Which softwoods are good for burning?

[Deb]

Wondering which ones are best for burning and which ones arn't worth the effort? Or ones I should find a better use for?

 

Thoughts and experiance please?

[bobh]

All of them if they're dry.

[difflock]

Per the above, been heating on a mix of Lodgepole pine and Sitka this past 5 years.

Advantage (i) Easier to kindle split logs direct,

Advantage (ii) No kindling needed (in a stove)

Disavantage(i) More carrying involved due to bulk density

Disavantage (ii) It will not burn overnight like Birch or other Hardwood.

Actually works better in our relatively oversized stove as it limits the heat output from an always stuffed to capacity firebox.

[fonzy]

90% of my wood is Stika all under 20% m.c. and absolutely no complaints. Agree with the comments above, so much easier to split and quicker to dry. I also find next to nothing left ash wise as opposed to hardwood.

 

I do stick hard wood in at night though to keep her going till morning.

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Anything in a wood burning stove if seasoned. But you might want to be careful with spruce and fir on an open fire (a spark guard may be useful if this is the case).

[Yeti]

All are golden when seasoned well, however larch is my go to choice as it burns alot longer than most softwoods.Cedar is very quick burning but hot hot hot! Pine also burns rather warm aswell.

[Alycidon]

Just be carefull that the stove does not get to hot burning soft, you can easily get the external temp to 500 degrees. This is called over firing and can seriously damage a stove. Use a stove pipe thermometer.

 

A

[Lorn Logs]

Spruce and larch in the woodburner, no dramas. Am mixing it with a wee bit of oak for longevity....

[woodland dweller]

Hi all, i'm sitting next to my woodburner full of douglas and its baking in hear, to hot really,lovely stuff when its around 18 %, been selling it and using it for the last 25 years, chucks out the heat more than any dry hardwood, but as mentioned before use a flue thermometer.

[axman]

They all burn,douglas fir,scots pine,european larch/jap, closed fire/stove,intense heat produced by most dry softwood,sitka spruce,does not last long,look at the growth rings,closer together the better the burn and length of burn,i:e Highland grown european larch/scots pine could be described as [hardwood] colder the climate,the denser the wood.every different species of timber has specific burning qualities.It is always good to remember that when we sit round the campfire we exchange the energy that the sun gave the tree, that gave us the wood,that warms our bodies