There is of course no obligation, but if youd like to give back and ensure that the project continues to grow, consider supporting me on Patreon. The shrub can grow up to 30 feet in height. Russian olive is medium-quality firewood. The few times he has a bonfire he cooks hotdogs and marshmallows over treated oak pallet wood !!! Russian olive does produce a lot of heat. It is a hardwood that can produce a lot of heat for a long time. Western Hardwoods Figures from California Energy Commission BTU Rating Based on 90 cubic feet of solid wood per 128 cubic foot cord. Re Bradford Pear, we had one in our front yard that lasted about 15 yrs., then went the way of many: split in a storm. I have been looking for the B.T.U. Have also taken large quantities of red oak (everyones favorite) and red maple (the poor mans oak), and smaller amounts of cherry (nice smell), beech (hot stuff), yellow birch (great smell), white oak, and sweetgum. At ~$75/ton which is about the same dimension size as a cord of wood, it has about 6-7X the btu value of any cord of wood. Ten pieces of green 20 yellow birch or hard maple last for roughly eight hours and throw tons of heat. The live oaks did just fine since they have such small leaves (unless they got in the way of a falling black oak). Dont even bother. I will feed twice that amount of seasoned. I first came here and posted in 2010 . I am planting some of the Eastern varieties out here that we had in PA. I will burn some of the lesser wood, ie. They then loose there bark &; become silver faded color &; will stand dead for yrs. I added the BTU of Eucalyptus to the charts but I cant find consistent data for avocado and almond. Hope to experiment with salmon. Can anyone confirm this? In mid-summer, after the sap has risen and saturated the stump, cut it. Here is a site for California wood ratings http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/heating_cooling/firewood.html Surprisingly, I found almond and eucalypt rated close to the same. In natural settings, they quickly become invasive, crowding out other native species. land. We just called them hedge trees. Season the wood to remove any moisture for one year before burning it. Non resinous wood has around 8000 to 8500 BTU per pound, resinous wood has around 8600 to 9700 BTU per pound. Im also interested in getting photos of completed wood projectsespecially of obscure or lesser known woods. Mulberry has a rateing of (1) unit million btu, 25.80/cord Creosote is a tar-like black substance deposited inside chimneys as the fire burns. Personally, when I am home, I burn alot of Pitch Pine. Black Cherry, and Apple give off a wonderful aroma,as well as producing nice heat. Which aspen is rated equally in your West and East charts? I am going to try some Apple wood next to see if it matches up with the hickory. Quick Answers. Likewise, wood that does not burn clean, including unseasoned wood, produces more creosote. Is Russian Olive Good Firewood? - theyardable.com The fireplace is rated at a whopping 25% efficient! My fathers property in southern Illinois is over whelmed with Russian Olive trees as they were used in near by coal mining areas during reclamation of the mines after they closed. Persimmon is a good secret,burns hot and long. The wood from these oak trees is prized for its strength and density, and that density makes it one of the best at producing heat. Stain? How Much Sap Content Does Russian Olive Have? My father bought some to plant (for the birds) . Has anyone heard of this problem? [Full Review]Continue, After firewood has been split, all that remains is to store it. Step away from the tree at a 45-degree angle once it starts to fall. I saw were it is in the same family as ebony . If I come across more apple I will cut it . Our house is a 3 BR split level affair. Latest data that Ive read is that seasoned softwoods causing creosote problems is baloney. But its tendency to take on more water in certain settings means extended seasoning time. I added another folding screen to the hearth, plus a stainless steel screen that has 1/32 holes in it. Mulberry burns wonderfully, but gets so hot it put a crack in our first cast-iron stove when it was used as a full load, so we only use one piece at a time with other woods. Pricing/Availability: Russian Olive tends to be a very small tree, with a highly branching form that is not conducive to large or straight logs. It is quite old and is hanging over mine and my neighbors drive ways. White and red oak burn well. by Lillie Nelson November 6, 2022 One perk of Russian olive: it burns hot. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creosote Firewood BTU Ratings Chart Best Firewood Heat Energy Content Bow Woods (from a mathematical perspective), Four Common Finishing Mistakes (and how to avoid them). density, and several qualitative parameters smell, ash production, fast/slow burn, ease of starting, ease of splitting, color/look of flame, popping/sparking and probably others. BillNole. The Russian Olive I have seems very dense, but I haven't burned much yet. Wood heat seems to be medicinal especially on cold, wintry days. I have a few standing dead pin oaks. But older trees have tough, stringy trunks that require much more work. Here in South Central Alaska, all we have is Birch, Black Spruce and Cottonwood. russian olive firewood btu - durhamsoftball.com im a firewood dealer i burn everything but when my house is cold and i want it to get hot fast its doug fir all the way. I live in East Tennessee which has a great variety of hardwoods. trees have less resinous material than evergreens.) I have enjoyed this site tremendously and was particularly pleased to see data on Ironwood and Blue beech which I didnt have.. In the fireplace, it is consumed due to the extreme heat of the wood, and the wood burns just as if it has been dead for several years. Olive is a highly dense hardwood which makes it great for coaling. The cores, thick bark that protects the Russian olive wood makes it difficult for the wood to dry out as quickly as pine or fir if not split. WE DID HOWEVER, CUT AND SPLIT ALOT INTO FIREWOOD FOR, OF ALL PEOPLE, THE BAREFOOT FIREWALKERS! Anyone know anything about russian olive? - Firewood Hoarders Club Anyone who thinks its crappy has either failed to keep it dry, not split it small enough or burned it green. Unseasoned wood will still have some water content and will result in a slower burn, thus quicker creosote build-up. Im guessing that the Hemlock that I can get is eastern soft wood correct 15.9? you will be opening your windows in no time. This is lower than most popular firewood types like oak or black locust. Required fields are marked *. I have pictures of him with an electric pole saw (hes deathly afraid of power equipment)cutting 2 diameter branches on the ground !!! I have also burned green osage orange. BTU rating. I have been told that gum trees and pine trees will clog up a chimmney Some wood gives off a lot of sparks in the fireplace. You will need to use a combination of other woods to get your fire going, to begin with as Russian olive does not catch fire easily. Does anyone know which of these woods produces the least ash, Oak or Pine. Being a fairly common and fast-growing tree, prices should be moderate. The dense, deeply creviced bark makes a perfect hideout for spiders and insects. Tree species with dense wood provide the best firewood, releasing more BTUs per volume of wood than species with less dense or lighter . Otherwise, you may, Read More The Ultimate Firewood Storage Guide For 2023Continue, The dogwood tree is a flowering deciduous that is native to the eastern parts of the United States, Europe, and eastern Asia. Its close to soft maple on the btu chart plus I dont need to go anywhere or handle it too many times. I think I saw on another btu chart that poplar is 17.0 , but not totally for sure. Just cut down a Shingle Oak Tree here in Ohio. Remember that fires can be unpredictable, so never leave them unattended outdoors. We have oaks and madrone as our more common hardwoods. White alder was favored by the local tribes for pit roasting salmon. Wood is limited to small-scale andhobbyistuses. Green firewood only gives off about 40% of the energy of dry firewood. It does make a nice fire so maybe they should call it Good Fir Fire. Unseasoned wood smells unpleasant as it burns. One final note, as a kid I grew up where the streets where lined with English Walnuts and Shagbark Hickory planted around 1900 or sokept the red tree squirrels happy (and perhaps a few mean cats). Are these possibly data for the same species gleaned from different sources? Be sure to have a good roaring fire the whole time the wood is cooking and make sure the wood that is being used for charcoal is well seasoned .The greener the wood the less charcoal will be produced and it will greatly increase the production time.My next batch will be made using a 55 gal drum to hold the wood for charcoal and I will make a concrete block kiln to hold my fire.This should make about 50 -75 lbs of hickory pecan mix charcoal. Oak gets borers and starts getting dusty with sawdust falling out. Burning green wood is bad for any number of reasons, but especially so when the wood has a high sap content. We used to call them hedge apples. Though they are slightly different species, a Russian olive tree will most likely be found growing near autumn olive trees, which are just as invasive. They are now an invasive species that crowd out natives and suck up valuable water. In these states, selling or planting them is often illegal. As a firewood enthusiast, I read with great envy about 350 acres of river bottom woods. Im located in Oregons Willamette Valley and the property I live on has multiple fruitwoods, black locust, sugar maple, norwegian maple, Oregon Oak, Oregon Ash, white alder, wild cherry, and several conifers. I burn about 12 cords a year using a wood boiler heating house and shop. I look for fallen trees that are gray and smooth. Allergies/Toxicity: Besides the standard health risks associated with any type of wood dust, no further health reactions have been associated with Russian Olive. Clear the brush around the Russian olive tree and plan an escape route. Mix some ash firewood in with your Russian olive and you will get a good heat source burning quickly. What Are The Varieties Of Russian Olive Wood? Many people despise Russian olive trees as they make it difficult for other trees to thrive. If you want a stronger flavor, try combining olive with the punchy smoke flavor produced by hickory. I have done a lot of research over the last few months on the best wood here in the mid-south (west Tennessee). I didnt find any data about almond wood, in your stats, and thought you might like to include it. Ive burned a lot of it in the last 35 years. Add surfacing: $113.00 . It smells great too . Many people despise Russian olive trees as they make it difficult for other trees to thrive. But since then, they have spread wildly due to their deep, re-sprouting roots. Getting sufficient heat while using minimal wood is valuable, whether relaxing at home or huddling around a campfire. Don't burn it until it has seasoned for at least one year. Common Uses: Knife scales, bowls, pens, and other small woodturning projects. Quick AnswersContinue, A crackling fire is a great way to stay warm in the cold months, but using the right firewood is essential. How Does Russian Olive Compare To Other Firewood. I get up in the morning and heat our little berm home from 66-67 to 71-74 degrees with cottonwood and red elm in an hour and a half with cottonwood providing the bulk of the heat. I already have my next tree cut and seasoning . When Russian olive wood is first cut, it released an unpleasant, overwhelming odor. Keeps for a couple years at best. Brings back a lot of memories of cutting firewood with my grandpa. Store firewood somewhere constantly dry and airy. But in many cases softwoods actually have more BTU per pound than hardwoods. Although it does not grow to be large in diameter, with older varieties of the tree, splitting the trunk part of the tree can be pretty difficult. Just split 3 cords of white oak and 2 cords of red oak to season for next year. The density of Russian olive means that it can burn slower without losing heat. I have cut and burned a bit of Russian Olive. I cant seem to find any info on suitability of Tupelo or Black Gum for firewood. Thanks for posting the list of firewood species & specs. Yule Logs & Firewood Science - New York Almanack Russian olive firewood leaves a lot of ashes in the fireplace once the fire burns out. Or, if the wood is worth your effort. Be wary of using Russian olive wood in an open fireplace. Can Russian olive trees be used for firewood? I have a rather large Bradford pear that I need to take down. Lodgepole can generate a BTU as high as 17.7, making it one of the higher burning pines. Happiness is a full woodbox on Friday night! Russian olive does have a very strong and distinctive fragrance when sawn or sanded. I consider myself as an expert in firewood as I have heated my home with wood for 30 years. Here in MD was 39 today with 20mph wind. It does get hotter than the Red Oak and leaves hot coals. After the moisture evaporates the logs burn great . This phase of the project was executed from 2016-2018. It does have thorns and it is easy to work. A wood box helps contain it. Do you split with a maul and wedges, or with a gas powered splitter? Thanks! This wood is best suited to turned objects, in my experience, as the irregular wood and knots tend to make it hard to work with anything duller than a razor blade.Since I find that irregular woods seem to do well on the lathe, I use it for turnings, as it is very figured and I think it looks quite nice. It burns as hot as h_ll . Firewood BTU Chart. Yet it will not burn, just smoke. NOW I LIVE IN ARIZONA AND THE CEDAR OUT HERE IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT! If some of the wood is used for construction, there is a net decrease in CO2 from the activity. Many of the local ranchers have pulled the root bases from the banks of irrigation ditches and streams and there is an abundance of dried root balls to chose my wood from! It was partially seasoned so I really cant say if its good firewood or not . I live in the White Mountains of Arizona. In the early 1900s, Russian olive trees were introduced to North America to stabilize soil and provide windbreaks. I live in the midwest southern iowa have burned firewood for most of my life,and have discovered that different woodstove set ups heat better using different wood. Wood combustion occurs in three consecutive, overlapping stages. Do deer eat Russian olive trees? I grew up in central Illinois and we had a lot of hedge rows that were being cut. The maple burns very well though w good hot hard coals that will last the night if I get too lazy to feed the fire at 3am. burning solid fuel !! Are Rosewoods (and Bubinga) really banned by CITES? We burn mostly old-growth sugar maple w some white ash, black cherry, beech and black maple thrown in. I have a Russian Olive that I cut down about 4 months ago and has been sitting in 100F weather for three weeks. It also helps that its wood tends to be denser than other pines, taking longer to burn out. We use an outdoor wood burner. We do have one wood burning fire place, and when the big ice storm hit February 2021, knocking out our power for a week, we used that fire place for heat. FIREWOOD BTU CHART | Outdoor Power Equipment Forum 1) Ironwood and Hornbeam are considered the same species locally. Makes a mean pizza and can sear steak like nobodys business. We collect it as down and dead firewood when we are cutting western juniper (J.occidentalis), mostly on B.L.M. Also, it tends to split easily while drying. Still have some pieces, which are quite dry by now. I will say that it leaves very little coals and very little ash. It burned very hot with big blue-yellow flames and gave the best aroma . Your web site is very informative. Invest in a moisture meter to know when your firewood has seasoned for long enough. It will spark quite a bit, however, when the burning logs collapse upon one another during the burning process. Russian olive does produce a lot of heat. I cant understand anyone having a problem with it! Russian Olive - Utah State University One of our favorite cooking woods must be peach. Jul 21, 2013. It is a hardwood that can produce a lot of heat for a long time. If you take a piece of that wood and another same size piece of another type of wood that you know the BTU of, you can get a general idea. Or, if the wood is worth your effort. However, as a downside, it tends to spit embers from time to time and produce a fair amount of ash. While some types of, Read More 11 Types Of Wood You Shouldnt BurnContinue, The willow tree is found in many parts of the world including Europe, Asia, and North America. I would also like to know more about if youRead more . Not my favorite wood but I may change my mind after the project is finished. cure time is at least 2 years covered,found a rating of 16 mil btus per cord but it was rated as poor firewood. However, if you are burning firewood throughout the year then you should do this more often. Firewood is easier to split while it is still green. Im here in S.E. Jan 27, 2013. There is nothing wrong with burning well seasoned softwoods, but care should be taken not to over fire with ones that tend to burn fast and hot. They are invasive and grow very quickly. Its BTU is just as high as birch which varieties produce a BTU of 23.8 million per cord and higher than douglas fir, which has a BTU of 20,7. The short trunk and gnarled branches of these trees gives an impression of light wood, but don't be deceived. More time for your wood to dry will decrease the quantity of smoke created when it is burned, allowing the fire to burn cleaner. 3) Cottonwood is actually one of the poplars (Populus deltoides) and is rated quite a bit higher in the West (16.8) than the East (13.5). Fire it upFire it up! The better your firewood has been seasoned, the better it will burn. Seasoned wood is always the best bet, and I dont mean that seasoned = less than 4+ months. I note that quaking aspen is rated higher than aspen in your West chart. Russian olive is a good choice of firewood for woodstoves, campfires, and open fireplaces. Then fill it with fist size chunks of natural wood , then put the lid on . While we have quite a few woods available to us, what weve settled on for the fire place is a 50/50 mix of Oregon Ash and Black Locust. Green wood from the olive tree is high in water content, so it will smoke in the fire. thanks, THE COALS GLOW REDHOT LIKE OAK, BUT WITH HARDLY ANY HEAT. Axe Adviser is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We have tons of felling oak trees pushed up waiting to be cut , fully seasoned too !!! The bradford pear can go to the dump along with the elm . Russian olive is commonly found growing along floodplains, riverbanks, stream courses, marshes, and irrigation ditches in the West at elevations from 4500 to 6000 feet. The drawbacks are the stinky smoke and the fact I had to poke it every 10 min and its hard to split. MY PREFERENCE would be the DR flywheel special.. Man that thing smokes with efficiency. Sourwood trees provide an excellent habitat for pollinators, and their lumber makes great tool handles, but is sourwood good firewood? . The National Fire Protection Association suggests that you hire a chimney cleaner to remove creosote build-up at least once a year. The doug fir gets the bark beetles that work away the outer layer, but if you can get the bark off the wood it will last several years. I believe that pecan should be very high in BTUs and close to the other hickories, only because its in the family. Burning green wood is bad for any number of reasons, but especially so when the wood has a high sap content. They usually are 3-4 around (like I said, they grow quickly!) For example a Eucalypt that is similar in size and appearance to live oak is E moluccana ( grey box ) it grows in iron stone reliying on 12 inches of rain per year and at 3% moisture content weighs 9,856 pounds per cord how many BTUS would that equate to , or what about Waddy wood ( Acacia peuce ) it grows in the outback and at 3% moisture content weighs 13,112 pounds per cord and relies on one inch of rainfall per year what would its BTU output be ? Russian olive is medium-quality firewood. Would I still be allergic to it or was that just to its pollen? Cut the trunk into pieces about 4 inches smaller than your wood box. This keeps all sparks from shooting onto our carpet. It is recommended that you use a mixture of firewood when starting a fire instead of relying solely on Russian olive to get it going. Copyright 20082023 Eric Meier. I heard somewhere that most of the ash comes from the bark. I recently shaped into slabs. Take care when cutting them and work with a partner. The stock I have doesnt match the data on the wood. They are also a very resilient tree, capable of living in almost any condition, making them even more of an issue to permanently remove. Walnut (black) rates at 21.50/cord, my information is provided by Pocket Reference by Thomas J Glover printed in September 2006 ( 18th edition ). The small, more seasoned stuff burned with mid flame and burned very slow . The wood requires sufficient time to season, and mature logs may be difficult to split. This is also the order I would rate them. Some do well, others not so well Any info on Sassafras? The red fir name comes from the beautiful red color of the heartwood. Ive burned wood for heat much of my life, but in my new house my focus is on wood for cooking. Is It Okay To Burn Russian Olive In A Fireplace? I live in Bedford County Va and burn what I have on my property. Northern Cal checking in, renovated an old homestead 5 years ago and have been clearing doug fir and california bay laurel for fire safety zone around the house. I cut them in 1 rounds and let the sun crack the end grain. So, in the fall of 2017, MSI partnered with the Durango Rotary Club, a local group in constant need of wood for their firewood distribution project, which helps low-income families and seniors. Thanks! But unlike other woods like birch, Russian olive catches fire very slowly. The woods grain may be straight, wavy, curly, wild, or interlocked. The only problem I have now is that Im having trouble finding trees to cut. I thought the same. Stay warm and dont worry about it so much. Many black oaks lost big limbs in the surprise snow of Nov 2010. I live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, where I have 20 acres of mixed hardwoods. About coal. Some have more heat than others but if you already have it you might as well cut it up and burn it. I have 4 cords plus over 100 more Russian Olive trees to cut for firewood. anyone have any experience burning mulberry? Id like to burn red oak as well but its a little too cold for it around here. Olive wood is a great hardwood, it burns much like pecan or oak. Contains some non native species that can be found in the West. Some softwood varieties produce a lot, meaning youll need to clean the chimney more often. This shrub's silvery foliage, showy flowers, and colorful berries made it popular in landscaping, though it was also planted extensively for a period of time in natural areas to provide erosion control, wind breaks, and wildlife food. Definitely a burning smell. hope this helped you. I burn, wild black cherry, black walnut, elm, hickory and yellow tulip. I have burned about every tree that grows in this county (except cottonwood and willow, which is about worthless), and the best, by far, is Osage Orange. Its similar to black walnut and white ash but doesnt rate as well as honeylocust, Osage orange, or beech. Many use digger pine as it is reasonably priced, but requires that yearly clean out. Overall, compared to other hardwoods, Russian olive can burn for just as long as douglas fir or birch while producing very creosote. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. I think you have inspired me to do a test some day of oak vs madrone in a camp fire. But have found fore killed spruce / pine that had topsburned off in forest fire but roots kept sending sap to tree gives best heat ! We have 2 cast iron wood stoves and a drafty 200 year old house in central new York state.