Drying ash with chalara

[sandspider]

Hi all

 

Has anyone noticed any difference in speed of log drying of ash with chalara? I've had some, felled two years, cut and split and stored in the polytunnel for 6 months at least (and a hot 6 months) but a few logs still steam and seep water when they go on the fire. Given that it's ash they should be fairly low water to begin with. I wonder if chalara is affecting the drying out of the logs? I have a vague memory it does something to the cells of the wood, maybe blocking xylems and impeding drying out?

 

[Svts]

We've not noticed any difference at all. Sounds like your wood should be plenty dry enough.I reckon you're getting a bit of condensation building up under the polythene. This then drips off to cause a bit of localised reabsorption.  I've had similar issues occsionally when keeping cages outside under tarps over winter. 

[sandspider]

Thanks. Possible, but the logs where the condensation drips tend to be damp on the outside too, and I leave those to one side...

[gdh]

What I've found with ash dieback is essentially it's accelerated death and rotting. They usually rot from the center out so dry faster at first because they can contain so much deadwood but after a certain point the rotten parts start absorbing water so there can be a big variation in one tree 

[sandspider]

That would make sense. Some of the nicely split parts are damp, while some of the smaller branch pieces I should have split or striped but couldn't be arsed to are pretty dry.