Got some Siberian Elm today and could have a whole lot more. How's it burn? Charts seem to say 20-21 btus but I haven't burned it myself. Unlike American Elm Ive dealt with before this split like butter although all were 14" or less in diameter. Could have some 24+ plus pieces if I want it. Ive heard some say it stinks but it smells like cinnamon to me.
It's great firewood. Much easier to split than American elm. I'd say it's on par with American elm for BTU's. I've burned about 3 cords of it. Take all you can get.
The way I see it,... you have two options. option A. Grab all you can and burn it! Option B. Grab all you can and bring it to me and I’ll burn it for you!
If it smells like cinnamon it’s most likely Slippery (Red) Elm, Siberian elm has a weird smell to it. Everyone’s sniffer is adjusted differently though. I will present a different opinion than the other folks: I don’t care for Siberian Elm because it seems to produce way too much ash & has shorter burn times than American & Slippery Elm. It does split easily though. I worked up 3-1/2 cord out 2 standing dead trees in my uncles yard a couple years ago. Anyone I sold wood to last year, I sent some with them to try out, no one cared for it. I have been giving to some friends who camp a lot & others all summer just to get rid of it, I still have about 1/2 cord. Yes, I tested it with a moisture meter. I have one fella that all he wants is American or Slippery Elm, he absolutely refused to take any Siberian because of his past experiences with it. I have several Siberian Elms around here & my uncle has several that I could cut up but I won’t mess with them. You won’t know if you like burning it if you don’t try it.
Elm is great firewood as stated, but i cringe whenever i hear the word due to PTSD (Post Traumatic Splitting Disorder) i have from trying to hand split the stuff. On occasion it will split "easy" though. Lets ask The Wood Wolverine his opinion!
Siberian elm is a whole different critter. It splits easy. Honestly I think it splits easier than most of the ash does around here.
Any chance of posting pics of the different elm varieties...American, slippery, Siberian and any i missed?
I have a picture (or 3) of elm I could share, lol! So I've burned a couple pieces of elm that were left in my stacks from the lot clearing score. I gave 90% of it away but some pieces made it through the cracks. In this new England's wood furnace, I did not get any clickers. So with that said, the only way I'd cut more elm is if it was small enough that it didn't need split. Eff that... been there, won't go back. Elm and gum are for nature to make more soil. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I'm burning the last of about 6 cord that i got 3 years ago, nice stuff, splits good as what's been mentioned Got some chinese elm, doesn't split as nice
I get really good secondary burn with siberian elm. I just burned the last of it from the tree I'm in in my profile picture
Im going to grab it all then hopefully the big pieces split just as easy. If not ill noodle them or a splitter might magically appear.
Siberian elm is/was often planted as an ornamental. Its not native but it does not reproduce very well so its not considered an invasive. Its quite common where I live along streets and in peoples yards. Never gets very big.
Their description sums it up pretty well; "typically a very bad looking tree due to considerable limb breakage and sprouting along the trunk."
We have a lot near me. Ornamental tree in the city. It does spread too, though not as bad as tree of heaven as far as firewood it’s pretty good. And it dries fast. Only problem is it can be a pain to split as the tree produces a lot of shoots and branches. But it’s not that bad. verdict: worth it
