Ive burned wood for heat much of my life, but in my new house my focus is on wood for cooking. Is it worth it? but apperntly most people never heard of this VERY HARD AND VERY VERY HEAVY WOOD. Or would it be worth the heat and not having that pile to look at anymore? Wood is limited to small-scale andhobbyistuses. Was used centuries ago as a last rite in dwelling of certain Mohave Indian tribes when older people were near death. One perk of Russian olive: it burns hot. We live in the upper Mojave desert (Calif.) and pretty much have to take what wood is available to buy. Any wisdom out there? Campfires need much radiant heat to keep you warm on a chilly night . So long as youre only burning good hardwoods and/or clean white (non-glossy/colored) paper stock and kindling, you should spread your ashes on your favorite acreage for the potash. Distribution: Native to eastern Europe and western and central Asia; naturalized throughout North America, Tree Size: 20-35 ft (6-10 m) tall, 1-1.5 ft (.3-.5 m) trunk diameter, Average Dried Weight: 43 lbs/ft3 (685 kg/m3), Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .55, .69, *Estimated hardness based upon specific gravity. They are now an invasive species that crowd out natives and suck up valuable water. Wood heat seems to be medicinal especially on cold, wintry days. Patricia in DE. Can the latter possibly split 36 diameter 2 drums? IT IS USELESS FOR FIREWOOD BECAUSE OF THE LITTLE/NO HEAT OUTPUT, BUT MAINLY ITS TOO DANGEROUS TO BURN INDOORS, AS IT POPS AND EXPLODES AND THROWS SPARKS EVERYWHERE. Getting sufficient heat while using minimal wood is valuable, whether relaxing at home or huddling around a campfire. Neither one grows to a large size in my woodlot although Ironwood does reach a reasonable size if it doesnt die from root rot first. I have old growth straight grain cedar I cut in the early 90s for kindling and its still as good as the day I cut it. Hey Mikee, your right, red oak goes fast and so does beech and elm. One of our favorite cooking woods must be peach. You may notice that as the dry weight per cord increases, so does the BTU rating. I think you have inspired me to do a test some day of oak vs madrone in a camp fire. Some softwood varieties produce a lot, meaning youll need to clean the chimney more often. Are these possibly data for the same species gleaned from different sources? I dont know how they compare split and dried. That being said, it is a wood that is mostly sold to hobbyists, so it can be hard to find a firewood seller who supplies Russian olive as firewood. Im out here in southern Oregon, and theres red fir, which is a true fir, just as white fir, and grand fir are. Out here in the West we dont have all the great hardwoods that you have there in your part of the country. I am going to try some Apple wood next to see if it matches up with the hickory. More time for your wood to dry will decrease the quantity of smoke created when it is burned, allowing the fire to burn cleaner. I have been researching on the Net and found some basic info but nothing so far as to how often/what size to harvest different wood species. Keeps for a couple years at best. Anyway, I find it interesting that not one mention of mountain mahogany has been posted-until now. Coals are to fire as fuel, to keep it going and provide lasting heat. As a firewood enthusiast, I read with great envy about 350 acres of river bottom woods. Thanks for the listings.I burn 3-4 cords every Winter,and burn all but the softwoods.I was looking for BTU content for Investing in a safety fence to protect you and your fireplace is a good idea anyway, especially if you plan to use Russian olive or firewood tamarack or fir regularly. Ensure that there are enough gaps between each log to allow them to air dry effectively. Grain/Texture: Unlike true Olive (Olea genus), Russian Olive is very porous and of an uneven grain texture. There is more smoke from wood than coal so ignore the GreenFascist/ACORN Brownshirts and their deceits. Ensure that there are enough gaps between each log to allow them to air dry effectively. Read to find out. In mid-summer, after the sap has risen and saturated the stump, cut it. Russian olive trees generally have fairly short trunks and many gnarled branches. Less dense softwoods have less BTU per cord than more dense hardwood but they also weigh less per cord. There is nothing wrong with burning well seasoned softwoods, but care should be taken not to over fire with ones that tend to burn fast and hot. Mostly ash, cherry, shagbark hickory, maple and beech. Not a native species, but abundant where it has been planted (I have seen it coast to coast) Any idea the BTU of Tree of Heaven or alianthus (?sp). Starting a fire with Russian olive can be challenging, so try to use softwood for kindling. Theyre all gone around here.. If the Russian olive woods content is still too high after a year, give it a few more months to season. In most cases, wood that has little sap build-up is easier to chop and quicker to dry. It has a large flame and is clean burning with very little ash and is easy to light. We run fans in the winter as much as we run them in the summer. It will dry out for a season and then be split and distributed in 2018 or 2019. The tree is a perennial deciduous that is native to Asia and Europe. Firewood is easier to split while it is still green. If this site is still monitored I wonder if you could answer some questions. I live here in north west tennessee near the miss river . The metal on our fire pit melted . Likewise, wood that does not burn clean, including unseasoned wood, produces more creosote. Its hard, shock-resistant, Read More Is Dogwood Good Firewood? Hi! Russian olive wood is not known to give off a smell when burning when it is fully dry. You could post in the forum and maybe have a better chance of a response. George, its a bit cooler up here in the lower Hudson Valley, and weve been burning in the 18th C. Dutch hearth since Hurricane Sandy. Much of the inconsistencies are from different variables such as how much actual solid wood is assumed to be in a cord. This is a project Ive been working on. Russian olive produces very few sparks as it burns, so you can light the fire and relax. Season the wood to remove any moisture for one year before burning it. Jan 27, 2013. (This is a monthly update, and your email will be kept private. My wife even melted a stove once while I was at work when we were younger. Also warning about the manmade white fruitless mulberry, something wrong with smoke in that too. I only found that one btu chart on the internet which says it has pretty decent BTUs. For all the work of cutting and curing any variety of wood, coal is the BEST for heating. The furnace didnt come on all day. Theyardable.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Coals produced by firewood impact how long it will burn before needing more wood added. anyone know if red pine has lot of pitch. I take that to mean that seasoned wood, with the same moisture content, will be pound for pound equivalent in terms of heating value but you may need to burn to 2-3x pine vs hickory. Red Oak requires a bit of time to season, but burns well after 2 years. Green wood from the olive tree is high in water content, so it will smoke in the fire. Is Mimosa wood good for burning in a fire pit or Chimenea? 2 look like the olive wood and 2 are green. We used to call them hedge apples. Consider using a hydraulic log splitter if youve got a lot of wood to process. All of the wood has been cured at least 3 years, but in our damp winters the wood picks up moisture from the air so produces less heat by late winter. Some fully seasoned apple,beech and american elm and some partially seasoned pecan and bradford pear . In the wild, Russian olive trees have been known to smell very sweet and strong. We have a Jotul wood stove that we cook in. It is much heavier than air dryed spruce and black burned bark has fallen off after time so it is clean to cut & process any one know BTU ofthis fire killed spruce v. air dried spruce ? Finished with a combination mixture of clear lacquer, boiled linseed oil, and denatured alcohol. Glad that these charts settle the madrone/euk BTU argument. In fact, Im convinced you cant, conventionally. By assessing the fire characteristics of Russian olive firewood, it will be easier to identify which scenarios and settings the firewood is best suited for. This is best done in a wood stack, a few inches above ground, with a roof but no sides. Someone is selling russian olive for $50/cord. Once it is dried and sealed, I love it. Do some searching on coal for a closeby source. Unlike tulip poplar firewood which releases few coals and has a short burning period. Stack the wood in a dry, protected area. Autumn olive ( Elaeagnus umbellata) is an ornamental shrub first introduced to North America in the mid-1800s. The gnarled, twisted nature of this wood makes creating a tidy stack of wood difficult. 4) White birch (Betula papirifera) and Paper birch are used replaceably locally for the same species. I live in so. Speed up the drying time further by following these tips: Olive firewood rounds have a yellowish brown or cream heartwood that tends to deepen in color with age. Allow 18-24 months of seasoning time for olive firewood. Happiness is a full woodbox on Friday night! That being said, it is a wood that is mostly sold to hobbyists, so it can be hard to find a firewood seller who supplies Russian olive as firewood. Russian olive is commonly found growing along floodplains, riverbanks, stream courses, marshes, and irrigation ditches in the West at elevations from 4500 to 6000 feet. The fireplace is rated at a whopping 25% efficient! Creosote is a tar-like black substance deposited inside chimneys as the fire burns. The greatest downside to using it is the abundance of tree sap that adheres to ones gloves during the cutting and stacking process. I have put together the best data I could find, but consider the figures to be approximate. Most of the smaller ones, 6 inch and under trunk size, have a beautiful purple and white heart wood, especially in the smaller branches. We just called them hedge trees. THE COALS GLOW REDHOT LIKE OAK, BUT WITH HARDLY ANY HEAT. I look for fallen trees that are gray and smooth. Even when thoroughly seasoned, it does tend to spit embers sporadically. This is russian olive. Latest data that Ive read is that seasoned softwoods causing creosote problems is baloney. They had a good mid-size flame and burned a long time. I have 4 of them that I want to cut down. Be sure and let us know how your test goes. First is IronWood. The body is similar to a Fender* Acoustasonic made from Russian Olive with a band of Black Walnut as center binding and finished with one coat of wipe on poly. Still have some pieces, which are quite dry by now. Though seasoning the wood for long enough will eventually make the smell dissipate. The idea for Russian olive pieces didn't come until late last year. Is this wood useable for smoking in a pit style smoker? There was a guy down the road whose stove completely melted when he filled it with all hedge. I am a latecomer to this site. I already have my next tree cut and seasoning . Great heat as well as flavor. Great aroma too. Ill have much pecan to burn this fall , we cut a huge tree . Tree species with dense wood provide the best firewood, releasing more BTUs per volume of wood than species with less dense or lighter . The Russian olive removal sites offered up the perfect solution. PRACTICALLY EVERY RANCH FENCE HERE AND NEW MEXICO IS MADE FROM IT, ITS EASILY SPLIT AND IT RESISTS ROTTING. My neighbors complemented on the smell of it .Its great cooking wood too . Is it possible that different poplars are being compared? Well seasoned softwoods, including the pines, firs and spruces can be burned for heat. Is It Okay To Burn Russian Olive In A Fireplace? Your email address will not be published. Like some other fruitwoods, howeverparticularly mulberrythey are difficult to set on fire. I forgot to mention that I cut and split a Catalpa. Well here it is getting to be winter in upstate NY again and the little woodstove in our basement has been running since September or so. Western Hardwoods Figures from California Energy Commission BTU Rating Based on 90 cubic feet of solid wood per 128 cubic foot cord. They also give a pleasant smell, though not as nice as red oak, cherry, or yellow birch. I am planting osage orange, black walnut, sassafrass, and black locust. Thanks for the great info Andy! Take care working around them and always wear suitable boots and gloves. Mulberry has a rateing of (1) unit million btu, 25.80/cord I am planting some of the Eastern varieties out here that we had in PA. Not to mention the spikey nuts that are hard on the mower and gutters. We raise pecans, and they burn cleanly and well, as do prunings from our apple trees. We have burned about 7 1/2 cord and I just ran out. . Hemlock that is stacked in a single stack with plenty of air and sun can be ready to burn in one summer. The one that puts on what is called hedge apples, eaten by squirrels. Surprisingly, Russian olive firewood does not produce many coals. Be wary of using Russian olive wood in an open fireplace. Be sure to poke a couple holes to vent the gases .Then get a 55 gal drum or make a small kiln to put your bucket in .Start your fire then put the bucket in. These silvery leafed trees gulp up 75 gallons of water a day and eagerly push out native trees, including willows and cottonwoods. White oak is fairly rot resistant. In Kansas we used a wood called hedge. I live in the White Mountains of Arizona. WE DID HOWEVER, CUT AND SPLIT ALOT INTO FIREWOOD FOR, OF ALL PEOPLE, THE BAREFOOT FIREWALKERS! Do they make good firewood? We bought cedar this year and it burns slowly and puts out little to no heat. Have a friend with a fireplace?, bundle about a dozen of the fat lighter sticks with a ribbon and this makes a great gift. I dont like the choke cherry and Orgon Ash. Green firewood only gives off about 40% of the energy of dry firewood. With a BTU of 23, Russian olive firewood can produce substantial heat over a long time. Would it be possible to post the btu value for Monterey Pine? https://firewoodresource.com/firewood-btu-ratings/ try this RLB. Wood needs to typically produce healthy goals to allow the fire to stay hot and restart in the morning. Their distinctive appearance makes them a popular ornamental, Read More Is Willow Firewood Any Good?Continue. I primarily have Red Oak, Black Cherry, American Elm, Red Maple, Locust, Hickory, Cottonwood, Poplar, growing in the woods. Build the fire slowly, using a combination of Russian olive wood and faster-burning wood, such as pine. Many use digger pine as it is reasonably priced, but requires that yearly clean out. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. all our needs now,and for a few more years,sad business. While this cuts down on sparks, it still doesnt keep smaller ones from escaping thru the gaps in the doors. But when burnt while still holding more than 20% moisture in its wood, it will continue to release that unpleasant smell. I live in Mn and it smells just like fresh cut oak. But smoke is very dangerous, known carcinogen. Nothing burns green like ash. Although it does not grow to be large in diameter, with older varieties of the tree, splitting the trunk part of the tree can be pretty difficult. It is quite old and is hanging over mine and my neighbors drive ways. (Also, a number whose seed pods are only opened by bushfires.). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utECDaIoBFU, Too Much Charcoal Building Up in a Wood Stove, Does Burning Softwood Cause Creosote in a Chimney, Soaking Wood Chips for Smoking and Grilling. I have to say, Ive tried Red Oak and not impressed. Im in California, about 3800 ft up the west side of the Sierra Navadas. MY PREFERENCE would be the DR flywheel special.. Man that thing smokes with efficiency. But in my opinion any kind of wood is worth cutting up and burning as long as it isnt totally rotten or anything. I recently was the recipient of some birch I can see what the btu content is, but I was wondering if anyone has burned much. Though that is not to say that their moisture levels are exceedingly high. Ive only ived here for the last 4 years, It should have been pruned back many years ago but now to late and needs to be cut down. My wife and I just purchased 12.5 acres of old growth hard wood forest in Pembroke, NY (Sugar Maple, Beech, Cherry, Ash to name a few) and will be on my way there today to give the Stihl a work out !!! Ill cut a limb, and if its yellow inside its hedge. Lit my first fire of the season. Like another poster mentioned, the oaks need to be processed and used quickly, they get bugs and start to rot very soon after coming down. Pros And Cond Of Using Russian Olive as Firewood. I had some mostly seasoned red oak , shagbark hickory , and black locust. There are mine if I want them. I have not found it listed anywhere as rated for firewood and was wondering if it would produce enough heat to make it worthwhile for use in the fireplace. Yet it will not burn, just smoke. Russian olive wood produces an unpleasant odor when green. They are considered noxious plants in some states, such as Colorado. My comment doesnt pertain to btus so much, but would like to say that here in central Ind., I look for elms,not sure if there rock, red or slippery elms.But easy to spot cuz they die avg. They have collected approximately 10 cords of woods from the various project sites, enough to heat an estimated 20 households for the duration of the winter. my back yard, and all of northern california would like to respectfully disagree. But since then, they have spread wildly due to their deep, re-sprouting roots. Happy burning C. I have 30 acres in northwest Missouri. Im also guessing that the Hickory that I can get are the Shagbark or the bitternut 27.7-26.5 correct? Jul 16, 2013. 1. wanted free hard wood firewood near lebanon,pa area Any advice as to species, training, harvest and also seasoning of smallish diameter limbs, or direction to such information, would be much appreciated. However, as a downside, it tends to spit embers from time to time and produce a fair amount of ash. 5 out of 5 stars (767) $ 36.95. If you leave oak in the woods til you need it, well, theres lots of bugs and stuff that love to digest it. Can I Only Use Seasoned Firewood For Burning? but it is still the least discovered hardwood/cooking wood around except where they have the Orchards. For campfires, olive makes an excellent choice. Many black oaks lost big limbs in the surprise snow of Nov 2010. Northern Cal checking in, renovated an old homestead 5 years ago and have been clearing doug fir and california bay laurel for fire safety zone around the house. Fascinating site! However, as a downside, it tends to spit embers from time to time and produce a fair amount of ash. Burning green wood is bad for any number of reasons, but especially so when the wood has a high sap content. Oak is also great for grilling over an outdoor fire. FYI, this insert has glass doors and a chain-link curtain inside them. One cord is a stack with dimensions 4'x4'x8 or 128 cubic feet. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. But, as long as it burns and it sounds like it beats cottonwood and pine. I have alot of leelan cypress trees that like to debrach themselves. I think I saw on another btu chart that poplar is 17.0 , but not totally for sure. Its okay for use in the depths of winter, but this wood is super-dense and takes some effort to get started. When he's not working on axes, he's probably camping, hunting, or honing his survivalist skills. I think its high on the calorie scale, as its known to get good and hot. I burn, wild black cherry, black walnut, elm, hickory and yellow tulip. I picked up some cherry wood and have to say, Im very impressed. Interesting reading. The Best Fast-Growing Trees to Use For Firewood, North Forty News: Russian Olives Fall Out of Favor, University of Missouri Extension: Wood Fuel for Heating. This can freeze in extended cold and cause the tree to come down without warning it combined with wind. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. 4 years later I still come here when I need to cut a load of firewood. The ongoing extinction of the Ash,all species,is supplying . I already know seasoned oak is gonna be near the top choice because of the hot coals it produces . Unless seasoned, firewood tends to produce a lot of smoke. Back in the day they used to use the limbs for fence posts and the wood would last decades in the ground with out rotting. Maybe a little more BTUs than cottonwood . BTU Values of Wood Species Wood species type BTU values of a cord burning wood in a wood stove As you can see from the chart below, the famed red oak is not the highest on the list. It doesnt burn, it just smolders and stinks. Im guessing that the Hemlock that I can get is eastern soft wood correct 15.9? Elm is easy to find around here . BTUs or British Thermal Units are a measure of the amount of heat energy available in any given substance. If youve decided to fell a tree, you may wonder if the Russian olive firewood is good to burn. Dogwood, apple and the smaller trees burn good but are only for small fires (late spring or early fall when you dont want a fire to last all day) If you are serious about heating your home with wood just stick to these trees for the max in BTUs..they burn hot and clean. Despite this, there are some pros to using it as firewood, as well as some cons. The speices discussion boils down to one quantitative parameter, I.e. I note that quaking aspen is rated higher than aspen in your West chart. Make this cut 12 to 18 inches from the ground on the side of the tree you want to hit the ground first. Another potentially invasive plant with probably similar BTUs/burn value is it's cousin: Autumn Olive. A few other elders like black locust . The removal process involves cutting down the trees and then spraying an environmentally safe herbicide on the roots to prevent it from growing back. Russian olive trees produce good firewood with a BTU heat rating of 23.0 million per cord. I have been told that gum trees and pine trees will clog up a chimmney I live in an area surrounded by Russian Olive trees. Youll get an even better fire leaving it for up to 3 years before use. When were craning wood out of the tree or hauling big Monterey pine I use the weight charts for Douglas fir since Ive read they are almost the same density green. Split each log into two to four pieces, depending on the log size. Douglas fir is Pseudotsuga, menzizii for the man who identified it. While some types of, Read More 11 Types Of Wood You Shouldnt BurnContinue, The willow tree is found in many parts of the world including Europe, Asia, and North America. I heard somewhere that most of the ash comes from the bark. Dont worry about the ashes your stove produces. The Btu rating for Almond varies from 29 to 32, why the variance? burning tires/popcorn).beyond these corrections: colour will darken considerably, with uv exposure, from a medium yellow-brown, to a darker, gravy-coloursapwood, is generally narrow (1-3 rings), usually cream- colour, but some have a bright lemon-yellow sapwoodworks fairly well, but it is coarse textured, semi-ring-porous wood, so sanding/finishing can be a challenge.finishes/glues with no problems.being naturally a semi-desert species, the wood isRead more . stevie mackey parents, when do olympic 2024 tickets go on sale,