Does anyone else bother with Poplar for Firewood?

[csservices]

Bought in 30 ton a couple of months ago as only had to pay transport for it, been splitting it into billets and leaning it against the timber stack, dries pretty quick with the sun and wind we've been having, will start cutting and mixing it in and stacking undercover, always burnt alright in the past when I've had it

[Stereo]

We felled a huge poplar a few years back. I ringed and split it and dumped it in the barn for a few years. It was superb firewood. BUT. Halfway through we had to move it outside during the winter in dumpies and the rain got on it (my fault). It went overnight from great fuel to soaking rubbish. This stuff will soak up moisture like nothing else.

 

So, keep it as dry as possible and it will dry fast and burn well. Don't leave it out in the rain.

[brassmonkey001]

There's a load of poplar by me, some of it has been felled and stacked a couple of years ago, but being as the area is known as "The Bog" it isn't very dry. Most of it is so wet you can press your fingers into it. I did manage to find a dryish piece and split it and burned it in the woodburner and it was ok. The heartwood was dry but the bark was on the damp side. I guess with 12 months seasoning under cover it would have been much improved.

[Sam Thompson]

There's a load of poplar by me, some of it has been felled and stacked a couple of years ago, but being as the area is known as "The Bog" it isn't very dry. Most of it is so wet you can press your fingers into it. I did manage to find a dryish piece and split it and burned it in the woodburner and it was ok. The heartwood was dry but the bark was on the damp side. I guess with 12 months seasoning under cover it would have been much improved.

 

Are you saying that you are stealing wood? It will not win you many friends...

[brassmonkey001]

Are you saying that you are stealing wood? It will not win you many friends...

 

The landowner wants rid of it but the ground is so boggy it's very difficult to extract on a commercial scale. So much so that it would cost him quite a bit to get someone to take it out instead of earning him some money as was the plan when they were planted.

I thought I'd try a piece to see how it burned with a view to buying a couple of trees off him. I hardly think a 6 inch piece is going to cause much heartache to anyone being as there are several tons lying there rotting away.

I'll buy him a pint if it makes you feel better.

[Stereo]

Buy me a pint instead. It will make me feel much better.

[Sam Thompson]

The landowner wants rid of it but the ground is so boggy it's very difficult to extract on a commercial scale. So much so that it would cost him quite a bit to get someone to take it out instead of earning him some money as was the plan when they were planted.

I thought I'd try a piece to see how it burned with a view to buying a couple of trees off him. I hardly think a 6 inch piece is going to cause much heartache to anyone being as there are several tons lying there rotting away.

I'll buy him a pint if it makes you feel better.

 

Sorry, I read that as a length (Like 3m)

[brassmonkey001]

Sorry, I read that as a length (Like 3m)

 

No worries. I have permission to take any fallen wood anyway for my own use. Not sure if that permission extends to the poplars which are falling down of their own accord due to being too tall for the soft ground they're in though!

[Big J]

I felled a couple of medium poplars last autumn that are now sat on my stacks. They didn't feel at all heavy with water though (definitely poplar too!).

 

They will sit there until next spring, at which point they will be cut and split ready for the following winter. 2 years seasoning should do it!

 

On a similar vein, on the estate where I do a fair bit of forestry, there are at least 15 tonnes of 'offcuts' from our forestry production. Stuff that doesn't fit the specification (3.5m lengths, not willow or lime, nothing under 3 inch). It's going to take no time to collect, is free and can sit for a couple of years to season.

 

I think if you pay for firewood, then insist on the premium woods. If it's free and it's dry, if fine too!

[farmer_ben]

I spent 3 days last week, ringing all the pop up and splitting it. Now all in a herras fence cage and drying lovely, still stinks though!!