i cut my first ever green maple tree this year on 9/6. The initial mc was 37%. Today I checked a fresh split and got a 25% reading. I was shocked. I'm gonna cut mostly maples this fall and winter for next year instead of focusing on dead standing oaks.
I started using Maple in small amounts a few years ago. Last couple years, I really noticed how well it burns and holds coals. Not as good as Oak, but it does well. I'd cut both and use the Oak when it's real cold. Don't know what your winters are like, so can't offer more details.
Good idea. I may cut 2 loads sugar maple to 1 load oak as I slowly work on my 3 year plan. May also cut some red maple too for the fall and spring burnings. I was shocked to see that sugar maple is on par btu wise with red oak but dries quicker. Win/win in my book
Gonna heat the house all this winter with Red Maple cc. Will let ya know how we make out. Not much Oak around here.
The Red dries for me in about a year, but longer is better. I was under the impression Sugar takes at least a couple years, similar to Oak. I've got almost 2 cords of Red in the shed for this year (out of the 5 we usually use), and plan to use it as long as possible, even when it's fairly cold. I'll see how that pans out.
Red and silver dry in a year perfectly here. Sugar seems to take 2 summers. I'm also finding red and silver to be great all the time wood, much like ash.
I have read sugar can dry within a year. I'm sure that implies it has to be css in a windy and sunny location. I suck at identifying maple species except for red. I may focus on marking reds for the next week or so and guess at the sugars and norways. I hope to let my oak stacks season until next year so I may be ok.
I was surprised as well at some maple I got from a neighbor which he cut down this summer. I tested some fresh splits last week n the mc was mid 20's
I have a lot of soft (red) maple around me. One summer and it's good to go. Burns kinda quick but I can slow it down with the cat stove.
Green as in still alive? Or as in Green Maple, not a Red or Silver? If so, I've never heard of a Green Maple. If you meant that is was green as in still live and leafed out, then do you have any idea what kind it was? I know Silver Maple drys fine if CSS for one summer...and I'll take all I can get. A lot of people around here seem to think it is junk firewood, but I love the way it burns. There are tons of SM around here but I seem to have a hard time getting my hands on much of it.
Wood drys really fast at first. Maple will lose 1/2 the water that its going to lose in about 2 sunny summer weeks. It also starts at about 85% fresh off the stump so I'm not so sure your readings were accurate. Keep in mind a moisture meter is worthless above the mid thirties, +- species dependent. There is no essentially no measurable electrical difference in saturated green wood above that point. Its a dead short best the meter can tell.
We've done that more than once and got along just fine. Also, we've cut that soft maple in February and it was really dry come October. It is a good go-to wood if someone is not ahead on their wood pile.
Wood plan revision # 3 this week. Cut red maples mainly this winter while working on 3 year plan. Cut some sugar too. May try a 3:1 red:sugar ratio. No oak and let current oak stacks season til next year. Revision #4 coming later tonight
