Willow info

[My Oslo heats my home]

Long story short. While rummaging the woods for dead standing and downed limbs and trees I came across something I did not recognize. The base of it was well over 30 inches in dia and it began to yield a cord with just the upper section alone. After doing a little research and bringing in my neighbor the tree was identified as a willow. After looking this species up online and finding out what it's true worth is I'm wondering if i should cut my time short on salvaging the remaining parts of the tree.

Does anyone have any experience with willow?

 

[dorkweed]

Free and easy is still wood in the stack!!

 

[Realstone]

I'd like to know too. There are a few abandoned logs around here that wouldn't take more than a simple "would you mind if I took that off your hands?" to get it. But my stacking space is limited so I want to maximize BTU's.

 

[ScotO]

It's not my favorite, matter of fact I sell all of the willow I cut to a buddy who has an OWB and a ton of storage space. Not saying you can't burn it, but it smells like pi$$ when you burn it, and it doesn't yeild alot of BTUs. If it's free, and you have the room for some of it, go for it. You can practice putting up with the smell of it by peeing on a raging hot campfire this summer. Smells about the same as willow IMHO.....

 

[Gark]

You might google "firewood BTU" to see where it sits on the chart in comparison to other species if that will help to decide.

 

[StihlHead]

My experience with willow is about the same as with cottonwood. I do not go after either wood any more, even if they are free. They are listed free on CL all the time around here too. Willow is better than cottonwood, as it dries faster, is a tad less stinkey than cottonwood, and not as hard on chainsaws when dry. But willow bark can spark a lot when being cut, even when it is green, and that stuff tends to have a lot of grit in it for some reason. I have found it to be hard on chainsaw chains. I cut down two huge willows at the ex's and we burned it all in the OWB. Light wood, low heat value, does not last long on the wood racks (tends to get punky pretty fast). Three firewoods I do not cut any more: grand fir (aka: piss fir), poplar/cottonwood, and willow. If you are going to do that much work and store and season the wood, I would rather have better heating wood. Alder is the lighest wood I will go after, but that stuff burns clean, smells great, is great for cooking with and it dries pretty fast.

Willows are good trees to grow here though. I planted several red willows on my lot last year. They are good for errosion control and have nice semi-weeping stances, and they are smaller than the huge weeping types. They are also a feline willow this time of year.

 

[RORY12553]

When i first started scrounging for wood i ended up with about a truck load of it. Haven't split some of the larger rounds yet and noticed today that even after being cut for 10 months now it is sprouting some buds out of the of the rounds. I have mixed it with other hard woods that I have and it will be used over the summer for the outdoor fire provided it doesn't stink as bad as everyone says. Live and learn i guess.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

This is just as I thought, what everyone is responding is what I have read, all but the stinky smell. The BRYan are low, something like 14,500 and its considered a smokey burning wood and its considered a fair to poor heating choice.

My next question would be is if it produces a lot of creosote as would say conifers?

 

[midwestcoast]

...My next question would be is if it produces a lot of creosote as would say conifers?

Creosote is more to do with how dry your wood is & how you run your stove. You could burn that Willow with no creo problems if its dry and you burn nice & hot, just like other woods (even conifers). Burn it wet or choke down the stove on a low temp burn & you'll have plenty of creo.

 

[BobUrban]

Not surprised those big rounds are spouting new growth. Willow is as easy a tree to propogate as any out there. I have a low spot on my property and I take my hand pruners to the burshhy willow that grows out in the swamp. I just drive the 10-15" green sticks into the wet ground and about 50% of them take real well and are becoming trees/shrubs. They are a water sucking tree so it helps to keep the low spot drier in the spring. No intention of ever burning it though.

 

[Realstone]

...Willows are good trees to grow here though. I planted several red willows on my lot last year. They are good for errosion control and have nice semi-weeping stances, and they are smaller than the huge weeping types. They are also a feline willow this time of year.

I remember back in the day my dad and some neighbors wanted to dry up a wet ravine lot. They simply jammed some willow branches into the wet soil and voila, most of them took root. Willows suck up a lot of moisture (take note of where they thrive) and these saplings we started did a pretty good job of drying up the lot.

Not surprised those big rounds are spouting new growth. Willow is as easy a tree to propogate as any out there. I have a low spot on my property and I take my hand pruners to the burshhy willow that grows out in the swamp. I just drive the 10-15" green sticks into the wet ground and about 50% of them take real well and are becoming trees/shrubs. They are a water sucking tree so it helps to keep the low spot drier in the spring. No intention of ever burning it though.

Should have read further down before posting my own reply. Dohh!

 

[Realstone]

Creosote is more to do with how dry your wood is & how you run your stove. You could burn that Willow with no creo problems if its dry and you burn nice & hot, just like other woods (even conifers). Burn it wet or choke down the stove on a low temp burn & you'll have plenty of creo.

I understand that, but does higher BTU wood burn hotter, therefore creating less creosote?

 

[ScotO]

Here's two BTU charts for some info and comparison...willow is on the bottom third of both charts. So as far as BTUs/cord its not the worst wood. But in my opinion, I want the most BTU's/cord I can get due to having to store it. If that is the only wood you can get (or if you have lots of space for storing it) go for it. But like I said earlier, it really stinks when you are burning it. If your neighbors like you now, they may not like you after burning that stuff for a whole season......




http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm

　

http://www.outdoor-wood-furnace-boiler.com/wood_species_BTUs.htm

 

[midwestcoast]

I understand that, but does higher BTU wood burn hotter, therefore creating less creosote?

No. Species like Oak or Locust have more BTU per cord because they are denser wood. With all else equal, dense wood burns longer than light wood like Willow, so the higher BTUs come from a longer burn, not a hotter fire. It is actually easier & quicker to build a hot fire with lighter woods. That's why people use them for kindling.

 

[Realstone]

No. Species like Oak or Locust have more BTU per cord because they are denser wood. With all else equal, dense wood burns longer than light wood like Willow, so the higher BTUs come from a longer burn, not a hotter fire. It is actually easier & quicker to build a hot fire with lighter woods. That's why people use them for kindling.

Good to know. Thanks!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I understand that, but does higher BTU wood burn hotter, therefore creating less creosote?

Do not think that just because one wood has a higher btu than another that the fire is hotter. It has nothing to do with that. The higher btu wood will burn longer to produce more btu. Just for kicks sometime you should dry some cottonwood and some oak. Then light the fires. Which will be hotter? I say the cottonwood will actually be hotter but it will be cold ash before the oak has burnt up. So the btu chart has nothing to do with creosote worries. Burn any wood wet and you'll get creosote. Burn any wood that is dry and you won't get creosote.

As for the willow, you have already cut some so burn it. Just burn it in the daytime and/or early fall or late spring. It will do fine. I would certainly not go out of my way for any more though. Remember that it takes the same amount of time and work to get marginal wood than it takes to get great wood. That great wood will give you more heat for a longer period of time. So, where would it be wise to put in your time cutting firewood?

 

[firefighterjake]

I've been burned willow before . . . like poplar and most softwood I will not go out of my way to get it . . . but if it's free, easy to get to or in the way of other wood I'll take it. Just don't save it for your middle of winter wood supply. Best use is for the shoulder seasons when you just need a quick, hot fire to take the chill out of the air.

 

[Got Wood]

For a winter like this one, where it has been a steady "shoulder" season, wood like Willow works just fine.
As others have mentioned - gotta weigh the factors to decide if its worth it (ease to get, your wood supply, other options, etc...). For me, I am about a cord shy of completing my 2015-16 supply, it would have to be a real easy job.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

Since the willow is fairly accessible I think I will buck and split it, don't want it to sit there and rot when it could be of use. I appreciate the thoughts of making this just shoulder season type wood, if things work out like they should I will probably have at least 1.5 cords from this tree. I think I will stack this seperately and if all goes well I could get 2 seasons of shoulder wood from it.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Good for you.

 

[maplewood]

I think Willow is like our Poplar.
And yes, there is definetely a urine smell to it.
I used to throw it away. I would only burn hardwoods like Maple and better.
Now I seek it out. It's technically a hardwood, but there is no question it's a low quality one.
But btu's are btu's, and with my new Econoburn I can easily burn softer woods for half my wood supply.
Poplar will season when split easily in one summer. It leaves a fluffy ash, not a coal bed.
Give it a go and see what you think of it!

 

[Wood Duck]

I agree with everyone who says willow isn't the most choice firewood you can find, but if it is easy to get then I would take it. If you can drive up to the willow, if it is reasonably straight, if the ground is fairly dry, etc., then take it. Willow burns well when dry, and it gets dry pretty fast. As for the smell, you shouldn't be smelling the wood in the wood stove in any case, and if you burn hot in a modern stove the exhaust doesn't really smell like smoke, so I wouldn't worry about the smell.