When there's too much ash........

[Spike60]

Due to the EAB, there is a silly glut of ash around here right now. That bug is putting more trees on the ground than a half dozen hurricanes, and it's just everywhere. And there's tons of it still to come down. I usually mix my wood, but wanted to use some of this up and I've done a couple face cords of straight ash, which really exposed the differences between it and the other woods. I'm spoiled from all of the white oak and hickory!

There's obviously less BTU's in ash than say oak or hard maple. Common complaint about ash is it's shorter burn time. I can leave ash in bigger splits, and I can turn the air way down to extend the burn time. But there's still only X amount of BTU's in the ash, and extending the burn time just releases that heat over a longer period. I noticed a few times that I'd get home to a nice bed of coals but the house just wasn't as warm as it usually would be. That theory sound right?

And this has the whole firewood market turned upside down in this area. First, there simply too much wood around here. Sellers have too much ash and not enough other wood and buyers are resisting getting a load of nothing but ash. People are coming into the store asking if I know of anyone who will sell something besides ash. Result is the price of ash has fallen, while the price of better hardwood has gone up. I know a logger who will sell an 8-10 picker load for $500 and there are few takers. Will probably stay this way for a couple more years.

 

[exSW]

The nice ones that aren't punky ,take them to the mill. Take them home stack,stick and cover them. In a few years you will be the only guy with ash. I figured this out a little to late.

 

[jake wells]

the only dead stuff here is tulip poplar not really any ash in my area.
the unofficial state weed is sugar maple.

 

[huskihl]

It's bad here too. We've been burning it exclusively at hunting camp for about 5 years. If the occasional maple tips over, we'll make note and cut it up next year. But if the ash is gonna die, we've decided that we'll use it up til it's gone. This allows the maple to get bigger and maybe add to the value of our logs in a few years, and the beech will become our new firewood

 

[Wagnerwerks]

We're there too. We just logged our land an all ash were cut. Sad.

 

[huskihl]

We're there too. We just logged our land an all ash were cut. Sad.

Lumber mills around here won't even take ash. Either they're too punky or the yards are overloaded with it. Not sure

 

[Spike60]

It's bad here too. We've been burning it exclusively at hunting camp for about 5 years. If the occasional maple tips over, we'll make note and cut it up next year. But if the ash is gonna die, we've decided that we'll use it up til it's gone. This allows the maple to get bigger and maybe add to the value of our logs in a few years, and the beech will become our new firewood

We're pretty much taking the same approach. Use it up while we can and before it rots. And they seem to go down hill really fast once infected. I took down a dozen or so good sized ones behind the store and the tops exploded when they hit the ground. "Self limbing" trees make for less work!

But clean white and non infected ash is still bringing a premium in this area because once it's gone it will be gone for a generation or more. There's some hope that the EAB will be unable to adapt to another species and die off, allowing the ash to re-generate itself.

 

[Mastermind]

We have zero ash trees here.

 

[Wolverine]

We're there too. We just logged our land an all ash were cut. Sad.

Gonna have to replant ash to pass the torch! It is a bummer.
I love it for firewood. Of course I have yet to buy any.

 

[Armbru84]

The dead standing ash by us are just staring to get bad on the inside. I have burned a lot of ash and will for a few years still. Sad to see all those dead trees and especially for the home owners who have no way of removing them. Helps feed my saws work though.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Interesting that ash is getting a bad rap here. A few years ago a survey was conducted and ash won out as the overall best firewood that you could process and sell. It's desirable properties are enormous. Good heat content, dries fast, can be split green, burns to completion, easy to light, etc.

 

[Ryan Browne]

I sure like ash for firewood. We don't have the EAB in my county yet, but it's very close. The cold weather is supposed to help knock them back.

Ash sure splits nicely, and while it's no white oak in the BTU department, it's better than a lot of other species. Heck, when I lived in Washington, Doug Fir was what most people burned. Ash is much better than that, and lots easier to split.

 

[Simondo]

I sure like ash for firewood. We don't have the EAB in my county yet, but it's very close. The cold weather is supposed to help knock them back.

Ash sure splits nicely, and while it's no white oak in the BTU department, it's better than a lot of other species. Heck, when I lived in Washington, Doug Fir was what most people burned. Ash is much better than that, and lots easier to split.

Bread and butter firewood here along with beech Ryan and makes up most of the local hillside woodland around my place. Big hassle if we see die back !!

 

[Wood Doctor]

One thing for sure, whenever I deliver a load of firewood that's 50% ash or more, nobody complains. They love to mix it with red elm and walnut, but finding walnut is not easy. Most customers prefer ash over oak for fireplaces because of the nice flame and no cinder chunks left over. Mixed with red elm and you have a winner.

 

[redoakneck]

 

[Al Smith]

We have zero ash trees here.

Same here--that are alive that is .

What's with this business it doesn't burn right any way .? Per pound every wood has the same BTU's oak or balsa .I think per cord oak tips the scales a tad over 4,000 pounds per cord and ash is about 3600 . Besides that ash by it's nature has less moisture ,oak ,white especially can hold inner moisture for years if in the log

Now I'll grant you oak will coal up better but ash will burn to powder ,I mean dust .All gone .If you want a long fire you need big pieces over a bed of coals.Hot fast fire ,little pieces .

 

[Wood Doctor]

Same here--that are alive that is .

What's with this business it doesn't burn right any way? Per pound, every wood has the same BTU's oak or balsa. I think per cord that oak tips the scales a tad over 4,000 pounds per cord and ash is about 3600. Besides that ash by it's nature has less moisture. White oak especially can hold inner moisture for years if in the log.

Now I'll grant you oak will coal up better but ash will burn to powder ,I mean dust. All gone. If you want a long fire you need big pieces over a bed of coals. Hot fast fire, little pieces.

Pin oak and other oak with tight bark can hold moisture until the wood inside rots away. Other species can as well. That's another reason why ash, although less dense, gets the nod over oak as the best firewood that there is.

Cut your oak now so that you can burn it in 2018? Give me a break.

 

[Ryan Browne]

Pin oak and other oak with tight bark can hold moisture until the wood inside rots away. Other species can as well. That's another reason why ash, although less dense, gets the nod over oak as the best firewood that there is.

Cut your oak now so that you can burn it in 2018? Give me a break.

That's a real good point. Ash in reasonable sized splits that's been stacked one summer is great burning firewood.

 

[Al Smith]

On the EAB killed ash it doesn't take long,maybe a few months to dry .Hard as flippin rock,you have to file frequently.Tough to split with an axe. About like driving into a chunk of concrete.

If you get it stacked off the ground like on pallets it will take weather for years before it rots .
I've saved the good lumber logs from about 20" up to around 3 feet.Most are cut at 16" 6" .Maybe 10,000 BDF .Nice lumber,air dries,straight grained,takes stain well .

 

[Spike60]

On the EAB killed ash it doesn't take long,maybe a few months to dry .Hard as flippin rock,you have to file frequently.Tough to split with an axe. About like driving into a chunk of concrete.

If you get it stacked off the ground like on pallets it will take weather for years before it rots .
I've saved the good lumber logs from about 20" up to around 3 feet.Most are cut at 16" 6" .Maybe 10,000 BDF .Nice lumber,air dries,straight grained,takes stain well .

Right about it being hard; and hard on chains. Like to have the bar oil turned up also. I do leave the ash splits bigger than other woods. Seasons so quick the bigger splits and rounds are no issue at all.