# Cut a Plum Tree and Future Wood to be Had



## Oregon Bigfoot (Apr 8, 2012)

Last week, my brother in law had a large plum tree go over.  I cut it up yesterday.  Man, that had a LOT of small branches.  Anyone burn plum?  I haven't before.  I imagine it's a good hardwood like any of the fruit trees, maybe like apple.  I'll retrieve the plum wood later, after the mud dries up, and can get my truck closer.  I will chunk some up, and try it in the BBQ.  I bet it has good smoke flavoring, like apple does.

While cutting the plum, I noticed a couple of trees down in the back of his pasture.  I went out to investigate.  Sure enough, two ash trees went over about 200' apart.  Both smashed his fence.  I cut the one up to the fence, but didn't want to cut it off the fence.  It would have left a wide open space for the cows to get out.  The other one, is near the Little Pudding River that winds through his property.  It's too muddy there for me to cut now, and it's also on his fence, and cutting the wood, also will let the cows out.  I did limb it though to the fence.  One is probably 70' long and 15" diameter, the other is larger, maybe 90' long, and maybe 18" diameter.

While looking at that last tree, I noticed another tree down across the river on his property.  I think it's another ash tree from the distance.  When the river drops, we can put in a make shift bridge of planks, so we can get across the river.  He has some large metal I-beams in place, that we place planks on after the water level lowers each late spring, or early summer, so we can get a mower or wheel barrow across.  Last year, it was July.  Some years, it's April.

When the ground gets dry, I will go down there and snip the rest.

I am guessing 1.5 cords of wood will be available from the 4 trees.  I did not have my camera with me this time.  I'll take pics in a month or so when the ground will let me drive down there.

This wood will finish out 2013-2014, and start 2014-2015 firewood.

Happy Easter!


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## Oregon Bigfoot (Apr 8, 2012)

http://www.thebundledwoodco.com/BTU.html <I just found this link, it puts plum btu's right up there with apple and hickory!  Awesome!


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## thewoodlands (Apr 8, 2012)

Oregon Bigfoot, it sounds like you have your work all lined up. The brook that runs through property won't take long to fill up once we have some heavy rains for 3 or 4 days.

zap


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## ScotO (Apr 8, 2012)

OB, that plum is awesome firewood, and an even better wood for your smoker. That stuff will put great flavor to any meat you cook over it on the pit, too. Use it green, best way to use it is take a hatchet and "whittle" the sapwood and bark off of the rounds, or use the twigs and branches.  You can use the heartwood too.  Throw them on the coal bed of your firepit and cook to your hearts content. That stuff will smell fantastic when it hits those coals!


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## Backwoods Savage (Apr 8, 2012)

You are correct. Most fruit trees give good firewood.


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## Thistle (Apr 8, 2012)

Plum is especially good with poultry. Not too shabby with beef or pork either.


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## Oregon Bigfoot (Apr 9, 2012)

I forgot to mention, there is a dead honey locust (my guess is honey locust) tree my brother in law wants out of his yard, and it has maybe 1/2 cord give or take. I can cut that one down.

And....get this......there is a huge Douglas Fir tree the roots are lifting his driveway and sidewalk around his shop, and he is going to have it cut down, probably this summer when the ground dries out. That dude is probably ~36" in diameter give or take, and TALL, over 100' tall I'm sure. It probably has 3+ cords of wood just in that tree. I can't cut that one down, it's about 5 feet off his shop, and there are utility wires, and the road, and I am not a professional faller. It will need a professional outfit chunking it down, probably like that large black walnut Scotty Overkill has been working on, on the board this past week or so.

All in all, I have my work cut out for a while. I'll be sure to bring my camera when I start working on all this in a month or so in the drier season.


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## skyline (Apr 9, 2012)

Bigfoot,

It all sounds good. Let me know if you ever need a hand or just a grunt. I'm happy to be either.


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