This was a small Musclewood tree that was blocking the trail, we ended up with 14 rounds. American Hornbeam (Musclewood) | MDC Discover Nature I also picked up some Hemlock near the trail on my way out, last picture.
Never burned any Musclewood, although I have a few small ones in the understory. If it were me, I would look at it as a jackpot, and save those rounds for one cold and special night, just to see if it's as good as I hear... I think you burn some from time to time, so you already know what you think about it. I like that steep really slope on the opposite side of the creek. Quite the grade going up that one!
Am i reading your link correct.... musclewood is related to birch? Also, i think I've got hemlock in my stacks. Kinda lightweight, burns decent? Nice job, how much snow did you get? Bitter cold coming next week, time for ironwood,eh?
I burn the American Hophornbeam, http://forestry.ohiodnr.gov/hophornbeam, this is the stuff you want to save for January and February.
I think we had three inches at the most. We'll be burning cherry and the pellet stove for the colder days coming up. We just picked up our first six bags of the year.
I have two or three of these that are roughly 12 inches in diameter, and might be 40-50 feet tall. Looking at some nice lumber and the rest BTU's. I have many smaller in the 6 inch range. Great stuff, enjoy.
Musclewood (blue beech) is super hard wood. However, it will go bad rather fast of not well covered. If we cut some I usually will put into the stack that we will be burning the following winter.
"Pellet stove"?? With all that wood?? I've got a good bit of that blue beech, but I've never bothered with any for firewood; I think I'd only get 1-2 stove loads out of an entire tree. I had one blocking my main trail this year and I just dragged it over to the brush pile. I thought I found a large one too, but after closer inspection it was a regular Am. beech.
I will try to snag a picture or two this weekend To see what people think. I have blocked up several 6 inch and smaller. Hard as a rock. Neat to see what people think.
The leaves will be a dead giveaway. Blue beech has very small leaves, 1"-3", and will probably retain some catkins into the winter. Am. Beech will probably be still clinging it it's leaves; 3"-6" long.
We had the pellet stove before we bought the property I cut on, it's a good combo to have, when it's real cold we set the pellet stove at a certain temp so when the wood stove cools down the ole pellet stove kicks on.
Nice! Yeah I have Amy for that... I taught her how to run the stove this year, and she's been doing a really good job at it. My dog, Otis, learned a new trick this year too - "beg for fire". If he's cold, he'll whine at me and when I get up he walks over and sits in front of the stove...
I have some blue beech for sure, but I still think I have a couple of nice hornbeams....you will have to wait for a week for pictures as I will be traveling for a week soon.
