Osage, or as we call it headge is everywhere around here but I don’t know of anyone who cuts it for fw. Where is it rank? Seems like everyone on here likes it. I know total newb question but that’s why I joined. Wood always heats you twice, unless you rehandle like I do then it’s four or five times!
its the highest btu wood you can get...GRAB IT! We have none that i know of here in Connecticut. Id love to cut/burn a log or two just to check it out.
Huh who woulda thunk it. Ya the planted tones of it around here for fence post or to use as a natural fence, years ago. Now it usually just gets pushed up in piles when the expand fields. I’d say a guy could cut a bunch if he knew the right farmers. Does it dry fairly fast? I’ve used it to make bows but never burnt any... Wood always heats you twice, unless you rehandle like I do then it’s four or five times!
If you click on the "resources" link ABOrman on the FHC home page then click on the "firewood BTU and drying chart" box on the top it will give you a ranking of highest to lowest btu's and drying times. It is an excellent reference. Ive learned a lot in the six months ive been a member. Says that hedge takes 12 months
In my opinion... … a person can get by with 12 months drying time with Osage for an old wood stove and/or a fireplace, but for me that chart is simply way off on proper drying time for that wood in general. It would be closer to being correct if it was listed for 36 months like the Oak is. For me, give both of those woods two more years for a total of five and you're getting somewhere. Three years with Oak and you're just now getting close to the proper time to burn it. The dryer it gets up to a point the hotter it burns, same for Osage …any wood really. Absolutely would not recommend 12 months for osage in a modern stove unless you want problems. Just my opinion...and I'm firm on it. Of course this will vary a little by how small you split your wood. Obviously, the smaller you split it the faster it drys, but it burns up quicker too. To me Osage and oak are not woods to split like your normal pieces, and you save them for the coldest time of year. You save them because they give you the most heat and actually save your wood pile during the coldest months, osage is the same here. You save them for times when you need to go long periods between tending times...again Oak and Osage are prime for longer burns in the coldest months. Why turn them to toothpicks by splitting them the same size as your other splits. Experience burning a fire place during January in a not too well insulated house when you're running low on wood and you'll understand the need for larger pieces. In reality, a wood stove is no different. Osage is most certainly a heavy wood. Cut it standing dead or a few years dry and you better have a bunch of chains ready...it will make the sparks fly if it's being cut dry...and I've seen it many times when cutting near a big osage knot when it's green. Elm will do the same thing, at least the variety of Elm we had around here years ago. The blight went through here years ago, just like it has with the Ash today, and killed most if not all the Elm back then...at least of that variety of Elm we cut...and I don't know which it was. Some of the stuff me and dad cut back then had already been laying around dead even before I was born and it was hard as granite it seemed. Osage also has a lot of resins in it, maybe the wrong word, but the point is when burning it's noisy fire...lots of popping and cracking. If you've ever had to burn it in a fireplace in the middle of January while trying to sleep you'd understand. You might just wake up to a house on fire from a hot ember popping out onto the floor. It is going to pop when burning whether seasoned 12 months or 112 months...it's just the way it is. For this reason, it can be dangerous unattended. Personally, Osage makes the best firewood for a fireplace where it's popping can ease the tension of long hard days work. It's good for the soul! It is not a wood that you load any stove up with...not even the old battle ships of woodstoves like Fishers, etc. If you don't have experience burning it, do not fill your stove up with it, nor your fire place. With a fire place be prepared for a large blast of heat...windowstat type heat...and lots of popping and cracking and often embers on the floor. With a wood stove it can over fire a stove in a hurry if for any reason it spikes on you or you put too much Osage in the stove. A few small chunks at a time, or one large one is all that is usually needed on a hot bed of coals. Even with small pieces of Osage, often times windowstats may be called into use. Another thing... Even if you find farmers that have Osage and will let you cut it...beware of it. As someone stated earlier, 100 years ago and more Osage was planted for fence rows. Not in the sense for just a property boundary, but thick enough to keep livestock like hogs and cattle in. Over the years, some if it was harvested by the landowners and others needing the wood for heat. As metal fencing came along the Osage that was left they just stapled the fence to it...same with Black Locust...and many of the larger trees you may find today, unless it's in the middle of a pasture, will have some sort of metal in it...be it fence itself, staples, nails, etc. The point...take plenty of chains and expect to damage several. It's just the way it is when cutting Osage and Black Locust as these were the trees used mostly for fence posts while the trees were still alive. Many of these posts are long gone on some farms. Either finally rotting, or they were torn out of the ground. Many that still exist, if they're still large enough, will still outlast and outlive a modern brand new T-post. There's no telling how long some of those posts have lasted through the years and generations...especially the corner posts on a property.
Dunno about Osage, but 3 years CSS for Oak around here gets you nice dry firewood 99.9% of the time...the only time I know 3 years wasn't enough was on a big ole White Oak that was cut green...still sizzled at 3 years. Local climate and where/how its stacked seems to be a factor for sure, but like I said...its been a long time since I had any Oak that wasn't really ready...
I like burning it all! Some last quite awhile, others burn quicker than the daily paper in a bonfire. Douglas Fir, Cedar, Alder, and Madrona are the commons I find myself burning. The Alder is great to stay warm with when it’s just a chilly night without overdoing it, plenty around here too since it grows like a weed. The last two are great for the coldest of nights. I like burning locust, oak, apple, birch and cherry but the pickings are small at the moment so often to preserve these for those special nights needing their longevity plus some are destined for the bbq! There are plenty of woods that are desired for burning but unless I move to where they are often grown, not much chance in burning them. I’d make a wish list but wish in one hand....
Oak, hickory, ash, and buckthorn. Not too many use buckthorn. It is usually pretty easy to work with though and seems to have pretty good btu's. I have quite a bit of it around.
