Monterey Pine for firewood

[arboriculturist]

Happened to be speaking to a Lady last week who had a garden full of 70 ft Monterey Pines. She spoke of a couple that had failed in storms over the last 3 years and how good the wood was for the fire! She went on to say that the Tree Surgeon had split a load up for her and stacked in an outside lean to. After keeping it there for a year she says she uses it on her open fire and it burns beautifully and does not spit or spark!!!

 

Comments most welcome with interest.

[shavey]

its very good firewood i had a stack of round timber 18 mths ago and cut it up this winter all the bark come off pretty quickly when cut & split it came apart in ring segments and smelt very nice and burnt well a few sparks but nothing like some softwood's :thumbup:

[arboriculturist]

its very good firewood i had a stack of round timber 18 mths ago and cut it up this winter all the bark come off pretty quickly when cut & split it came apart in ring segments and smelt very nice and burnt well a few sparks but nothing like some softwood's :thumbup:

 

Monterey for firewood - Never has good press over the years, but maybe not just black and white.

[shavey]

Monterey for firewood - Never has good press over the years, but maybe not just black and white.

 

like all things using it well seasoned get rid of the bark mix it in with other stuff

very soon alot of wood will be valuable for firewood

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

I had about 15 tonne of it which went mouldy so I chucked it on the bonfire; burnt so well, the rumour it was rubbish was disproven there and then.

[welwell]

I've always found that both Monterey Pine and cypress burn pretty well

[arboriculturist]

like all things using it well seasoned get rid of the bark mix it in with other stuff

very soon alot of wood will be valuable for firewood

 

Sure, its a changing world!

[Big J]

Any wood minus the majority of it's water content equals good firewood.

 

Conversely,

 

Any wood including the majority of it's water content equals poor firewood.

 

Whilst I do appreciate that different timbers have different burning characteristics, I do think that people should stop associating quality with certain species. I'd take a dry load of spruce over a wet load of ash any day of the week.

 

Jonathan

[CallumA]

All I burn for firewood is spruce and pine (Both in stoves with doors so no spark problems). and very occasionally Beech if there is a windblown tree I get to tidy up for the firewood. Soft wood is less than 1/2 the price to get a lorry load delivered from the Forestry Commission but is more than 1/2 the BTU when burnt = Good deal (if your not counting time for clogging,splitting and room for storage. So If every body keeps burning hard wood it will keep softwood price down!!:thumbup:

[arbandy]

Monterey Pine is what most of New Zealand's forestry is based on but here it goes by the name pinus radiata. As firewood it's cheap compared to the likes of macrocarpa (Cyprus Monterey) , Eucalyptus and some native woods like manuka and Kanuka which compare well with old man Gorse. Around here M.Pine goes for about $110 or 56 quid per cubic meter cut, split and delivered whilst eucalyptus runs out at about $160 or 83 pound and a few shillings

We've found it needs good dry storage otherwise it goes all hygroscopic and therefore has trouble burning. I gave my ex a ute and trailer load earlier this winter but because her place is subject to damp coastal sea breezes, the burn quality went backwards and she had to re-dry the stuff before it would burn properly. It is good when dry though and unlike many woods it doesn't have to be split immediately after cutting to rings and sometimes I think it's better left a while. If you can get the stuff cheap then go for it. I have been able to get some for nothing more than asking if if can follow the forestry crews through after they've done their bit. good luck with it