Green seems to be fine after a couple of years, standing dead is ok after a year to 18 months. I'm burning some right now. I have split it by hand before, but now 25 tons of hydro makes life good. Over the years I've burnt many, many cords. Two last year alone. It's all around me, and I put it to good use.
I like Elm too. I usually come across red elm, rock elm, and winged elm more than American. Rock elm is always a treasure to come across fallen over.
We cut the elm after all or at least most of the bark has fallen off. You can burn at least the top half of the tree right away if it is needed and the logs you have to split will dry good in a year. Here is a pile that is about half elm and half ash. That elm could easily been split by hand although I did use the splitter. No doubt some have seen a video I made splitting some of this particular elm and that video did show how easy this wood split. There was no bark left on the tree that I remember except perhaps just a little at the bottom of the tree. The small stuff on the left is wood that was not to be split.
I have quite a few dead standing small elms about 6-8 in dia. I use them for starting brush piles on fire.' Other than that they are on the leave in the woods category.
Around here you can find it on the sides of the road from asplundh, mostly small diameter which are nice cuz it dries ok that way. Most people pass it up cuz yhey dont know what it is. If i get a big DBH elm i like to make large splits for the back of the stove (all nighter)
Splitting elm since it is one of the few trees that grows along the rings. It won't split straight like oak or ash. You split along the rings from the outside in. Not much Amer. Elm left anyhow. Castine, Maine spends $$$$ injecting their elms each year.
Got my elm score split and stacked finally...getting ahead now so it will be ready next year. Thank God for hydraulic splitters!
Can't say I've knowingly burnt any elm yet. DED wiped them out handily here. There is some about, including one up the road hanging over an elderly woman's barn that the town plans to remove whenever they get caught up. Tree warden (who also runs the dump, and plows, etc) promised he would stop over on the way to take it down so I can clean it up. MAybe this summer. Berkshire county is home to the largest elm left in MA, used to work with the guy who owns the property it's on. Lanesborough Eyeing New England Title for Big Elm
I have had a bunch of Elm come up in my 3 year plan rotation this year so I have burned quite a bit of it. I believe what we have here is Siberian Elm which is a lot like American Elm. I do not split it I noodle all of it. A lot less frustrating even if you did use hydraulics. Came across about a half cord of Ash the other day so I am feeling good about that. I might even mill some of the longer pieces for a project.
Havent come across any elm in a while. Last time it was dead and i left round as they were smaller diameter. I split by hand so i usually pass on it. Although cutting shorter and noodling it i ive done before.
I hold out hope that the American Elm is going to be able to evolve and ultimately win the battle with Dutch elm disease, unfortunately it’s not going to be in my lifetime or kids lifetime to see the monster elms that once made up our forests. I also wish there is a way to know what other trees we have today at some point in history appeared on the brink of extinction that naturally overcame whatever insect or disease and are those trees are now prolific. Say hypothetically, 5 thousand years ago the beech was almost gone due to a fungus and it took a couple centuries of natural selection for it to rebound and we are none the wiser.
It’s strange. I have some American elm on my property pushing 30” and seem healthy. Then I have 6” trees dead with bark falling off. At least they are able to reproduce, ash are all dead here. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have never burnt any, but have heard from several people and know first hand that a dead red elm is usually a great place to pick morel mushrooms, anyone else heard of that?
Whats DBH means? Its just not great firewood, its also great wood for woodwork. I cut down some elm this year, most of it is firewood but some of it will be round boards to put deere skullz on them. Cut Elm wood has its own lumber name around here.
