I have always enjoyed burning different wood species just to see how they stack up against others. How well they dry, how well they burn, quick heat, slow long heat... etc. Doesn't have to be the highest BTU's either, just something new or some wood you may read about on FHC that raised your curiosity. Here's a few I would like to try someday that I never have been lucky enough to burn yet: Locust, Persimion, Ironwood, Apple, Boxelder. I think I can get my hands on most of these in the next few years. Makes it kinda fun to find them. Anyone else think like this?
Highest on my priority list is any species that cuts, splits, and delivers itself to my property. Unfortunately this will never happen. Really tho.....hickory. I don't get much and when I do, it's saved as smoker wood. Hedge. Never had it. I think I've burnt most everything else worth mentioning.
I can't remember if Persimion is in there but that information is in the resources section. It has the BTU's and drying times, I didn't know if you knew it was up there Dave.
Orange Osage is one my stove has not tasted yet. Some say its similar to locust or better so that would make it a real beaut Clark !
Persimmon is right there with Osage Orange for heat. It's awesome. I haven't burned sassafras. They don't get big enough to bother with when, if your like me, you're only looking for dead and fallen stuff first. Apple sounds interesting too... I'm trying to figure out where you other guys get apple. Is there a wild variety I don't know about or do you just hit up old orchards?
Feel "Blessed" my friend! .... I'm down in maple country and can get as much maple as God can grow! I've been lucky the past few years though, I helped clear some land and got some nice red oak and some shagbark hickory! I would love to try some osage orange in Grandma, I'll bet she'd crank out the BTU's. It does real well with the oak and hickory. *Edit* For you all talking about Sassafrass, it smells nice but is a quick burner! I wouldn't go looking for it but I wouldn't turn it down either if it was all you could get... I can get plenty here also and I just leave it be.
I know it's up there and have a few on my property, but they're all healthy and provide a great source of food for the animals. Still want to burn it though... Pretty unusual living where you do... I hardly ever burn a fire without throwing some oak in it. Your going to have to fix that sometime in the future... I've burned a bunch of Sasafrass, pretty soft and quick burning. And yes, I'm like you dead and fallen stuff is all I burn. Just need a Persimmon to die on me now...
You can get apple at orchards, hundreds up here, my yard has 18 apple trees. 3 were over 2 feet in diameter, one split in ice storm got 1.5 cords, smaller beaches went to buddy with a smoker. I have no oak, hickory, or locusts yet
I definitely think in the same manner. I love coming across new varieties of wood I've never burned. I've only seen Osage Orange on one jobsite in my area and Hickory, at least to my knowledge, is not available here either. If you lived closer I'd let you take an armload or two of apple and locust, I have plenty. I've never heard of someone wanting to burn Boxelder though, interesting choice there.
I'd like to see how black birch burns... But also, just looking forward to experimenting more with using dry pine to eliminate ash from my OWB. I only recently started taking/stacking pine so I havent had much of a chance to burn any well seasoned stuff. I have a good pile split/stacked right now but itll be for next year. Looking forward to having a big pile of seasoned pine to try using here and there.
I took down a couple of sassafras trees that were 10-12 inches at the base. I'd say they were about 30ft tall. That was about 18 months ago, so I have yet to burn any. Next fall most likely. She has a few others of similar size. I took down the ones I did because they were leaning over her driveway towards the house. So, if given the right conditions and time, sassafras does grow to a decent size. Sent from my SM-T280 using Tapatalk
Reading along makes me realize how good I have it. Never had oak, hickory locust? The county in Pa which I live used to be the highest orchard lands per acre in the country. What got me started is Knouse Foods sold permits for $1, cut all you want. I ended up w/ 16 cord! I also have a friend who's family own orchards and when the trees are getting to be 40yrs old +, it's time for them go. It is a ton of work for a small amount of wood per tree. Last outing my son and I tapped out at 54 tree's. Burns awesome! Makes the house smell wonderful when I load the basement with splits. Where I have my stacks, it seasons in about 9 months. AND it's beautiful wood.
I'm one of the lucky ones in that there are not many I haven't burned at one time or another. Still, there are many trees that do not grow in this area that we have not burned and likely won't. Gum, live oak, persimmon, black birch etc. I'd try them if they were available but am very happy with the mix we have here on 40+ acres that is mostly wooded. I do wish we had more oak and beech though. btw, we have a couple stands of sassafras and I'll cut one every now and then just so I can enjoy the sweet smell of them. Sort of like enjoying the sweet smell of lilac in the spring. I look forward to it.
