I like to stack between trees on my place and I have cut two saplings, say, four inches in diameter as a 'runner' from one tree to the next to serve as a base. The first row of wood is stacked on the runners so there is no ground contract. But a sapling gets skinnier from bottom to top of whatever piece you cut. A 4x4 would be great but that seems too expensive. What to use... or just stack on ground or what do you do?
I've used repurposed fence posts. Dunno what they are treated with as they are kinda old and I don't know the history of them. I don't usually stack between trees any more as trees sway in the wind and stacks tip over and some trees can be damaged from the contact (although I've never seen this ). I've used repurposed fence posts for grape vines too, but they are all starting to rot in the ground and treated 4x4 and 5x5 are getting pricy. (compared to T-posts which don't need chemical treatments for rot and bugs)
If you have nothing else use some of your splits/smaller rounds and lay them perpendicular to your splits as runners. You may end up sacrificing those pieces but it preserves so many more.
Ive done all as stated above but used scrounged pallets. Ive leaned and attached pallets to trees for stability so i can get triple row stacks. I have a lot of wood and limited room to store it so triple stacks work. triple row stacks on 2x4, 4x4 scrounged lumber. My design. Also purchased at big box stores in cull packs. Ask the pro desk for cull lumber and you can get it CHEAP...pennies on the dollar. Ask someone in the lumber dept. for scraps too. They throw them out Beginning of another triple row stack made from 40"x48" pallets. Pallets on end and braced. Same stack i just finished Saturday. Stack showing pallet against tree.
I've stacked right on the ground, used saplings, and now I use landscaping timbers. They'll last 4-5 years if you rotate when you empty the stack on 'em. Wait for those to go about 1/2 price and just buy a few at a time. I noticed they've gone up about .50 since last time I bought. I have pallets in the woodshed, some scrounged and some I made.
Once it goes under cover for winter use, I put it on blocks and 2x4's. This gives enough space underneath to let the cats deter mice. No nails or screws so they can be stored quickly and easily for summer.
Thanks Eric. For sure I've used saplings for many, many moons along with other things like old fence posts or whatever. I've even used some good sized pine logs that I really did not want for firewood but could still cut those up later. With saplings, I see no problem at all with them getting smaller on one end than on the other. What difference does it make if they are not the same size? Just put both small ends on the same ends and stack away. I've also used many sizes and many types of wood including a lot of soft maple just because I wanted them cut out anyway and soft maple usually does not last long once it is cut if not covered. But using them for runners, they are covered but still laying on the ground. I've used saplings from about 2" up to 6" and they all work. Can't beat the price either. For papadave, I get the same time out of saplings that you get using landscape timbers and they don't cost me a dime. As for stacking between trees, I hate that and it looks like someone is lazy when they do it and certainly has no respect for the trees. Here are a couple examples: This first picture shows perhaps the best example I can give. You can see some under the stacks plus some of the ones that have been used and we just stood them up against the wood pile so they'd keep better until we need to use them again. As you can see, we use all sizes. But how long will they last? They will be under the wood stacks at least 3 years then used perhaps 3 more times or even move. When they start breaking as I pick them up, they go into the brush pile and get replaced.
The ground was fairly even so I put down some 2 x4's. The ground was to uneven so the wood went directly on the ground . The ground is nice and even but the wood is only going to be here for a couple of months .
The last time I bought about 10 landscape timbers for stacking on I read the fine print on the label (one of the unused ones ) two years later because they all rotted (except for the couple I didn't use ) . Nowhere on the label was the claim made for being pressure treated- just coated with copper azole and it must have been a thin coating of even that as yellow jackets immediately made nests under them. The label had wording to the effect of but not specifically not recommended for ground contact. How else would one use a landscape timber ? These are /were the ones with two flat sides. If I replace some grape arbor poles with T-posts I'll have some posts that I could give an extra coating of CA to and use them for stacking on, or under pallets to make the pallets last longer than "landscape timbers". They are old and dry and should absorb the "paint" a lot better than green ones apparently do.
Absolutely, and I've done that a bunch. Matter of fact, there are still some leftover back in the field that I never pulled to use up in the drive. The timbers just save me time.......no limbing, and I grab a handful from the HD when we go shopping. If I didn't mention, I hate limbing. At $2 a pop, I'll buy the timbers instead of spending my time with trees......sometimes. Example, I have 2 that broke recently, and I may just go cut down a Spruce or Poplar (probably Poplar, since they're less limby) and make it work instead of using the timbers. I've used W. Pine, Spruce, Poplar, Oak, and Red Maple. The Oak seem to last the longest, but after a couple years I pulled 'em and processed into firewood. I ain't gettin' any younger, and my time really matters to me so I hit the easy button (remember the Staples commercials?) if I need to.
I like block pallets if they're are accessible. ie free.. The best way to go is to build a wood shed for it though if you are going to be there for a long time. Everything else is basically temporary. Edited to add: Oh I should add, unless you are stacking on railroad rails like a member here does, than I think they will outlast you.
Love the picture of the row of wood downhill parallel to the chain link fence. Dont know which to admire more...the stack or the view. Two thumbs up campinspecter
