Does a dead standing tree count as "seasoned"?

[Lumber-Jack]

Surely this has been addressed here previously, but search is not turning up anything for me.

So, I have several trees on my property that are still standing but have been dead for 3 or more years. Does this qualify as seasoned?

I've only found one kind of tree that I can routinely cut & burn without the need to season, and that is beetle kill Lodgepole pine. The way the trees die by having the sap blocked off by the fungus (the fungus is what actually kills them) causes the tree to dry out faster very fast and thoroughly. Because we have such an abundance of beetle killed trees locally I've made it my staple firewood, I don't have to worry about storing up and seasoning my firewood years ahead. I just make sure my woodshed is full before winter.
Other than that, like many have already said most standing dead that I have cut will have burnable wood near the top and branches, but the trunk will usually continue to hold a lot of moisture for years until its' cut and split.

Here's a thread I posted this fall of my boys and I cutting some beetle kill trees. https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/58715/

 

[Rich L]

I've burned dead elm immediately after cutting which burned well.

 

[Thistle]

I've burned dead elm immediately after cutting which burned well.

+1 I agree.Sometimes I get lucky & find some 6"-8" diameter standing dead american or slippery/red elm or red/black oak that sounds like the crack of a baseball bat when you hit it with your axe or toss it in truck bed.Look for deep vertical cracks and/or no bark.Much bigger than these & they need split/dried 90% of the time I've found though.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I cut some Red and White Oak this year that has been dead for 20 years from the gypsy moths that invaded in 1990 and it measured under 20 percent on the MM immediately. You could also tell by the weight, it feels less that half as heavy as fresh Oak. I am burning it now and it is great. So it can happen, I just would not count on it.

 

[woodchip]

Great Navy Seal exercise though; slinging 4 foot logs over your shoulder, walking them up out of rocky, frozen wetland areas.

Done a bit of that myself this last few weeks, maybe I missed my vocation when younger.........

We have had quite a few silver birch standing dead over the back of us, and some have fallen over most conveniently. It surprising how quickly they seem to season once they are bucked and split.

I actually kept a couple of small splits near the stove for a few days and they seemed to be dry and burned passably well.
However, I reckon it would not work as well with oak or ash here as they are much denser. But for a quick burn on a mild day (47f here today) the birch seems to be ok.
The only problem I have found with birch is that if it is dead standing too long it will rot before it seasons, they go soft and spongy under the bark, and frankly, could be potentially dangerous.
You don't want a standing dead tree to become a fallen dead tree whilst you are nearby

 

[kenny chaos]

Well after two pages of pretty much the same answer, I'll take it in another direction.
Trees should not be cut down on a full moon because of the extra sap drawn into it.
In South America, for example, many tree harvesting contracts require trees to be cut in a waning moon.

 

[woodchip]

If it's standing dead, there will nor be much sap rising..........

But if it's a full moon, you might want to be aware of the werewolves

 

[Thistle]

If it's standing dead, there will nor be much sap rising..........

But if it's a full moon, you might want to be aware of the werewolves

Dont forget the vampires also,thats why I carry this White Oak stake and wear a necklace of garlic heads ;-)

 

[charly]

Surely this has been addressed here previously, but search is not turning up anything for me.

So, I have several trees on my property that are still standing but have been dead for 3 or more years. Does this qualify as seasoned?

I'd just check them with a moisture meter if you take one down. Have about 30 Oak tops in one of my fields, probaly 5 years old. Still green 30% when you cut them open, but they dry out quick once split. Yet the other day a I had a dead oak, no bark laying across the ground, 14 inches at the base, 30 feet long, Blocked it up to get it out of the way to get to some other top. I check the inside after making a cut, yippie it's all around 19%. Didn't even bother splitting anything. Burning great. I would cut one tree and just check the insides with a moisture meter. Most likely they will dry quick once you split them open. My green 5 year old Oak went from 30% down to 15% in about 3 months after splitting it. Alot of it had no bark which rotted off from sitting in the fields for so many years.

 

[Kenster]

I dropped a 16 inch diameter, 45 foot tall water oak a few days ago. Split it all yesterday. The rounds from the main part of the trunk were super heavy (21 inch length) and measured off the dial at 38%+. The wood from the upper trunk came in around 22% and the limbs from the top measured as low as 14%.
So, out of the 3/8 or so cord I got out of that tree, some of it is ready to burn now, some new year, and probably the lower 15 feet or so of the trunk could be at least two, maybe three years.
Note: I don't think this tree has been dead very long. I only recently noticed the limbs being dropped.

 

[loon]

these little elms are endless around here and not a clue how long they were standing dead? but cut and throw in the stove right away

mind you alot of work taking them all down..

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Yes, dead standing wood can be ready to burn right away. When I'm scrounging, I look for the dead trees with the bark mostly fallen off. After I fell them I usually get the crown and maybe top 1/3 or 2/3s of the trunk. The closer to the stump I work the wetter it gets. I can usually see as I'm cutting it up where the water begins because the inside wood is darker colored (this is aside from the usual difference between sapwood and heartwood).

I've learned not to bother with dead wood that has been laying on the forest floor.

 

[woodmeister]

Some type of blight came thru here apx. five years ago affecting oaks. I've been taking a few every spring,drop and split, and thev'e been ready to burn in the fall they turn out to be good shoulder season wood due to their lower density.

 

[trailmaker]

I imagine location has a lot to do with the MC of dead standing. A place that would be good for seasoning (open, breezy, south facing) will give you better odds of finding dead standing that is ready to burn.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I have dropped oaks dead about one year that were ready to burn except for the bottom rounds of the trunk- which were literally gushing water.

I believe that a standing dead tree in some cases dries very fast because 1- branches and leaves add surface area early on (I girdled the trees), 2) it is very exposed to wind when standing, and 3) there's some gravitational settling of water when it's dead- especially if you've cut through the inner bark all the way around the tree.

In my area- I would count on more than half the tree being pretty darned dry if it had been dead a couple years.

 

[jebatty]

Counts as seasoned only when no one is in the woods to burn it.

 

[woodchip]

Best standing dead wood if you can find it over there is probably buckskin larch...........

And if you want to buy some, it's quite pricey on craigslist......... :

http://calgary.en.craigslist.ca/grd/2100821382.html

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Hola Adios,

Oh, yeah, if you girdle a live tree during the summer you have the added advantage of the leaves' respiration drawing water out of the sapwood. Without the connection to the roots, the leaves speed the drying process.

Can the open wound in such trees provide a breeding ground for insects which then increase in population and then infest other trees. Or is this OK if you wait until the last frost before felling them?

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I didn't observe insect infestation in the oaks that I killed. I think an injured live tree is more of an issue; I girdled them in the spring so they sort of never woke up that well from the winter.

The pines ended up with a boring beetle- but every pine I take down here gets them after death (These particular beetles don't seem to infect live trees).

I girdled them to reduce leaf cover but I didn't have time to fell/split them. When I finally bucked them up- they were dry but man were they hard on my saw/chain/back (the oaks, not the pines) !

 

[120inna55]

Here's a little feedback:

I'm a newbie and didn't have any wood collected up to use in my newly installed stove in November. I live on 20 heavily wooded acres and I intent to only use dead wood on the property for this stove, as my wife and I (broken link removed) for a reason--we love trees and do not intend to cut down green ones.

Anyway, the first cord, all oak, seemed like good, seasoned wood to my amateur eye. It was relatively light. Grey in color. Loose or absent bark. It ignited quickly and burned completely without hissing or popping. I had good success with roaring hot fires despite being a new user of an Englander 12-FP (having a reputation of being a somewhat fickle stove).

This second cord is oak as well---probably exclusively red oak (although relatively impossible to know for sure on a dead, cut-up tree). I do not believe it is seasoned, though. The wood may have been down for a year, but I suspect it was only bucked and split recently. It is very dense and heavy. It is absolutely beautiful wood, having that rich pink color like that of smoked brisket. And it has a very strong oak smell. It has tight bark. When I try to burn it, it takes forever to get it to ignite, at which point, it makes puny smokey fires and often ends up going out leaving a charred, intact log. This wood, in my opinion, will not be ready to burn for at least a year and maybe two. I do not have a moisture meter, by the way.

So, instead of ordering more wood just yet, I thought I'd try scrounging my woods. In the original post, I queried about three-year standing dead oak. I believe the general consensus is "it depends, but don't get your hopes up". I think I got lucky...

I was able to actually push over one of the standing dead oaks. It was about 16" diameter at the base and no limbs to speak of. Most of the bark was gone. I expected punky wood. Man was I surprised. See the attached picture of the stump (remember this was pushed over). Some of the wood has about 1" of punk, but otherwise it is dense, dry wood. It split easily with my 8# maul.

While I was at it, I cut down another larger nearby standing dead oak with identical results (except it wouldn't push over).

Despite appearances, I didn't expect it to burn well given the tepid responses here. Man, was I surprised. It's burning like a dream. I've used wood from both trees and it ignites quickly and cleanly, providing good, hot, long-lasting fires. I'm a happy camper!

 

[charly]

Here's a little feedback:

I'm a newbie and didn't have any wood collected up to use in my newly installed stove in November. I live on 20 heavily wooded acres and I intent to only use dead wood on the property for this stove, as my wife and I live in the woods for a reason--we love trees and do not intend to cut down green ones.

Anyway, the first cord, all oak, seemed like good, seasoned wood to my amateur eye. It was relatively light. Grey in color. Loose or absent bark. It ignited quickly and burned completely without hissing or popping. I had good success with roaring hot fires despite being a new user of an Englander 12-FP (having a reputation of being a somewhat fickle stove).

This second cord is oak as well---probably exclusively red oak (although relatively impossible to know for sure on a dead, cut-up tree). I do not believe it is seasoned, though. The wood may have been down for a year, but I suspect it was only bucked and split recently. It is very dense and heavy. It is absolutely beautiful wood, having that rich pink color like that of smoked brisket. And it has a very strong oak smell. It has tight bark. When I try to burn it, it takes forever to get it to ignite, at which point, it makes puny smokey fires and often ends up going out leaving a charred, intact log. This wood, in my opinion, will not be ready to burn for at least a year and maybe two. I do not have a moisture meter, by the way.

So, instead of ordering more wood just yet, I thought I'd try scrounging my woods. In the original post, I queried about three-year standing dead oak. I believe the general consensus is "it depends, but don't get your hopes up". I think I got lucky...

I was able to actually push over one of the standing dead oaks. It was about 16" diameter at the base and no limbs to speak of. Most of the bark was gone. I expected punky wood. Man was I surprised. See the attached picture of the stump (remember this was pushed over). Some of the wood has about 1" of punk, but otherwise it is dense, dry wood. It split easily with my 8# maul.

While I was at it, I cut down another larger nearby standing dead oak with identical results (except it wouldn't push over).

Despite appearances, I didn't expect it to burn well given the tepid responses here. Man, was I surprised. It's burning like a dream. I've used wood from both trees and it ignites quickly and cleanly, providing good, hot, long-lasting fires. I'm a happy camper!

Looks like the Oak I've been burning from my woods. About 30+ oak tops , been down for about 5 plus years, farm was logged a little before we bought it. Nice wood to burn. Surprised me too. What's still green drys out fast once split.

 

[kenny chaos]

Here's a little feedback:

I'm a newbie and didn't have any wood collected up to use in my newly installed stove in November. I live on 20 heavily wooded acres and I intent to only use dead wood on the property for this stove, as my wife and I (broken link removed) for a reason--we love trees and do not intend to cut down green ones.

!

A good wood lot plan includes taking some green trees and consider the wildlife if planning on taking all dead trees.
welcome and good luck-
Kenny

 

[charly]

Here's a little feedback:

I'm a newbie and didn't have any wood collected up to use in my newly installed stove in November. I live on 20 heavily wooded acres and I intent to only use dead wood on the property for this stove, as my wife and I (broken link removed) for a reason--we love trees and do not intend to cut down green ones.

!

A good wood lot plan includes taking some green trees and consider the wildlife if planning on taking all dead trees.
welcome and good luck-
Kenny

I hear ya there, Kenny. I've always left plenty of housing for everyone ;-)

 

[flash49]

On a side note, this thread probably should have been posted in the "Wood Shed" forum.

I thought this was the "Wood Shed" I must be lost...

 

[120inna55]

Here's a little feedback:

I'm a newbie and didn't have any wood collected up to use in my newly installed stove in November. I live on 20 heavily wooded acres and I intent to only use dead wood on the property for this stove, as my wife and I (broken link removed) for a reason--we love trees and do not intend to cut down green ones.

!

A good wood lot plan includes taking some green trees and consider the wildlife if planning on taking all dead trees.
welcome and good luck-
Kenny

I'm not gonna cut down healthy, green trees unless they are somehow impacting my lifestyle (i.e. (broken link removed)). Otherwise, I will scrounge and purchase wood before I cut down healthy green trees on my property. I have other sources: local family and friends with hundreds of acres and who are more than willing to allow me to take dead wood. I'm not sure about the wildlife implications to which you elude about taking all dead trees, but there's no way way I could take all the dead ones and frankly, not all dead trees are firewood-worthy. On our property, we have Black Tupelo, Blackjack Oak, Water Oak, Red Oak, Post Oak, Dogwood, Farkleberry, Black Hickory, American Holly, Red Maple, Sweet Gum, Black Willow, Winged Elm, Eastern Red Cedar...that's all I can think of right now. I'm in East Texas and we have at least 3 live springs on the property.