when to cut firewood

[isawlogs]

 That would of been my ticket out also !

[Banjo picker]

I did not burn anything but slabs this winter....I tried to keep the stacks nice and neat...They have been there for over a year...just take the 084 and a 36" bar and in about 15 or 20 minutes I can have 1/4 of a cord at the house to put on the porch...Thats about all you can pile on the 900 rtv...   Tim

[customdave]

I would say 70% of my firewood gets put up in the winter, seems like thats when I have time for it, plus the fact its nicer to play with wood when its cooler. I like to stay a couple years stockpiled ahead so if it is a bad weather winter I don't have to worry about gettin wood, plus I enjoy playin with wood for the most part.



                             Dave

[zopi]

this may have been answered before, but a cousin of mine says he heard that it was best to cut firewood in the winter while the sap is down. or does it matter if you let it dry enough before you burn it?

When I can't get someone else to cut it for me....

[DirtForester]

Trees are full of water in the winter, awaiting the first flush of spring. 

http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/nh/nh_5_03.pdf

[JohnG28]

Id have to agree its better cutting in the cooler weather, you warm up quick.  I also like that the trees are off the dirt when theyre on the snow, better for bucking and blocking up logs, dont have to worry about putting the chain in the dirt and grit.

[SwampDonkey]

Sounds like they are relating the significant moisture swings with the live sapwood. "Most variations in moisture content were observed in the wood nearest the bark." In summer, it would stand to reason moisture in the sapwood would go down some simply because of moisture deficits depending on rainfall and soil properties and driven by temperature and  evapotranspiration through leaves. It's not a closed system. A fellow would have to see the actual journal article that was published to see how they arrived at their results. As they point out, significant swings in moisture content are not observed in all species. "Northern conifers do not seem to vary much seasonally". I wonder about their take on northern tolerant hardwoods. According to figures from around here, which I can't point to any specific study, there is no big swing in moisture content of hard maple, beech and yellow birch. I have a yellow birch tapped right now and it hasn't released a drop of sap yet. But, I know it will soon as when we cut yellow birch brush they weep sap for days. The old tree pump just hasn't started up yet.