How long before I can burn it?

[Doug Anderson]

Here's an absolute rookie question. Winter storms knocked down several trees on my property here in Vermont. Ash, spruce and oak. I had it cut and split, and now all four cords of it reside in my woodshed. We heat with wood, with minimal propane back-up, so this question is important. How long before I can pop this stuff into my wood stove? I have enough dry to get me to about February of 2011. Will this new wood be ready by then, in approx. one year's time?

[Steve]

Yes it will be ready

[new jersey firewood guy]

it is not as easy an answer as the guy above posted. It depends on where you stored it and whether you can keep it dry and in the sun and wind every day. In addition the oak will take up to 18 months (some say even up to 24 months) to completely season (unless you don't mind sizzling sounds from the water left in the logs). The ash you can burn immediately, it does not require any seasoning at all.

(The spruce I wouldn't burn personally, too many sparks. But it would season in a year.

Again, if it is stacked in the shade in a damp place and doesn't dry out quickly after each rainstorm, it may never season before rot and mold sets in.

[firewood]

yes it should be. cut it up and split it. this will help it dry quicker