# Burning cottonwood



## Butcher (Nov 12, 2011)

This morning I had to dump a good sized cottonwood to get at a couple of elms I wanted to drop. After I got the elms loaded on the dump truck I had alittle room left so I bucked up some of the cottonwood till it filled the truck. I've never burnt CW in a woodstove, only in the out door firepit cuz I always thought that seasoning it would take to long. I cut  mostly elm and the moisture just oozes out of it as soon as you cut into it. The cottonwood on the other hand doesnt. I have a moisture tester but was just wonderin how long it normally takes to dry CW down to less than 20% if stacked and covered properly. I know it is a low btu fuel but I have access to quite abit of the stuff that would be easy to drop and load.


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## Gary_602z (Nov 12, 2011)

CW will dry down fairly quick. Although not the best wood it will still give BTU's

Gary


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## ecocavalier02 (Nov 12, 2011)

cotton wood is like paper. ive been burning it in my stove. burns very hot. very fast . but with the blazeking im able to slow that down really well. the stuff is so light 1 year later its ridiculous. stuff drys super fast. just get it split fast and off the ground and it will be fine.


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## NordicSplitter (Nov 12, 2011)

I split a bunch of CW in may and I have been burning it for about a month. It checks in at about 18% on my moisture meter. Just loaded the tops of my stacks in my garage with the rest of my CW. Should last me another week or so. Just burn it during the day. It does burn quick and hot..but it was free so I don't mind. Everyday I burn that is one less day I'm not burning my good stuff. Also have about a dozen or so good size rounds of pine I will be splitting in the spring to use for the same purpose. Remember out west...Cottonwood and Pine is all some folks have. We are so spoiled here in the east with a good assortment of hardwoods.


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## LLigetfa (Nov 12, 2011)

If stacking outside on the ground, you could use the CW as sacrifice wood for the first course.


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## ecocavalier02 (Nov 13, 2011)

i cant complain about it. its a decent wood for the blaze king. i mix it with a couple pieces of maple and crank her down and am still getting 24 hour reloads. i suppose in another stove it'd be a different story.


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## Hass (Nov 13, 2011)

I cut/split up about a cord and a half of it early this year around Feb/march from what I had laying around my property.
It had been down since before I bought the property, I'd estimate maybe 4-5 years beforehand. I burned all the punky bits outside in a big old brush fire. More or less half of the branch was punky. This branch was HUGE... At least 3' diameter. It had to make some noise coming down. After I got that, I saw an add on craigslist nearby for free cottonwood... so I figured I'd run over and grab that, which was freshly felled. I stacked it all up, and it's right around 16% inside. Including the pieces from the punky tree that had been sitting for years.
So I've got about 2-3 cords total of it now, we'll see how it burns soon enough.


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## NH_Wood (Nov 13, 2011)

ecocavalier02 said:
			
		

> i cant complain about it. its a decent wood for the blaze king. i mix it with a couple pieces of maple and crank her down and am still getting 24 hour reloads. i suppose in another stove it'd be a different story.



Dear Lord, another Blaze King miracle!  :cheese:  Cheers!


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## ecocavalier02 (Nov 13, 2011)

NH_Wood said:
			
		

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 lol.


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## okotoks guy (Nov 13, 2011)

NH_Wood said:
			
		

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I put in 3 pieces of Hickory 2"X4"X16'' with some old oak leaves;crank it down and I get 97 hours of burn out 
of the old Princess! If I load the old girl right up with the good stuff, she'll burn for 5 weeks at -25 overnight and -15 daytime.


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 13, 2011)

Butcher said:
			
		

> This morning I had to dump a good sized cottonwood to get at a couple of elms I wanted to drop. After I got the elms loaded on the dump truck I had alittle room left so I bucked up some of the cottonwood till it filled the truck. I've never burnt CW in a woodstove, only in the out door firepit cuz I always thought that seasoning it would take to long. I cut  mostly elm and the moisture just oozes out of it as soon as you cut into it. The cottonwood on the other hand doesnt. I have a moisture tester but was just wonderin how long it normally takes to dry CW down to less than 20% if stacked and covered properly. I know it is a low btu fuel but I have access to quite abit of the stuff that would be easy to drop and load.



Butcher, you did just fine. Realize there are many folks, especially west of you, who burn almost 100% cottonwood. As for drying, you'll probably find that the cottonwood will dry much faster than the elm. Also, most cottonwood that is cut around here has lots and lots of moisture when cut; more than elm.

Here is a rule of thumb:  The softer woods, like cottonwood, will usually dry faster than the harder woods. Many times the softer woods can be burned within 6 months after splitting. For example, we have lots of soft maple here and if I split it in March or April (our usually splitting dates) then that wood can be burned in the fall as it dries quickly.


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## Butcher (Nov 13, 2011)

Thanks everyone. Looks like I'm gonna be droppin some big ole trees pretty soon. Gonna have to take the skidloader from work out to load some of it. My back aint what it usta be you know. ;-)


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## Hass (Nov 13, 2011)

okotoks guy said:
			
		

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lol, I'd be careful saying that. Some people might actually do this 
But I guess as long as the leaves are seasoned it'll be ok.


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## iod0816 (Nov 13, 2011)

I've been trying cottonwood I cut last year this time and while it burns fast its a slow starting wood and wants a lot of air (for me at least)... It's been cut and stacked since march, covered since Sept. To be honest I wish I didn't grab it but with a proper mix, its ok... Shoulder all the way!


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## ecocavalier02 (Nov 13, 2011)

iodonnell said:
			
		

> I've been trying cottonwood I cut last year this time and while it burns fast its a slow starting wood and wants a lot of air (for me at least)... It's been cut and stacked since march, covered since Sept. To be honest I wish I didn't grab it but with a proper mix, its ok... Shoulder all the way!


 mine llights up in about 2 seconds.


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## LLigetfa (Nov 13, 2011)

NH_Wood said:
			
		

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Legend has it you can get a 24 hour burn with rocks.


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## ecocavalier02 (Nov 14, 2011)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

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 yeah but rocks wouldn't be as fun ti process and stack. Lol


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## kbrown (Nov 14, 2011)

I have asked that question many times on this forum. I will now take cottonwood or poplar if it's easy but will not make a special trip. In fact, just brought home a load today that was cut and stacked out at my backup storage area last summer. Some of the larger will be split this week, but all of it will be stacked and will be used in the spring during next shoulder season.


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## siddfynch (Dec 29, 2013)

I was given a bunch of split cottonwood last year, around May of 2013 - fella said it had been split earlier that winter.  Ran a search on this site to see some opinions, figured I'd report back.  I've had it stacked and top-covered the past 7 months.

Basically, I tried burning a  couple pieces earlier this month.  Felt it still wasn't dried, based on weight in hand and appearance.  Didn't burn hot and fast, the way it sounds seasoned cottonwood should.  I was a little surprised by this, given it's been stored the same way as a stack of spruce and birch that has seasoned noticeably during the same time.  

Anyone else have experience with cottonwood taking a long time to season?  I'll probably check in on it in March, or even next fall.  2 years is unattractively long to store and season subpar wood though...


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## Backwoods Savage (Dec 29, 2013)

That could have something to do with your climate. Because you don't have long hot summers with wind to dry the wood, it can take just a bit longer to dry it to the ideal state. Around here it will dry in a year.


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## Pruning@trunk (Dec 30, 2013)

Does cottonwood and aspen burn alike?


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## Backwoods Savage (Dec 30, 2013)

NO. cottonwood will burn hotter than popple and perhaps last a tad longer. There generally is more ash with the popple (aspen).


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