I’ve been mixing in some pine since it’s close, plentiful, and free. This is in my yard. I got it off the ground, mostly cut & split last Fall. It’s kinda a hybrid pile, some traditional from stump to tree, then some ‘beehive’ techniques on either side. I mostly wanted it off the ground, airing out. One a related point, my neighbor was grousing about getting fires started in his stove. They have mostly oak wood, medium seasoning. They’ve had an aversion to anything pine or evergreen, thinking it will mess things up. They were flustered so she went out & bought the ‘fat wood kindling’ to start fires. Talking to him, I told him that ‘fat wood’ is a fancy term for pine kindling. I did cut & give him some northern white cedar to use as kindling. Anyway, I went on to say, it would be easier to start fires with a touch of dried, light wood. That could be pine, box elder, aspen, whatever, as you add the oak. Just saying, nothing wrong with being a ‘mixer’, as far as firewood types go. One last point, this pile is the opposite direction from my main firewood area, but closer to the back door. I’ve been doing a little more of piling where cut, instead of moving it to my main area, less handling.
The softer woods definitely do start fires better. I don’t mind some Pine. Like any wood….if it’s dry it won’t cause any trouble.
Should be ready for the Fall. With an abundance of hardwood in my area I seldom take ant conifers. One of the tree guys I get wood from has a miller who throws all the reject/slab wood into his burn pile. Im thinking of taking some to mix in with the bundle wood I sell. There's also an Eastern white pine blowover clean up roadside not far from my woodyard. I've checked it out and may take it. Decent size Eastern red cedar part of the collateral damage with it. May try to scrounge for milling. I need fast drying wood for bundles.
