is oak that had come from a guy who had bucked it into rounds but never split it. That wood sat for a year before I got it. The rest of it came from trees (locust, poplar, oak) that had been cut the summer before last (August '07) and
left on the ground. I'm still working on this bunch of trees and most of it was a little punky and still pretty wet inside. Anyway, given that the start of next heating season for me will probably be about 9 and 1/2 to 10 months away (Mid-September/beginning of October), will the original two cords be ready? While I was still adding to the stack I left the wood exposed to the rain, but now that it's at full height I'm going to cover the top (not the sides) with heavy clear sheet plastic to keep the rain off. I also have a virtually unlimited source of hardwood pallets so I figure if worse comes to worse I can mix each load with pallet wood? Or should I buy a cord of well seasoned wood at the beginning of next heating season and mix it with that?

 

[rphurley]

I bet it should be good to go for next season. I still might try and buy some "seasoned" wood in the spring so you know that will be good to go by the fall.

 

[bsruther]

With the exception of what I might have left over from this winter, my wood isn't even split for next winter. My wood for next year is laying on the ground right now. Some in 10 foot sections some still whole trees (all of it down at least a year). I'll cut and split it in early spring. The stacked wood that is exposed won't get covered until August.
That's how this season's wood was done and it's burning clean and hot. I don't have any Oak or other wood that needs a longer seasoning time though (Honey Locust seems to be the one that takes more time for me).
What works for me might not work for someone else though. I think climate is an important factor.

 

[LLigetfa]

I'll cut and split it in early spring.
...
That's how this season's wood was done and it's burning clean and hot.

Wish I could say that. I like my wood to be seasoned more than a year but it doesn't always go as planned. Right now I'm burning wood that I bucked up this time last year but didn't get split until the snow was gone. It laid out in the open with sun and wind all summer and went into the shed in the fall. It was terrible burning at the start of the season but getting much better every week. Having a two year supply laid up in the shed now and another two year supply of logs to be delivered this month, I will be back on track with my game plan of being at least two years ahead.

 

[bsruther]

I'll cut and split it in early spring.
...
That's how this season's wood was done and it's burning clean and hot.

Wish I could say that. I like my wood to be seasoned more than a year but it doesn't always go as planned. Right now I'm burning wood that I bucked up this time last year but didn't get split until the snow was gone. It laid out in the open with sun and wind all summer and went into the shed in the fall. It was terrible burning at the start of the season but getting much better every week. Having a two year supply laid up in the shed now and another two year supply of logs to be delivered this month, I will be back on track with my game plan of being at least two years ahead.

We had a VERY dry summer, which helped. I'm hoping to get way ahead of the game too, but for now this works for me. If we have a wet summer the wood will be covered sooner.

 

[madrone]

Don't know where you are Badfish, but it sounds like you'll be fine with that wood. Oak does seem to need some time, but I've got oak that was down and bucked 2 years, split in June, and burning great. I don't know how long the tree was dead before that, though. So many factors...

 

[Max Headroom]

I've got about two cords cut and split since November, and another two ready to split. I've got dibs on another 3 to 5 that are scattered around properties in my area, courtesy of an ice storm . Seeing that this is my first year burning and I didn't have anything until June for this season, I'm way ahead. I gotta admit though, I think I'm developing the disorder where I won't be comfortable until I'm years and years ahead.

 

[LLigetfa]

I think I'm developing the disorder where I won't be comfortable until I'm years and years ahead.

It sure feels good knowing that next year's wood is all laid up in the shed, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a disorder. I call it planning ahead as long as you can afford it (time and /or money).

 

[Max Headroom]

yeah, I was using "disorder' kind of tongue in cheek. You hit the nail on the head with the "time/money" reference. Time is my biggest issue right now. I've got access to plenty of wood, but I'm way short on time. I'm hoping to have all of next year's supply processed by March 1.

 

[Malatesta]

The Poplar will definately be ready, the Oak and locust should be fine. Just dont let the rain keep soaking it cover the top a little after you split it.