Well, its not. This is 15 month CSS and 3 month CSS Red Oak. Top covered a month ago. I'll give it 3 and 4 more years.
Different stack of 3 month CSS. I quit stacking against the trees as Backwoods Savage recommended. Hopefully the stacks will stay straighter.
I've noticed my wood looks much darker than other pics I see here. I didn't start top covering until this year, I think that's why it gets so dark.
And most of it was dead standing. ETA: You want the stuff in the second pic, its really nice and juicy
My green when cut oak looks like the stuff on the left after a few months my dead standing doesnt seem to be turning as dark. I wonder why? The other stuff sure looks pretty though!
Oak wood left to it's own uncovered for a while turns dark like that most time I've noticed, wonder if it's the constantly getting wet and drying that causes it?
Here in Iowa wood does not usually get that dark until the second year of seasoning, it will stay fairly light colored the first year. This can depend on the type of wood of course.
It's not firewood till it's split. Those arm sized, (5" diameter) with tight bark will take many years to dry. Split, in one year it's OK.
About once a year my stacks need straightened up with my front end loader. I think they would fall after a couple years with no attention. Some is from the wood shrinking as it dries but I think some is from the trees swaying in the wind. It is stacked pretty straight and looks like a snake eventually.
Just cause it's dark doesn't mean it's dry. The sun and elements will darken wood pretty rapidly, but the MC inside the splits tells the real story.... You can have it inside a wood shed under cover from the sun and not get very dark at all and be more dry than the stuff that's outside that turns black. Here's a row of mine... 3 stacks on the left are 1 year old turning black a little bit. The one on the right is 4 year old oak, I just brought inside under cover last week for next year burning. The lighter stack second from the right is 6 months old. All these stacks are mostly oak with a sprinkling of hickory and maple. I have them top covered now most of the year. The dark oak row is measuring about 18% right now, but it will come down a little bit more being under cover the next 6 - 10 months or so. I expect all that oak to be that dark when it's time to go into the burn pile. It's in a really sunny area. Anyone see Emma?
Nice stacks, Some looks seasoned, maybe not dry enough or seasoned long enough, but few more years will help if is kept dry. Can't tell if you have something under the stacks to keep the wood up off the ground. If not,pallets , poles, landscape timbers.... ect , helps the wood dry better, get better air, less rot & bugs, & stacks not fall over as easily . With your hot summers, most wood should season well in a year or 2 if off the ground in single (or double) rows top covered, with good air movement.
