# Season time on poplar / yellow tulip



## iskiatomic (Apr 19, 2009)

The neighbor to my right told me to drop some trees one was a yellow tulip/poplar. I understand this is decent burning for shoulder seasons. Is this a wood that dries quickly?

Been working posting some pics of my latest tasks and scores. I however having a tough time posting pics. Apparently my pics are to large to load. I need to shrink them, working on that.

Time for an adult beverage!


                                                                              KC


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## PA. Woodsman (Apr 19, 2009)

It doesn't take real long to season. It smokes a little bit, but its okay for quick fires and kindling. My neighbor has one on the border of our properties and it supplies me with tons of free kindling because stuff falls from it all the time!


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## BrotherBart (Apr 19, 2009)

I have a bunch of huge tulip pops on the place. The stuff holds a lot of water and takes at least a year to give it up.


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## iskiatomic (Apr 19, 2009)

Hmmmm, two replies. A bit conflicting as o the season time. One not so long, the other a year. I am still looking for a sixth, seventh, eighth opinion.



                         KC


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## North of 60 (Apr 19, 2009)

3rd opinion. It holds alot of water from fresh cut. I takes a good 12 monthes unless you like smoke or have split it in 2by2" pieces. Theres a big difference between ( it will burn ) and properly seasoned. My 2cents.
N of 60


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## LLigetfa (Apr 19, 2009)

You certainly don't want to burn Poplar before its time as it will smoke and stink to high heaven.  Give it a year if it was a live tree unless you split it into kin'lin size.


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## Todd (Apr 19, 2009)

We don't have Yellow Poplar around here as far as I know, but all the other Poplars or so called Popple I've cut up will dry faster than most hardwoods, but it's still best when you wait at least 1 year just like all firewood.


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## Backwoods Savage (Apr 19, 2009)

Todd, you are right in that we don't have them. Methinks there is a huge difference in the two though.


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## gpcollen1 (Apr 20, 2009)

This is American Tulip and not a real Poplar right - Liridendron Tulipifera??

I found the tulip dried pretty quickly for me.  I got 3 cords a few years back but it was already cut in logs and i am not sure how long it had been like that - though looked sort of fresh.  Splits easy but pops alot in the fire - and burns quickly.  Maybe because it is such a fast growing tree.


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## Wood Duck (Apr 20, 2009)

Tulip Tree / Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) isn't closely related to aspens/poplars/cottonwoods. I really don't understand why it is called Yellow Poplar. I have burned some and it makes nice firewood. It isn't a real dense wood, but burns well when dry. Which brings up your question - sorry I don't know how long it takes to dry.


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## LLigetfa (Apr 20, 2009)

According to this chart, at 16 BTU per cord it's a little better than Aspen but not by much.
http://thelograck.com/firewood_rating_chart.html


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## caber (Apr 21, 2009)

We burn a lot of tulip poplar.  Cut and split - dries completely in 3-4 months.  Catches in a hurry and burns fast.  Good for quick hot fires, not for long burns unless you can feed it every couple of hours.


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## gerry100 (Apr 22, 2009)

If it's like the "popple" I come across on my lot occasionally, it's hardly worth the gas and calories to buck it.

Seems like it's got the water content of lettuce and weighs nothing when dry.


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## PA. Woodsman (Apr 23, 2009)

So if I counted correctly the score is:

Dries fairly quickly-4
Takes a long time to dry-3

We may be headed to extra innings!  LOL....


I've never had a problem with drying it out. Then again, I have a very good drying set-up. Split it up and check it in October and see how it is.


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## LLigetfa (Apr 23, 2009)

"Dry" is such a relative term so it's not surprising that people will be all over the map.  Some people think you can cut, split, and burn just about anything in the same month, others in the same year.

YMMV


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## Cluttermagnet (Apr 23, 2009)

I had a large branch of Tulip Poplar come down last summer. Maybe 8 inch diameter. It laid around as rounds for a while- then I decided to split it down to about 3-4 in size splits and see how it did. After about 6 months seasoning time, I tried it. It burns well- catches easy, burns good and hot. Based on my results, I'll continue to use some Tulip Poplar as fuel during shoulder season. I have access to plenty of better hardwoods, however. I'll stick with Oak, Cherry, Maple, Locust, etc. for mid winter burns. I won't go out of my way to get Poplar, but I'll take small amounts if I do come across it.


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## CowboyAndy (Apr 23, 2009)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> According to this chart, at 16 BTU per cord it's a little better than Aspen but not by much.
> http://thelograck.com/firewood_rating_chart.html



Sorry, but their chart sucks. ash better than red oak?? apple rated 10mil btus less than white oak? apple a fair wood? what a joke.


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