# Favorite Wood



## woodsHAM (Nov 15, 2015)

Just curious to see what other's favorite type of wood is. My own would have to be beech , it's plentiful where I live, burns hot and clean , lives little to no mess from the bark and seasons quickly. Hard maple is right up there as well for me.


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## claydogg84 (Nov 15, 2015)

Sugar Maple.


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## TheAardvark (Nov 15, 2015)

Red oak.


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## HisTreeNut (Nov 15, 2015)

The world may end by me writing this, but I have some seasoned pine that I am liking a lot right now, Burns clean, hot, and lasted a surprisingly long time on a half load.
I have some black birch that was smelling nice the other night when I got home from work.
That being said, maple or applewood would be the absolute favorite...


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## Knots (Nov 15, 2015)

I like oak when it's dry, but I'm liking beech more and more.  The oak on my wood lot has commercial value, but the beech really doesn't.  I like the thin bark.  The only thing I don't like is all the branches that have to be trimmed off the trunk.


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## Starstuff (Nov 15, 2015)

Good question, and I think people should take into account all factors and not just the burn quality/seasoning time: ease of splitting, average trunk thickness (you can have too much of a good thing), etc., ease of processing from alive and standing to stacked in the pile.

For me, I like Ash. The trunks are tall and straight and don't get to an unmanageable size. Not a lot of limbs or knots. Doesn't tend to be too heavy and has a relatively low moisture content. Splits ridiculously easy and seasons fast. Burns great and lots of BTUs.


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## woodsHAM (Nov 15, 2015)

Starstuff said:


> Good question, and I think people should take into account all factors and not just the burn quality/seasoning time: ease of splitting, average trunk thickness (you can have too much of a good thing), etc., ease of processing from alive and standing to stacked in the pile.
> 
> For me, I like Ash. The trunks are tall and straight and don't get to an unmanageable size. Not a lot of limbs or knots. Doesn't tend to be too heavy and has a relatively low moisture content. Splits ridiculously easy and seasons fast. Burns great and lots of BTUs.


 
Ash is another favorite and also thick in the woods in my area


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## Rebelduckman (Nov 15, 2015)

White oak
Red oak
Cherry


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## Beer Belly (Nov 15, 2015)

Definitely Ash.....Cherry and Maple too


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## BIGDADDY (Nov 15, 2015)

Oak also locust


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## PA. Woodsman (Nov 15, 2015)

Free and dry is at the top of my list   

Hard to pick a favorite, so many good ones here in Eastern PA., very fortunate and blessed with a great variety.


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## ohiojoe13 (Nov 15, 2015)

I'm new to burning but I like cherry and ash.


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## xman23 (Nov 15, 2015)

Oak, it's most of what I burn.


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## BamaScroungr (Nov 15, 2015)

applewood, persimmon and osage (I enjoy the fireworks)


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## Cburke (Nov 16, 2015)

I'd have to say beech and oak are my too 2.


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## drz1050 (Nov 16, 2015)

I've been splitting a bunch of beech lately.. splitting it kinda on the small side - 4" or so to hopefully have it ready by next winter. Haven't burned it yet, but all these posts about it being a favorite make me happy.


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## woodsHAM (Nov 16, 2015)

Beech bark disease is killing alot of the beech around me, i cut a fair amount of dead standing from it. Its a shame  though, Theres fewer things more beautiful than walking through a beech flat during hunting season but no need to let such a great source of heat lay and rot !


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## firefighterjake (Nov 16, 2015)

Seasoned.

As for picking a favorite . . . that's like asking a father to choose his favorite child -- they're all special and great . . . just in different ways . . . even that red headed step child named Pine.


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## TedyOH (Nov 16, 2015)

I love beech, I get a lot of nice secondary colors from it, easy to split and burns hot, what more could you want?!


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## splions (Nov 16, 2015)

Black Birch


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## littleuing (Nov 16, 2015)

Really liked the little bit of apple i had..  But my normal is mix of cherry and black locust.


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## iluvjazznjava (Nov 16, 2015)

Western Larch - best non-hardwood firewood and plentiful where I live.


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## mwhitnee (Nov 16, 2015)

I haven't burned many varieties but I'm really liking the cherry I'm burning now.


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## Iatrapper (Nov 16, 2015)

White or Burr oak for its burning quality,  some can be a pain splitting and the bark can be messy. We got a Lota hickory around too. Do love the smell of cherry the most though


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## Paulywalnut (Nov 16, 2015)

I could burn locust and ash or hard maple combo forever.


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## Batman (Nov 16, 2015)

Morning?


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## ADK_XJ (Nov 16, 2015)

Look/smell I'd have to go with black cherry and I have many of them on our back 9. Nothing looks better in a big stack than that deep russet red...but for burning and CSS-ing I'd have to say ash.

I don't feel bad taking them down because they're probably doomed with the EAB coming this way from the South (I still leave some for bio-diversity) and they split SO nice and burn great after a year. Can't say the same for oak or even the deadfall sugar maples I can't tap.


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## ADK_XJ (Nov 16, 2015)

Look/smell I'd have to go with black cherry and I have many of them on our back 9. Nothing looks better in a big stack than that deep russet red...but for burning and CSS-ing I'd have to say ash.

I don't feel bad taking them down because they're probably doomed with the EAB coming this way from the South (I still leave some for bio-diversity) and they split SO nice and burn great after a year. Can't say the same for oak or even the deadfall sugar maples I can't tap.


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## Seanm (Nov 16, 2015)

I second Larch. Theres lots of it in the east kootenays but treated like gold so you need to be pro active at getting it especially if you want aged standing dead. Its easy to split, crackles great and can grow quite large. Its about as good as you can get on the btu charts for coniferous trees. Not only that the tree is just so darned cool!


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## dafattkidd (Nov 17, 2015)

Sugar maple is my favorite. It dries out in one year, smells great, catches a quick flame and holds a good coal.  Having a small yard, sugar maple is ideal. Unfortunately, I don't get a lot of it.  I always get a large percentage of oak- which is great, but it needs two full summers to get almost seasoned.


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## Chimney Smoke (Nov 17, 2015)

I actually really like white pine.  Nobody wants it around here so you can find it on the sides of the road everywhere.  It smells great, dries quick, burns hot and clean and since I've moved my stove up from the basement to the living room I've found that the shorter burn times are great because it heats the house up just right but doesn't get too hot.


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## pixelated (Nov 17, 2015)

For heating my favorite is oak. For the wood pile rescues that I use for turning on the lathe my favorite is maple.


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## kennyp2339 (Nov 17, 2015)

Seanm said:


> I second Larch. Theres lots of it in the east kootenays but treated like gold so you need to be pro active at getting it especially if you want aged standing dead. Its easy to split, crackles great and can grow quite large. Its about as good as you can get on the btu charts for coniferous trees. Not only that the tree is just so darned cool!


 I love that view -


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## Hasufel (Nov 17, 2015)

Red oak for me because there's plenty of it around, plus it splits well, smells great when split, seasons well, and burns hot. I have some maple just starting to season now, so my preferences could change in another year or so...


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## heavy hammer (Nov 17, 2015)

Honey or black locust is my favorite burns hot and if you have nice size dry rounds get a great burn time beech has impressed me the last two years removed a couple large ones from my brothers property have been split for over two years and the heat is great from a tree many consider junk can't complain like many others have said if it's free and good wood you can't complain all keeps you warm


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## lindnova (Nov 17, 2015)

Bur oak. When dry it starts easy, burns long and hot.


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## Firewood Daddy (Nov 18, 2015)

Free


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## mass_burner (Nov 18, 2015)

Norwegian.


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## UpstateBill (Nov 18, 2015)

Ash, locust and either sugar or norway maple for me.


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## hamslam42 (Nov 18, 2015)

For me, it's ash. Only because there are so many dead ones around and it's what I've been getting from my neighbors, and it's already mostly dry. I have a huge red oak on my property, and all it's good for right now is dropping tons of leaves and I'm tired of raking and bagging them...so I'm mad at red oak cause I can't burn it!


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## JBinKC (Nov 18, 2015)

Ash and/or red elm are my favorites factoring in all qualities. Problem is they are a rare score in the woodpile.


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## Pennsyltucky Chris (Nov 18, 2015)

I love beech too, but I think I prefer Ash overall. Cherry would be my 3rd choice.


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## BlackGreyhounds (Nov 18, 2015)

Tulip Poplar!

This is my first season burning, so I can only use whatever has dried sufficiently to burn efficiently in a year or less.  Around here, that means tulip poplar.  It grows very fast, splits easily, dries very fast and burns well, but maybe not the most BTU's.  I've got several cord of oak C/S/S and much more oak standing dead, but none of that will be ready for a year or two, so for now it's tulip, red maple and/or cherry.


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## woodsHAM (Nov 18, 2015)

I like poplar too for it's fast starts and quick seasoning. Makes excellent kindling


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## Pennsyltucky Chris (Nov 18, 2015)

BlackGreyhounds said:


> Tulip Poplar!
> 
> This is my first season burning, so I can only use whatever has dried sufficiently to burn efficiently in a year or less.  Around here, that means tulip poplar.  It grows very fast, splits easily, dries very fast and burns well, but maybe not the most BTU's.  I've got several cord of oak C/S/S and much more oak standing dead, but none of that will be ready for a year or two, so for now it's tulip, red maple and/or cherry.



You're mind will change. Quickly.


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## bboulier (Nov 18, 2015)

Depends on what you want to do.  For starting the fire, you can't go wrong with cedar.  Splits easily and starts fast.  Oak, cherry, and sassafras are good for long and slow heat.  Mulberry is wonderful for entertainment.  Good wood, and it snaps, crackles and pops.


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## albert1029 (Nov 19, 2015)

Locust then Cherry, really Silver Maple second but not much around anymore...


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## Jay106n (Nov 19, 2015)

Being in New England, there are both coniferous and deciduous trees, each have their purpose. Right now I am loving my pine. Usually can find or get it for free cuz New Englander's think pine is the devil. It burns hot and clean for the shoulder season fires and is great for kindle. I have ash for the quick cut fire needs. There is also cherry and maple which have their place for the longer burns. Stashed away is the oak for the mid-winter long burns. Basically anything seasoned works for me!


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## Poindexter (Nov 19, 2015)

I'll vote for spruces.  Season easily in one summer, the wife isn't allergic.  I can turn our BK down pretty low to get some sustain out of it, or crank it up and take the chill off the house in a hurry.  I especially love damaged trees with baseball sized globs of sap on them, the catalyst in my stove treats sap globs like cocaine.


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## mass_burner (Nov 19, 2015)

Poindexter said:


> I'll vote for spruces.  Season easily in one summer, the wife isn't allergic.  I can turn our BK down pretty low to get some sustain out of it, or crank it up and take the chill off the house in a hurry.  I especially love damaged trees with baseball sized globs of sap on them, the catalyst in my stove treats sap globs like cocaine.


Spruce is not generally wanted either, so   more crack for your stove.


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## woodsHAM (Nov 19, 2015)

We burn spruce and hemlock occasionally at the hunting camp, it is a very fast hot fire. I cant imagine how many cords it would take to get through a winter based on how fast it burns.


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## woodsHAM (Nov 19, 2015)

We burn spruce and hemlock occasionally at the hunting camp, it is a very fast hot fire. I cant imagine how many cords it would take to get through a winter based on how fast it burns.


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## blades (Nov 19, 2015)

Favorite wood- DRY


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## FaithfulWoodsman (Nov 19, 2015)

Overall  (btu's/dry time/splitting) - Ash
Look/Smell - Cherry (I've got it to dry to <22% in 4 months)
Top Shelf Heat - Black Locust (dries quicker than white oak or hedge, but similar btu's)
Never burned much beech, but will next year. Always open to a new fav.


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## wfournier (Nov 19, 2015)

Black Birch, smells good when you split it. Looking forward to cutting some beech this year.


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## Starstuff (Nov 19, 2015)

Poindexter said:


> I'll vote for spruces.  Season easily in one summer, the wife isn't allergic.  I can turn our BK down pretty low to get some sustain out of it, or crank it up and take the chill off the house in a hurry.  I especially love damaged trees with baseball sized globs of sap on them, the catalyst in my stove treats sap globs like cocaine.



Sap globs are a hell of a drug.


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## msherer (Nov 19, 2015)

Hedge & mulberry


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## Omaha419 (Nov 20, 2015)

Red oak. I just love the smell of it when it splits, and how easy it is to split.


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## Little Digger (Nov 20, 2015)

ALL wood is my favorite, but if I have to make a species choice I'll take PINE!


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## iluvjazznjava (Nov 21, 2015)

Little Digger said:


> ALL wood is my favorite, but if I have to make a species choice I'll take PINE!


Not many would agree with you on this forum I think, but I'm sure you have your reasons.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Nov 21, 2015)

Locust, when I can get it, which isn't often.  Any flavor of oak.   That's what I burn most.


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## Firewood Daddy (Nov 22, 2015)

Got up at 5 and loaded up the stove with pine, poplar and a piece of white oak. When it gets really cold out I'll burn primarily oak. It is all scrounged for free so I like it all.


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## fire_man (Nov 22, 2015)

msherer said:


> Hedge & mulberry


Finally a post that mentions Hedge! Wish we had that around here.
 Illinois and Indiana are the only states I have seen posters mention it.


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## rwilly (Nov 22, 2015)

Red Fir.
It's plentiful in this part of the world, burns well with little ash.
I also burn a lot of Maple, Alder, Cedar, sometimes Pine.
Right now I am burning some well seasoned Alder that I picked up at an Estate sale for $35.00 for 3 truck loads.


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## Grateful11 (Nov 22, 2015)

1. Red Oak
2. White Oak
3. Hickory
4. Ash

We burned our first Ash last year, it's not common here on the farm, the tree was nearly dead so down she went. The Ash seems to season quicker than most.  It was I think it was 117 years old by my count. 

Hickory is abundant but frankly it burns a bit hotter than we like with the insert in our Den, so we burn it mixed with Oak.

We can't even stay caught up on storm damaged or dead Oaks on the 85 acres.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Nov 22, 2015)

fire_man said:


> Finally a post that mentions Hedge! Wish we had that around here.
> Illinois and Indiana are the only states I have seen posters mention it.



It exists in my neck of the woods, but it's pretty scarce.  I haven't gotten any to burn yet.  I just hear about it.  I have seen exactly two hedge trees here in Virginia. I know there are more, but that shows you how rare it is.


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## Zareth (Nov 23, 2015)

Bradford Pear... Splits a bit rough, but it was mostly seasoned within 6 months and it burns slow IME and I could easily get 10 or 20 cord for free per year and maybe even get paid to take it


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## TedyOH (Nov 23, 2015)

Zareth said:


> Bradford Pear... Splits a bit rough, but it was mostly seasoned within 6 months and it burns slow IME and I could easily get 10 or 20 cord for free per year and maybe even get paid to take it


Yes I had the pleasure last year of burning a face cord, although I think minimum 1 year would be better, very dense, as dense as hickory.


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## Grateful11 (Nov 23, 2015)

Had a small bed of hot coals this morning after a 7 hour overnight burn of 3 medium pieces of Ash. Popped in 2 small rounds of Oak and 1 small split of Oak and away she went within 5 minutes.


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## Richie (Nov 23, 2015)

If I could have one wood it would be black birch for sure.  Burns as well as oak, smells great, and burns real hot.  Only downside is splitting as most large ones are tough to split because they are stringy.


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## Jeffm1 (Nov 25, 2015)

woodsHAM said:


> Just curious to see what other's favorite type of wood is. My own would have to be beech , it's plentiful where I live, burns hot and clean , lives little to no mess from the bark and seasons quickly. Hard maple is right up there as well for me.


My first season burning in a new epa stove so my experience is somewhat limited, but so far I am hooked on the smell of burning pinion (pinyon) pine. Mmmmm, mmm!


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## Oldman47 (Nov 27, 2015)

Not a wood burner yet, still learning and preparing, but I had better learn to like ash, shagbark and cherry. My first woodlot, the one I planted 25 years ago, has about 1000 ash that will soon be experiencing EAB. My second woodlot has more dead and down shagbark than I can possibly use in a reasonable time.  P serotina is common as fleas on a dog in the woods around here so I will also have plenty of that to deal with.


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## Andy S. (Nov 27, 2015)

Wood and women... I can find something nice to say about them all but I'm an Ash man, myself.


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## PDXpyro (Nov 29, 2015)

Have to say that the single most indispensable wood around here is Douglas fir, which some refer to as "red fir."  It's relatively dense for a conifer/softwood, and seasons in a fraction of the time required for our native white oak, maples, alder, etc.  It's also the most common tree locally, so a no-brainer.

Of course, it's ideal to have some heavier hardwoods in the stacks as well, and I'm always on the CL watch for black locust, a particular favorite.  Non-native here, but can be found if you watch for it.  Also like Bradford pear, which in this suburban zone is widely planted and often available.  Ash is great of course, but relatively rare on the market here... the ubiquitous native bigleaf maple is fine as firewood, but barely denser than fir and takes longer to season.  Lots of people burn red alder here, but meh: very wet when fresh and light when dry.

If I lived 200 miles farther south it'd be all about Madrone.  Location, location, location!


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## Easy Livin’ 3000 (Jan 9, 2016)

Oldman47 said:


> Not a wood burner yet, still learning and preparing, but I had better learn to like ash, shagbark and cherry. My first woodlot, the one I planted 25 years ago, has about 1000 ash that will soon be experiencing EAB. My second woodlot has more dead and down shagbark than I can possibly use in a reasonable time.  P serotina is common as fleas on a dog in the woods around here so I will also have plenty of that to deal with.


The double edged sword of having many years behind us. You had the foresight, gumption, and hope to plant woodlots for the distant future, and after literally decades of work, care, and devotion, some lowly bugs may lay ruin to it.  I feel for you, but looks like you are prepared to make lemonade from lemons.  You have my admiration, Oldman47.


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## CentralVAWoodHeat (Jan 9, 2016)

White and Red Oak.  I find them to be the best of all worlds.  When properly dried, they burn with a long, high heat and flame output, and make very good coals.


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## CentralVAWoodHeat (Jan 9, 2016)

White and Red Oak.  I find them to be the best of all worlds.  When properly dried, they burn with a long, high heat and flame output, and make very good coals.


Little Digger said:


> ALL wood is my favorite, but if I have to make a species choice I'll take PINE!


My man!  I'm a lover of pine as well.  We have lots that fall on our road and I am more than happy to cut, split, stack, and burn it.


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## KenLockett (Jan 9, 2016)

Can't believe I am still burning shoulder season supply!  Cherry and I do like the pine.  Got a ton of Black Locust waiting for really cold weather.


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## Oldman47 (Jan 9, 2016)

ED 3000 said:


> The double edged sword of having many years behind us. You had the foresight, gumption, and hope to plant woodlots for the distant future, and after literally decades of work, care, and devotion, some lowly bugs may lay ruin to it.  I feel for you, but looks like you are prepared to make lemonade from lemons.  You have my admiration, Oldman47.


I tried to even anticipate what we are seeing today. Those 1000+/- ash were planted with a lot of red and white oak, some hickory and other hardwood species. I also planted a 2 rows border on that wood lot of Hazel nuts. I like hazel nuts. My total planting was over 5000 trees so all is not lost. Diversity was my plan for a reason.


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## Easy Livin’ 3000 (Jan 9, 2016)

Oldman47 said:


> I tried to even anticipate what we are seeing today. Those 1000+/- ash were planted with a lot of red and white oak, some hickory and other hardwood species. I also planted a 2 rows border on that wood lot of Hazel nuts. I like hazel nuts. My total planting was over 5000 trees so all is not lost. Diversity was my plan for a reason.


Diversity is a good plan!  5000 trees is a lot of work.  How long did that take?  Well done.


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## heavy hammer (Jan 9, 2016)

I have about two years or red oak sitting drying only have one year of drying.  Can't wait to see how it does in another two to three years.  Been burning maple and shag bark hickory with a little beech.  Waiting for some cold to burn the three plus year old black locust.


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## husky345 vermont resolute (Jan 10, 2016)

I like all of them.


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