Wood combinations that burn well together

[SeanBB]

This year I am mostly burning red oak and sycamore and they work well together. I find that when I have a hot fire going that is low on flames if I add a small piece of well seasoned holly into the middle it turns into an inferno. Jets of flame shoot out from the holly. I guess the dry holly has pockets of gas that are forced out by the heat.

 

[woodsHAM]

I like mixing sassafras in with my hardwood especially oak or locust. Gasses off fast to get the others going.

 

[adrpga498]

What woodsHAM said: ditto

 

[hickoryhoarder]

I like this thread. Haven't tried holly or sassafrass yet -- none available. Very curious.

Combinations seem to make a big difference. Our fires all get watched, so I pay attention to what looks interesting, what woods burn well together. The best combination is cherry, red oak, and hickory in the same fire.

A fairly boring wood is ash. It's good heating wood, but not interesting to watch. Sweet gum is especially boring, and needs a hot fire to burn well.

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

I love putting two medium size splits of poplar on the bottom with a gap in between for air to move to the back. They burn hot fast! Cherry or ash on top for normal burn weather (boring but dependable). In the cold my mix on top would be red elm and white oak (very complimentary). Never had sass or holly, would like to. Havent had enough BL or hedge to really experiment with, but will in future.

 

[coutufr]

I burn Ash a lot lately and I agree it is a boring and dependable firewood. Not extreme in any way but it does well in every situations.

 

[cptoneleg]

Oak mixed with more Oak sometimes BL It takes just as much time to CSS so that is all I cut.

 

[Destructor]

Oak, maple and Black Sabbath.

 

[Mark N MO]

"Oak, maple and Black Sabbath." Don't think Ozzy would appreciate that. Heh heh.

Red/white oak, hickory, and hedge. That's all that grows on our farm.

 

[Tar12]

"Oak, maple and Black Sabbath." Don't think Ozzy would appreciate that. Heh heh.

Red/white oak, hickory, and hedge. That's all that grows on our farm.

You lucky dog! Wish I had a steady supply of Hedge! It is my preferred wood by far...unmixed...if I mix then its Hedge and White Oak...or White Oak and Locust.

 

[TheAardvark]

Black locust mixed with white ash. The locust is hard to get going sometimes and the ash gets it going beautifully.

 

[BamaScroungr]

I'd say in general that the lower-BTU woods tend to burn up faster, so they pair well with the denser hardwoods. So I'll mix softwoods like pine and cedar and hardwoods like maple, cherry and hackberry with the "good stuff" like oak, hickory and hedge.

 

[DBoon]

Black Cherry and Hickory. The Cherry lights off and outgasses early, but doesn't burn to hot, and the hickory helps it early. Then, when the Cherry is dying down after an hour, the Hickory goes into overdrive and puts out strong heat for another hour. I load the Cherry in the back and the Hickory in the front, and this seems to work best for extended burns at good even temperatures.

 

[David.Ervin]

Ash and Hickory is a good combo. Ash burns reliably, the hickory gooses the heat up to a whole new level and gives a nice flame show.

Hedge with anything is a good idea if you need the heat - hedge by itself is a good way to turn your stove into a puddle of slag.

 

[Longknife]

At this point into my wood pile, as I took down a few large white birch last year, I seem to be pairing it a lot with my normal ash and elm. Seems to work well with either of those, which are my two mainstays due to both dying off in droves.

 

[Mark N MO]

hedge by itself is a good way to turn your stove into a puddle of slag.

Said nobody that owned a Buck 91..............ever.