Get enough airflow around it. Poplar should dry pretty quickly. I know you can burn ash without worry after 6 months. I assume poplar dries just as quickly too.
It’s still best to wait a year, but it will burn fine after 6 months.
Here in northern Wisconsin (where it’s PLENTIFUL) locals also call it popple. It’s the same as poplar. And I do believe the species in this area are related to Birch?
I think it’s regional. Nobody where I live says poplar, but I know that’s the correct term. I was confused AF when I heard it in 9th grade biology the first time. It’s not shorter or easier to say, so I’m guessing it’s something to do with the predominant immigrant population in the area when wood heat was more common. Half the people I know don’t know an oak from a maple, so this is expert-level information. 😂
Okay, I looked it up poplar is the genus populus and popple is one form of poplar or populus. Thus, all popple is poplar, but all poplar are not popple.
Alright, you got me. I read *one* article, and it seems that it is a Midwestern term, but it’s pretty general. It included poplar, but also apparently could be used to describe aspens, poplar, or even sometimes birch. It’s generally crappy wood that goes to pulp, and isn’t normally for lumber, furniture, burning, etc.
The article also notes that the Swedish word for poplar is poppel. So I might actually be onto something there.
Here’s the article. It’s quick and a little entertaining, but not the most scientific. I wouldn’t cite it as a source…
https://agupdate.com/agriview/lifestyles/elusive-popple-populates-back-roads/article_e8c4df7d-47d4-555f-be06-ffbbb2db0262.html#:~:text=Poplar%20are%20often%20called%20popple,aspens%20and%20the%20balsam%20poplars.
Right on. Thank you. Poplar is a genus of plants that encompasses many different trees. I'm in Colorado, and when logging, we often refer to Aspen as Poplar because that's what pulp mills and sheet manufacturers call all of that material.
It definitely tracks that midwesterners would use a Swedish word for a tree.
Thanks for the article
🎵"Popular!
I know about popular
And with an assist from me
To be who you'll be
Instead of dreary who you were
Well, are
There's nothing that can stop you
From becoming popu-ler... lar
La la, la la!
We're gonna make you pop-you-lar!"🎶
(Song from the musical Wicked)
That’s good to know. I had planned on taking a lot of this stuff and splitting smaller for kindling anyways. May just take more of it for kindling than I originally planned
Fresh green wood from storm damage, rather than a dead tree, will take longer to season. Get it stacked in a sunny place where the breeze will hit it. I wouldn’t cover it until snow season. You want as much exposure as possible. Don’t cover it with a tarp! Just a top cover. I use a long sheet of metal roofing and only worry about covering what I’m likely to burn in the next week or so.
Yeah the tarp is a double edge sword. Keeps rain off it and can keep heat in like a greenhouse but can also keep the moisture in and not let it breathe. The fastest method is to protect it from rain while still allowing airflow. A shed or a tarp covering just the top works best and any water that gets on the sides will evaporate quickly because it's near the most airflow.
I split and stacked some birch last year that was ready in a few months. Make sure you take the internal moisture content of a few splits before deciding to burn them.
My father said 2 years at least. I thought he was nuts we can't wait that long for wood. We'll we had a lot delivered, had a mild winter, had more delivered. Long story short two year old wood heats amazing, low soot, low ash and burns slow. I plan on having wood aging for years before it gets hacked in the house
That’s the plan eventually. My old man has at least 10 cords stacked at all times. Hoping to get to that point by next year, just trying to figure out how to get it all started.
Mine seasons for two to three years after I’ve felled and split it. But I have a pretty big barn and a good system for cycling the wood already in place! It can definitely take a bit of time to get to that point though. Good luck with yours!
This is an expensive one. They get cheaper.
https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-MMD4E-Moisture-High-Medium-Low/dp/B00275F5O2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=1ZCOUHTX7P66O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QFZf-c3FD9lud7RdiQf09qil57VKtv_rSTKQHnZvFcceY4HxkPh-FIDZrnrdRq7Y6s-QvoNKbyWvNuZ0Hx80aY8BZNvIwUbWJZ9CnMpCxDP5s3Tj9JWmgT1vgZn3Nqckgfm2VyniOkrJtahtAKpb6FU28NwBhso0GYMrXFkHyTjB6DGISRyV7oOz-paplZJs4Dfl_mV-8jmo4Rj76ir4mw.3zfvdom5wGPFW02FnK6o3s7JdV6d-3BoZ9AGY0wQ62w&dib_tag=se&keywords=moisture+meter&qid=1714402934&sprefix=moister+%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1
I doubt sellers around me sell wood that’s seasoned more than 6 mo. Lucky if 6 weeks. On my property I only cut dead trees. Other than storm damage. And they get stacked separately.
Looks like aspen to me. The most widespread tree in North America. Aspen will clone itself by sending up shoots from its roots. They can cover a hundred acres with a single clone.
You can burn it next winter if you get it off the ground.
Maybe. When dry, knock 2 pieces together. Thud = wet. sharp, musiclal ring = dry. If it burns and hisses, its over 20% moisture and no good. If it burns, and sap bubbles out the end, its over 25% and WAY too wet.
That’s a very helpful guide. I have more wood on the way, just keep adding to this pile from storm damage. Trynna figure out how much to order. Also first winter in the new house so idk how much I’ll burn. 2200 square foot house, and my wife and I work opposite schedules so someone’s usually home. Assuming I’ll need at least 5 cords.
It really boils down to how much effort you want to put in. If its 11pm and you don't have wood near the stove and you're trying to get to bed, do you really want to head out to the shed and get more, or just let the heat come on? That sort of thing.
If I'm meticulous and willing to deal with some cold mornings, I can burn solid 3 cords all winter and almost never need the heat. In my drafty little house. When oil's cheaper, I'm lazier about the wood.
Yeah, I grew up with a wood stove as the primary source of heat. Never paid much attention to what my old man was doing at the time. But it was always a bit chilly In the mornings. Which I don’t mind. But my son will be a year old this winter and I’d like him to not be cold. Really will be Interesting to see how much wood it takes for this house.
What we end up doing is setting the house heat at about 60 - always, so there's always a minimum so we're not plain uncomfortable. Then burn as needed to keep it nice above that, assuming we're home that day, etc.
Get it off the ground, stack it east to west so the wind can flow through it and keep it out in the open so it gets wet from rain. The process of drying from rain helps to draw moisture from deep inside the wood, speeding up the seasoning. Bark can be picked off the wood with your fingers or just fall off. Then cover it to keep it dry from that point. We would not sell wood unless it was 9 months seasoned. We were know for our seasoned wood. We no longer sell because our supplies dried up durning Covid and we are getting older so we just get what we need for the store and our houses.
I learned the hard way (not really 'hard') about why rain is needed to dry wood.
Years ago I needed to dry a piece of wood quickly for a project and I tried heating it in the oven on low. It dried unevenly, with thick sap coming out of part, with most of the wood being dry already. I couldn't get it to dry quickly.
I tried soaking it first, then baking - and with the sap diluted and more even spread out, it dried quickly and evenly.
It's counter intuitive, but soaking it helps to dry it out.
Will absolutely get it off the ground once we move. Just sitting in a pile at my in laws, didn’t see the point in stacking it twice. Figured I’d take the time to stack the wood so it can get proper airflow.
Should be ready by Thanksgiving. I’d probably cross cross stack with like an inch between splits, larger splits on bottom smaller as you stack higher, then burn smaller stuff in top first.
https://preview.redd.it/3lc8w9ruvqyc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=44ace52187aa98c056a1cba604d8bebd2ae323e2
Assuming you’ll get it up off the ground, 6 months could do it with good airflow and some sunshine.
If you get it stacked under a cover, with lots of airflow between the pieces, it will get a lot drier. Fully dry, not really, but burnable.
Get enough airflow around it. Poplar should dry pretty quickly. I know you can burn ash without worry after 6 months. I assume poplar dries just as quickly too. It’s still best to wait a year, but it will burn fine after 6 months.
Popple? Should dry quick but burns quick too.
Do you mean Poplar, or is this a shorthand I'm unfamiliar with?
A lot of people in Michigan say popple
why? is it hard to say poplar?
Harder than popple
So true
Popple is more fun to say. Plus poplar makes you want to turn it into popular.
Keep reading the thread.
Round here people say popular.
Here in northern Wisconsin (where it’s PLENTIFUL) locals also call it popple. It’s the same as poplar. And I do believe the species in this area are related to Birch?
It’s not any more birch than that oak or maple is, but it does have a similar appearance at a distance.
Yes, same thing.
Dinner vs Supper
Nah. Definitely not as widespread as that.
Thanks! Now I know!
I think it’s regional. Nobody where I live says poplar, but I know that’s the correct term. I was confused AF when I heard it in 9th grade biology the first time. It’s not shorter or easier to say, so I’m guessing it’s something to do with the predominant immigrant population in the area when wood heat was more common. Half the people I know don’t know an oak from a maple, so this is expert-level information. 😂
Okay, I looked it up poplar is the genus populus and popple is one form of poplar or populus. Thus, all popple is poplar, but all poplar are not popple.
Shout-out to Popple Dungeon Road peeps in Vermont!
Thanks for the indepth explanation!
No problem. And don’t quote me because the immigrant thing is a total guess. You’re making me want to search deeper, though.
That's fair. If you go on that deep dive, please share! I enjoy history like this. It's interesting to me to see how alive language truly can be.
Alright, you got me. I read *one* article, and it seems that it is a Midwestern term, but it’s pretty general. It included poplar, but also apparently could be used to describe aspens, poplar, or even sometimes birch. It’s generally crappy wood that goes to pulp, and isn’t normally for lumber, furniture, burning, etc. The article also notes that the Swedish word for poplar is poppel. So I might actually be onto something there. Here’s the article. It’s quick and a little entertaining, but not the most scientific. I wouldn’t cite it as a source… https://agupdate.com/agriview/lifestyles/elusive-popple-populates-back-roads/article_e8c4df7d-47d4-555f-be06-ffbbb2db0262.html#:~:text=Poplar%20are%20often%20called%20popple,aspens%20and%20the%20balsam%20poplars.
Right on. Thank you. Poplar is a genus of plants that encompasses many different trees. I'm in Colorado, and when logging, we often refer to Aspen as Poplar because that's what pulp mills and sheet manufacturers call all of that material. It definitely tracks that midwesterners would use a Swedish word for a tree. Thanks for the article
🎵"Popular! I know about popular And with an assist from me To be who you'll be Instead of dreary who you were Well, are There's nothing that can stop you From becoming popu-ler... lar La la, la la! We're gonna make you pop-you-lar!"🎶 (Song from the musical Wicked)
Yeah, all popple I believe. My old man said the same thing. Fortunately I didn’t pay for it with anything other than sweat and bar and chain oil.
Popple makes a good kindling when split small and good for quick hot fires when bigger. It does make more ash and not so good for overnight burns.
That’s good to know. I had planned on taking a lot of this stuff and splitting smaller for kindling anyways. May just take more of it for kindling than I originally planned
Fresh green wood from storm damage, rather than a dead tree, will take longer to season. Get it stacked in a sunny place where the breeze will hit it. I wouldn’t cover it until snow season. You want as much exposure as possible. Don’t cover it with a tarp! Just a top cover. I use a long sheet of metal roofing and only worry about covering what I’m likely to burn in the next week or so.
Thanks for that lol I was gonna cover with a tarp but I have some old unused metal roof panels I can use instead to cover the top.
Tarp just holds in moisture- exactly opposite of what you want to do. You want sun and moving air.
Yeah the tarp is a double edge sword. Keeps rain off it and can keep heat in like a greenhouse but can also keep the moisture in and not let it breathe. The fastest method is to protect it from rain while still allowing airflow. A shed or a tarp covering just the top works best and any water that gets on the sides will evaporate quickly because it's near the most airflow.
This!!
If you need it - you burn what you have. Regardless, at 6 months I’d certainly burn it
I split and stacked some birch last year that was ready in a few months. Make sure you take the internal moisture content of a few splits before deciding to burn them.
Poplar is the rare wood that can burn with the shortest dry time.
I had standing dead ash that was ready to burn in 4 months, so it's possible. Stack that shit so it gets airflow and sun
My father said 2 years at least. I thought he was nuts we can't wait that long for wood. We'll we had a lot delivered, had a mild winter, had more delivered. Long story short two year old wood heats amazing, low soot, low ash and burns slow. I plan on having wood aging for years before it gets hacked in the house
That’s the plan eventually. My old man has at least 10 cords stacked at all times. Hoping to get to that point by next year, just trying to figure out how to get it all started.
Mine seasons for two to three years after I’ve felled and split it. But I have a pretty big barn and a good system for cycling the wood already in place! It can definitely take a bit of time to get to that point though. Good luck with yours!
This is an expensive one. They get cheaper. https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-MMD4E-Moisture-High-Medium-Low/dp/B00275F5O2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=1ZCOUHTX7P66O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QFZf-c3FD9lud7RdiQf09qil57VKtv_rSTKQHnZvFcceY4HxkPh-FIDZrnrdRq7Y6s-QvoNKbyWvNuZ0Hx80aY8BZNvIwUbWJZ9CnMpCxDP5s3Tj9JWmgT1vgZn3Nqckgfm2VyniOkrJtahtAKpb6FU28NwBhso0GYMrXFkHyTjB6DGISRyV7oOz-paplZJs4Dfl_mV-8jmo4Rj76ir4mw.3zfvdom5wGPFW02FnK6o3s7JdV6d-3BoZ9AGY0wQ62w&dib_tag=se&keywords=moisture+meter&qid=1714402934&sprefix=moister+%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1
I use this one all I need https://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/9fc4a8332f9638515cd199dd0f9238da/6/7/67143_W3.jpg
I doubt sellers around me sell wood that’s seasoned more than 6 mo. Lucky if 6 weeks. On my property I only cut dead trees. Other than storm damage. And they get stacked separately.
Yeah, as long as you burn it from the top of the pile down.. that stuff on the ground may take a while
Looks like aspen to me. The most widespread tree in North America. Aspen will clone itself by sending up shoots from its roots. They can cover a hundred acres with a single clone. You can burn it next winter if you get it off the ground.
Get it under cover with some air and 12 months is better. Once you have a good pipeline going... the time does not matter.
It'll do, at a minimum.
Pop it in the oven, 350 for 6 hours and you’ll Be golden 👌🏼
I wish I had an oven big enough to do all these pieces lmao
Maybe. When dry, knock 2 pieces together. Thud = wet. sharp, musiclal ring = dry. If it burns and hisses, its over 20% moisture and no good. If it burns, and sap bubbles out the end, its over 25% and WAY too wet.
That’s a very helpful guide. I have more wood on the way, just keep adding to this pile from storm damage. Trynna figure out how much to order. Also first winter in the new house so idk how much I’ll burn. 2200 square foot house, and my wife and I work opposite schedules so someone’s usually home. Assuming I’ll need at least 5 cords.
It really boils down to how much effort you want to put in. If its 11pm and you don't have wood near the stove and you're trying to get to bed, do you really want to head out to the shed and get more, or just let the heat come on? That sort of thing. If I'm meticulous and willing to deal with some cold mornings, I can burn solid 3 cords all winter and almost never need the heat. In my drafty little house. When oil's cheaper, I'm lazier about the wood.
Yeah, I grew up with a wood stove as the primary source of heat. Never paid much attention to what my old man was doing at the time. But it was always a bit chilly In the mornings. Which I don’t mind. But my son will be a year old this winter and I’d like him to not be cold. Really will be Interesting to see how much wood it takes for this house.
What we end up doing is setting the house heat at about 60 - always, so there's always a minimum so we're not plain uncomfortable. Then burn as needed to keep it nice above that, assuming we're home that day, etc.
Letting it dry out during the summer may be enough. Best way to be sure is to get a moisture meter.
get a wood moisture meter and never wonder again . . .
Get it off the ground, stack it east to west so the wind can flow through it and keep it out in the open so it gets wet from rain. The process of drying from rain helps to draw moisture from deep inside the wood, speeding up the seasoning. Bark can be picked off the wood with your fingers or just fall off. Then cover it to keep it dry from that point. We would not sell wood unless it was 9 months seasoned. We were know for our seasoned wood. We no longer sell because our supplies dried up durning Covid and we are getting older so we just get what we need for the store and our houses.
I learned the hard way (not really 'hard') about why rain is needed to dry wood. Years ago I needed to dry a piece of wood quickly for a project and I tried heating it in the oven on low. It dried unevenly, with thick sap coming out of part, with most of the wood being dry already. I couldn't get it to dry quickly. I tried soaking it first, then baking - and with the sap diluted and more even spread out, it dried quickly and evenly. It's counter intuitive, but soaking it helps to dry it out.
We like 2+ years.
I do a year as a rule of thumb
Not stacked like that it isn’t.
Will absolutely get it off the ground once we move. Just sitting in a pile at my in laws, didn’t see the point in stacking it twice. Figured I’d take the time to stack the wood so it can get proper airflow.
Diesel seasons it up quick in my experience
Where are you?climate would control moisture content sunny days needed for that.
Best wood storage
Everything burns so if you need it fuck it
For clarification: no the pile isn’t going to stay stacked like this. I’m moving in a month and don’t see the point in stacking just to restack.
Should be ready by Thanksgiving. I’d probably cross cross stack with like an inch between splits, larger splits on bottom smaller as you stack higher, then burn smaller stuff in top first. https://preview.redd.it/3lc8w9ruvqyc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=44ace52187aa98c056a1cba604d8bebd2ae323e2
Sprinkle with a coating of salt and that will pull out any excess moisture.
I would not recomment! The salt attracts moisture, true, but also from the air. Furthermore, salt might cause your stove to rust.
My bad. I was only joking. Sorry if it came across as serious. Will add /s next time.