I noticed at woods edge behind the house, a bare, bark less tree among the others. Easy pickings, for me. Just wondering how season it might be while still standing. I know that a tree blown down won’t really season until it’s is split- no head start. I am sure there are variables to consider, but thinking it could go more to the head of the line on the burn rotation
All depends...any idea what kind of tree it is? If its been there a while, the upper branches very well may be ready to go this winter. I would say most of the time the main trunk will still need CSS for a year or two. I just took down a standing dead Oak...probably 4-5 years dead...was sopping wet inside!
There are several black oak in this stand. Since it is nekkid I can’t do much on identifying it. I figure I won’t even drop it until it is cool enough to cut it all up. Was looking at the bare branches, and thinking they will be wood boiler candy.
Only dead tree I ever had ready to burn was one hit by lightning. Ash which is pretty dry anyway. I saw it get hit, all moisture was vaporized! Do you got a moisture meter remove doubt for 20 bucks.
I once cut down an oak that had been dead long enough to lose every limb 8" in diameter and under. Thought for sure it would be dry. Soaking wet in the trunk in the dead of winter.
A few years back worked about twenty cords of dead standing red oak that had been dead standing for over five years. Not much left for branches, just main trunk limbs. Although some of it was punky a lot of it wasn't and the punk sliced off in the splitter if you worked a bit at it. Although the bottom ten feet of the trees were rather wet, they were "rain water wet" . AFter split they dried out exceptionally fast. That's when I bought a moisture meter because it seemed to be drying out in the middle of a cold Winter and by the meter ( and weight ) it sure was.
Not much left to be said on this subject..... you may find goodies, you may find pizzers.... that’s not much to say, but hey, we gots amazing peeps here at FHC always sharing excellent advice
A pic or two might jar someone's memory cells enough to get an ID on the tree. Like the rest, standing dead barkless Oak can still be pretty wet inside.
There's no oak or other real hardwoods this far north, but we've got tons of spruce and pine. Pretty much every year, I travel the back roads in search of dead standing ones, as they're usually dry as a bone most of the time. That's here in central/western Alberta Canada. It can get pretty dry for months at a time here. All that being said, I've cut some this year that looked like they should be fine, but will still need some drying time. As near as I can tell, it depends on where they're standing. If they're in the middle of dense woods that block most of the sun, especially if the ground is damp/muskeg, they're going to be a little damp. If they're out in the open where they get baked all day by the sun and have wind blowing on them all the time, it's like cutting down tinder dry telephone poles. The correct answer to your question is...it depends.
Yep. The moisture meter will tell you the truth. I've found that dead standing elm that has the bark falling off and vertical cracks is burnable pretty much right away. The first few feet above the ground ( 6-8') typically needs to sit a few months after splitting, but the rest of the tree can be burnt the same day if need be. There's other trees that will be ready to burn the same day as well if dead standing, but it's trial and error. Break out the moisture meter.
As always be careful cutting down dead standing, some of those dead upper branches and limbs can shake loose from the when cutting. You don't want to get nailed by them.
Hello, I’m considered new here so don’t take my word for it but I do have some wood that could have been a winner. It wasn’t a standing dead tree but I managed to grab an incredible deal on black locust already cut into sections like 3-6 feet long some longer last summer. Noticed a lot of the smaller limbs were just dropping the bark I mean just grabbing the limbs the bark just fell off. I’m believing that some parts of the BL was dead and the rest was just following suit. ( just for the record I had no idea when the tree was brought down, just asked when I saw it if I could help my parents neighbor out by having a splitting party for them...well that opened up a can o worms. He told me you can have it all!) Other limbs were completely bare and the clink of two cut pieces together was a clear sound of awesome. It’s not a clear and present sign of it being ready but the tops of the tree were pretty likely ready . Thing of it is, if you hoard enough wood for your winters, the sense of need to check goes away. But when you find something like this, its hard not to! Just those situations as wood hoarders that becomes a rare but can happen sort of thing and the wood type can really determine it all.
i got up next to it and there are several sapling poplars at its base. Moisture reader is next on my list, to get now.
I can remember only one standing dead maple that was truly "epa stove" ready when I had cut it. It was no larger than 6" diameter as I recall.
....one particular person arguing this subject left, right and sideways.....”but if it’s dead it must be dry!”
So you have some popple next to it; might be another popple. If so, be very careful as they turn punky rather quickly. Amongst popple we quite often find some elm too and if it is elm, that is great. We've cut lots of dead elm and best to cut after the bark has fallen off. But usually about the bottom third of the tree needs some drying time. The rest is good to burn right away. As others have stated, oak is another story altogether.
