The predominant species in my woods are oak and tulip poplar although in one area Black Birch are becoming quite numerous. Should I leave any for timber or start cutting for firewood?
I sold a large black birch log cut into bowl blanks to a turner. He said it turned well and the pepermint smell was a change from other woods. Gerald
If you're so inclined, you can tap them and make a uniquely flavored syrup, similar process to maple syrup making.
I've seen prices in the $300\gallon range :o But keep in mind it's harder to make than maple syrup, the birch sap has a much lower sugar content, thus more boiling to get to the end product.
Just a thought, the values to trees and the forest are not always timber type products. NTFP (Non timber forest products).
Yellow and black birch prices are on the rise..and paying decent. The next job the forester has something against black birch not shure why? One thing for shure they smell real good! Birch beer is really good to although don't know if thats made from the tree? ;D
If you can make lumber out of it, it's just as good and hard as yellow birch. Yellow birch veneer was always gold up here because for one they were not fussy about large heart. ;D I don't even know if we have a veneer market any longer. In the recession all the buyers went extinct around here.
Around here black birch is paying a little more than poplar is. So if poplar is worth timbering so is Black Birch.
if its knotty bumpy and twisted cut it for wood and let the good ones grow got 65 cents a board foot for veneer last week not to bad for what it was ;D
Ok, it sounds like I'll let the straight ones grow and burn the crooked ones. Thanks!
If thier real crooked they make great benches and flower stands.Bit of a pain to saw tho.
It is pretty good firewood, and as stated it smells real nice.
In my area they pay a lot more for black birch then white birch.
I wonder why. When sawed, birch is birch.
Kinda like a mixed load of spruce-fir logs for milling. Graded SPF, but they pay less for mixed loads and for fir alone. Another way to skin a buck. ;)
I don't know much about th eprioperties of Black vs White Birch, but I was under the impression that Black was significantly more dense. I know it makes better firewood than White Birch
Denser and heavier yes, but no distinction is made in the lumber trade and often the veneer market to because the grain is the same. You could decide by weight I suppose, but what if there is yellow birch in with the same bundle. It is also denser and harder. Also for pulpwood, birch was just birch whether is was yellow birch or white birch. Some pulp mills up here want it separate from other hardwood.
I don't think we are talking firewood use, but being that it is all over the north, lots of it is burned when your other choices include alders, aspen or softwood. ;D
Edit: I just checked the marketing bulletin and prices quoted on birch veneer are for both white and yellow. I believe this is going to Columbia Forest Products. I think it is the biggest hardwood veneer outfit in the US. We don't have black birch up here in NB, but I bet it would be treated just the same. Peelers are $1700/th.
but it smells great
What DBH is considered good for Black Birch to be a saw log? Since I started this thread I started looking them over better and very few are over 10" but 15 years ago when they logged here I don't think they cut any, it either grows slow or just got started here.
Being a hardwood like sugar maple, it won't be fast grown. White birch would probably be twice as big as the same age. I would figure on at least 10", once you get to that size you start getting better returns for the sawing effort. Veneer up here starts at 12" for select. Prime is 14"+
I was watching a video the other day of a local woodlot and in it was stated that the trees left would make veneer in another 10-15 years. I didn't see much that would make veneer for 30 years, using the fellows in the video as a size comparison. Got a chuckle. Won't have to worry now, it's all been sent to the pulp grinder. I guess it comes down to doe in your pocket now and not in the future.
The owner in the video was pointing at the woodlot beside him and scoffing at the clearcut he had done. ::)
We've been making lumber out of black birch for years. There's a market for it, but most guys won't cut it for some reason. Cutting the low quality for firewood makes sense.