Green and I feed it one or two times per day. My wife and I are renovating an old NE farmhouse in Massachusetts. 1) Ironwood and Hornbeam are considered the same species locally. red Oak) Sweet Gum is great for a hot fire, but burns too quickly. Persimmon is a good secret,burns hot and long. My grandfather told that with him carrying wood in all winter and grandma hauling out the ashes he never saw her all winter !! The drawbacks are the stinky smoke and the fact I had to poke it every 10 min and its hard to split. A few of which are Wild Olive or Silver Berry. It will dry out for a season and then be split and distributed in 2018 or 2019. Hardwoods, ideally should be two years old, but one year is a minimum in the northeast. Weve been lucky the past years to find eucalyptus but have been offered almond this season. Im thrilled to read about mulberrys quallitiestheres alot of that here in WI, Hi Gang! The wood from these trees makes the greatest stove wood there is. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information. The draw back is it is very hard to split . Your main consideration is that, to burn clean, any wood. The ones in the western hardwoods chart are for the west coast varieties. Build the fire slowly, using a combination of Russian olive wood and faster-burning wood, such as pine. One BTU is the heat required to increase the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. I have done a lot of research over the last few months on the best wood here in the mid-south (west Tennessee). Fire it upFire it up! Many places consider it evasive now and are trying to get rid of it. Consistency between charts will vary due to different variables between different data sources. In fact, Im convinced you cant, conventionally. Cut off the limbs with your chainsaw. It was cut 4 month prior to burning in the winter . Yet it will not burn, just smoke. 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. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Creosote is a tar-like black substance deposited inside chimneys as the fire burns. Russian olive will mostly produce a lot of ash but will burn for a long time regardless. 2 look like the olive wood and 2 are green. THAT IS THE SWEET-SMELLING AROMIC CEDAR THEY LINE CLOSETS WITH. Olive is a highly dense hardwood which makes it great for coaling. But its tendency to take on more water in certain settings means extended seasoning time. Despite this, there are some pros to using it as firewood, as well as some cons. Russian olive produces very few sparks as it burns, so you can light the fire and relax. Its wood is excellent for woodworking projects or turning. Any information? Remove the limbs from the bottom of the trunk first, followed by the top limbs, advises the University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension website. I live californnia. 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. With a BTU of 23, Russian olive firewood can produce substantial heat over a long time. But unlike other woods like birch, Russian olive catches fire very slowly. Depending on the types of conditions that the Russian olive tree was growing in, it may be carrying a higher moisture content than you expect. I saw a question about Ailanthus, Tree of Heaven, as to suitability for firewood. Latest data that Ive read is that seasoned softwoods causing creosote problems is baloney. 10. Some softwood varieties produce a lot, meaning youll need to clean the chimney more often. The aspen and spruce burn quickly and hot which works well with my boilers aquastat and powered vent system when the water cools below 175F, the fan kicks on and the easy starting, fast burning junk wood flames up quickly which works well to maintain a constant water temp at 180F maintains the set point and keeps the control loop tight. Youll get an even better fire leaving it for up to 3 years before use. In regards to Splitters, I have a homemade hydraulic 28 Ton that had cycle issues. It burns with a big bright flame then turns into a big bed of red hot coals that burn forever . It smells great too . Do these stoves not have dampers? However, if you are burning firewood throughout the year then you should do this more often. NO BUGS EITHER. It burns so well I mix it with red elm, mulberry, or ash. This is my first year heating with wood. As a common invasive species, you have probably seen Russian olive often on a countryside walk. Is Modesto Ash a soft or hard wood? As with most dense hardwoods, seasoning olive firewood requires patience. What Are The Varieties Of Russian Olive Wood? When cutting, I have to sharpen my chain saw pretty frequently. Patricia in DE. Im also interested in getting photos of completed wood projectsespecially of obscure or lesser known woods. BTUs or British Thermal Units are a measure of the amount of heat energy available in any given substance. I had about 10 mid-size logs of the black locust I burned . Take care working around them and always wear suitable boots and gloves. But unlike other woods like birch, Russian olive catches fire very slowly. More time for your wood to dry will decrease the quantity of smoke created when it is burned, allowing the fire to burn cleaner. It was partially seasoned so I really cant say if its good firewood or not . Cut the wood by splitting it with an axe or log splitter. burning solid fuel !! Overall, compared to other hardwoods, Russian olive can burn for just as long as douglas fir or birch while producing very creosote. Depending on the types of conditions that the Russian olive tree was growing in, it may be carrying a higher moisture content than you expect. They also began infesting fields, preventing local farmers from growing hay, and decreasing the overall grass quantity. As such, glass doors are essential to preventing a fire in your living room. I am refinishing a 3 drawer, 4 cupboard piece of furniture that I believe is olive wood. The red oak gave the most bang for the buck .It burned long,hot and gave some great coals that put out some good btus . Mullberry has a short lifespan and is very rot resistant so they are quite easy to find here in west Tennessee. The olive woods sweetness helps balance the slightly bitter hickory smoke. Im out here in southern Oregon, and theres red fir, which is a true fir, just as white fir, and grand fir are. However, if you are burning firewood throughout the year then you should do this more often. Not a native species, but abundant where it has been planted (I have seen it coast to coast) Any idea the BTU of Tree of Heaven or alianthus (?sp). I am planning on doing a little experiment to find out which wood is best for campfires and fire pits. Thanks to the high BTU that Russian olive firewood produces and its long-lasting heat, Russian olive is an effective choice of wood to use in your fireplace. I grew up on a homestead and I am here to share the knowledge I have and things I learn while living in the countryside. 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. On to cooking. Mulberry has a rateing of (1) unit million btu, 25.80/cord This is russian olive. 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. 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. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. rating? It burns as hot as h_ll . I try to split off 1-inch wide slivers all the way around the round, light these (gum is easy to get burning), and then place the reduced size log on whole. Color/Appearance: Color ranges from a light yellowish-brown to a darker golden brown, sometimes with a greenish hue. Its the worst wood Ive ever encountered. Cottonwood (we refer it as Waterwood) is worthless. Because of the air space between the pieces of wood, the amount of solid wood in a cord may be only 70-90 cubic feet, even though the volume of the stack is 128 cubic feet. How Does Russian Olive Compare To Other Firewood? I am planting some of the Eastern varieties out here that we had in PA. I was just cutting some live oak in California last week so I do know it is there. Once dried, it will burn clean and provide slow-burning coals. Its abundent where I live Northern MN. No matter what firewood you choose, regular chimney maintenance is a good idea to reduce the chance of unwanted fires. My favorite wood to burn, has always been standing dead elm. These charts will give you the amount of energy per cord of wood for some of the most common firewood species. Note my location and you will understand that many of the species mentioned were new to me. Another opinion added to the interwebs Cheers, Happy Burning. Jan 27, 2013. If you look at a BTU chart, it has either the highest or 2nd highest rating of all wood that grows in the US. But, as long as it burns and it sounds like it beats cottonwood and pine. The density of Russian olive means that it can burn slower without losing heat. With a BTU of 23, Russian olive firewood can produce substantial heat over a long time. The wood is dense, like ironwood, meaning it burns slowly, and you won't have to keep adding more to the fire. If youve decided to fell a tree, you may wonder if the Russian olive firewood is good to burn. Can anyone confirm this? I have alot of leelan cypress trees that like to debrach themselves. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Russian olive sprouts from the root crown and sends up root suckers. Russian olive will mostly produce a lot of ash but will burn for a long time regardless. Russian olive is good firewood to use when you already have the means to start a fire. my back yard, and all of northern california would like to respectfully disagree. Mild food is best as it doesnt overwhelm the subtle smoky taste. Im in North Texas and I have a half acre I can devote to renewable firewood. Does anyone else have experience burning buckthorn in a wood stove? Its now plentiful since it has been declared a nuisance species. As has been said, quite unpleasant. It throws sparks so only should be used in stoves that can be closed. After the moisture evaporates the logs burn great . All Rights Reserved. I will say that it leaves very little coals and very little ash. Please leave your comments or questions on those pages if you have experience or questions about those types of firewood. If I come across more apple I will cut it . I dont like the choke cherry and Orgon Ash. Anyone that enjoys cooking with fire should check out these top types of wood for cooking. Burning green wood is bad for any number of reasons, but especially so when the wood has a high sap content. Likewise, wood that does not burn clean, including unseasoned wood, produces more creosote. I burn, wild black cherry, black walnut, elm, hickory and yellow tulip. burning tires/popcorn).beyond these corrections: colour will darken considerably, with uv exposure, from a medium yellow-brown, to a darker, gravy-coloursapwood, is generally narrow (1-3 rings), usually cream- colour, but some have a bright lemon-yellow sapwoodworks fairly well, but it is coarse textured, semi-ring-porous wood, so sanding/finishing can be a challenge.finishes/glues with no problems.being naturally a semi-desert species, the wood isRead more . But unlike other woods like birch, Russian olive catches fire very slowly. The initial smell is like a sweet-smelling perfume. Maybe a little more BTUs than cottonwood . FYI, this insert has glass doors and a chain-link curtain inside them. Unlike tulip poplar firewood which releases few coals and has a short burning period. Just look for a barkless dead tree in a fence row . Check out the following table comparing the heat output of olive to various other common types of firewood. I have always burned anything I can get my hands on; ash, oak, maple, locust, cherry, all types of fruit wood, anything but pine and other softwoods. Ponderosa Pine, commonly used to heat homes in this area, burns at 21.7 British thermal units (BTU), which in simple terms, means it burns hot and long. Its a good starter wood . Fresh cut it has a sap like a pine in the outer bark but overall it contains a lot of water depending on the time of year it is cut. I HAVE to burn green to keep from feeding it all day. BTU rating of russian olive stihltheone Nov 23, 2009 Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment. Hot fires and cold beer!!!! I do know the tree I burned had a bad aroma . must be mangable 4 years later I still come here when I need to cut a load of firewood. 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. Even when thoroughly seasoned, it does tend to spit embers sporadically. Heat efficiency is well worth considering when looking at firewood to burn. . Great info! All of the wood has been cured at least 3 years, but in our damp winters the wood picks up moisture from the air so produces less heat by late winter. However, someone told me that buckthorn burns so hot you have to be careful your wood-burner doesnt crack. I live in Wisconsin now and have never seen one up here. Distribution: Native to eastern Europe and western and central Asia; naturalized throughout North America, Tree Size: 20-35 ft (6-10 m) tall, 1-1.5 ft (.3-.5 m) trunk diameter, Average Dried Weight: 43 lbs/ft3 (685 kg/m3), Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .55, .69, *Estimated hardness based upon specific gravity. The Russian Olive I have seems very dense, but I haven't burned much yet. First find you a steel bucket with a metal lid . Russian olive is medium-quality firewood. I added another folding screen to the hearth, plus a stainless steel screen that has 1/32 holes in it. Some locals began tackling the problem on their own by funding small removal projects, but the effort was minimal in response to the widely growing tree population. Take care when working with Russian olive, as it has thorns that can cause injuries. THE EARLY SNOW STORM DAMAGED A LOT OF TREES HERE IN ORANGE COUNTY NY. Russian Olive grows fast and smells good, two ideal characteristics. Some fully seasoned apple,beech and american elm and some partially seasoned pecan and bradford pear . wanted free hard wood firewood near lebanon,pa area Its hard, shock-resistant, Read More Is Dogwood Good Firewood? Like some other fruitwoods, howeverparticularly mulberrythey are difficult to set on fire. Its ability to spread once established classify it as invasive in some states of the United States (. The tulip poplar is not a poplar, it is in different family. hope this helped you. My grand dad swears beech is king. BTU value is about the same for all hard wood when equal weight of dry is burned. Mostly ash, as all my neighbors here in northeast New Jersey a spit from the Hudson River are culling their ash trees for fear of the borer. Very smoky and almost smells acidic when it burns and it doesnt seem to produce much flame or heat. Thanks for the great info Andy! Though seasoning the wood for long enough will eventually make the smell dissipate. I found a big beech limb fully seasoned and cut it up for a try . 4) White birch (Betula papirifera) and Paper birch are used replaceably locally for the same species. Here in suburban MD (1/2 way between DC and Balt. This tree can tolerate a wide range of harsh environmental conditions such as flood, severe drought, stony, sandy and high salinity or alkalinity of the soils. This is lower than most popular firewood types like oak or black locust. It doesnt seem to put out much ash, but does put out some real heat. Ill have much pecan to burn this fall , we cut a huge tree . Some would argue that its even impossible without a hydraulic splitter. Ive burned wood for heat much of my life, but in my new house my focus is on wood for cooking. They are the top wood, BTU-wise. If youre going to load up your wood stove with the big stuff overnight, you might consider leaving the air intake barely cracked open. I have found that when dried, it is very hard and not easy to carve but, when green, it is very easy to carve! Ive enjoyed reading everyones comments, but few people are visiting or posting lately, so I thought Id fan the flames. Im guessing that the Hemlock that I can get is eastern soft wood correct 15.9? The short trunk and gnarled branches of these trees gives an impression of light wood, but don't be deceived. 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. BillNole ArboristSite Operative. Add surfacing: $113.00 . As a common invasive species, you have probably seen Russian olive often on a countryside walk. Over the years Ive heard people in this region say it gets too hot for stovesif they use only the mahogany I imagine. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Handmade Damascus Steel Full Tang Knife Olive Wood Hunting/Camping/ED W/Sheath at the best online prices at eBay! Their distinctive appearance makes them a popular ornamental, Read More Is Willow Firewood Any Good?Continue. Really enjoy the contributions. Is this wood useable for smoking in a pit style smoker? The latter is superabundant here, but is the devil itself to split. However, as a downside, it tends to spit embers from time to time and produce a fair amount of ash. The National Fire Protection Association suggests that you hire a chimney cleaner to remove creosote build-up at least once a year. 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. We used to call them hedge apples. Is it possible that different poplars are being compared? For campfires, olive makes an excellent choice. just came from the woods. My chimney has never had to be cleaned because of burning hedge that has been dead for many years, plus the fact that it burns so hot. Russian olive trees produce good firewood with a BTU heat rating of 23.0 million per cord. If the Russian olive woods content is still too high after a year, give it a few more months to season. Does anyone know what the btu rating of russian olive is, I burn tons and it makes more heat than anything else that we have so I am curious about the btus. Russian olive does produce a lot of heat. Ive burned a lot of it in the last 35 years. anyone know if red pine has lot of pitch. I have a feeling, based on the small amount of sapwood (which is just a theory of mine) , that it is good but havent put it to the test yet. Personally, the best wood in the world is whatever I can get my hands on. I really dont get the obsession with BTU by speicies. Theyre all gone around here.. Some find their odor offensive, while leaves and fruits are messy. But its tendency to take on more water in certain settings means extended seasoning time. Love hard maples when I can get my hands on them. I dont know how they compare split and dried. The drawback is that the trees are small and have thorns . Nothing burns green like ash. They are hard to start with kindling so I have a tub of old diesel in which I soak Tanoak bark. BTU rating. Or, if the wood is worth your effort. https://firewoodresource.com/firewood-btu-ratings/ try this RLB. Something not mentioned yet that I bring from my Georgia heritage is Fat Lighter. 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. Not my favorite wood but I may change my mind after the project is finished. Amanda@mountainstudies.org. Although the project is nearing its end, MSI is currently pursuing funding and looking to develop more partnerships in order to continue the work. Bandit~ Definitely a burning smell. I just split and stacked 4 yr supply of silver maple, so Im sorry to see how low its BTU rating is. Getting sufficient heat while using minimal wood is valuable, whether relaxing at home or huddling around a campfire. I live in East Tennessee which has a great variety of hardwoods. I have some upstate PA, that often is recovered when down, and used for firewood. They don't produce as many large pieces of firewood as taller tree varieties, but the branches make good kindling. A little off topic for this page so you might not get much response here. In comparison, Russian olive burns at 23 BTU. If you tend to have respiratory allergies, beware and use dust protection when working with this wood. Seasoned olive burns clean and leaves minimal creosote. or should I stay clear.Phil. A kilowatt-hour (kwh) of electricity is equivalent to 3,400 Btu. Russian olive or Elaeagnus Angustifolia is viewed as an invasive species. They had a good mid-size flame and burned a long time. . im in lebanon,pa area. This wood is twice as hot as anything else. One of our favorite cooking woods must be peach. Richard, Ensure that there are enough gaps between each log to allow them to air dry effectively. This means that the wood has had no time to dry out. Support me directly through PatreonIf youve been helped by the Wood Database, consider saying thanks and helping to support the project. Russian olive is usually a straight grain wood, but as it grows older, the trunk tends to grow extremely thick and stringy, making it almost impossible to spit with a maul. 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. My stock is quite soft and light weight. Would I still be allergic to it or was that just to its pollen? Even when thoroughly seasoned, it does tend to spit embers sporadically. When you burn the tree, you put the carbon back. I made the mistake of scoring a cottonwood many years ago and dont want to make that mistake again. I live in Mn and it smells just like fresh cut oak. If I can find ratings for those I will add them too. To get the most heat production out of . Just split 3 cords of white oak and 2 cords of red oak to season for next year. We raise pecans, and they burn cleanly and well, as do prunings from our apple trees. Do you split with a maul and wedges, or with a gas powered splitter? Many use digger pine as it is reasonably priced, but requires that yearly clean out. Dont worry about the ashes your stove produces. How many BTU is a cord of firewood? Apparently Magnolia is very similar to Tulip Poplar. Hello, I used to have this wood it has an unpleasant smell. Walnut (black) rates at 21.50/cord, my information is provided by Pocket Reference by Thomas J Glover printed in September 2006 ( 18th edition ). A well educated, 76 year old, freedom loving American who worries about my children and grandchildren. A lot of people dont burn it so it is plentiful. Burning green wood is bad for any number of reasons, but especially so when the wood has a high sap content. How Often Should I Remove Creosote From My fireplace? I do have a questiondo they test the btu factor at sea level or in an elevation, i have found that many of the old myths to be untrue as far as burn time and heat factor, ash rate in many different varieties of wood in elevation above 2500 to 5000, been doing this for awhile, just wondering if anyone else has found this to be true? In response to robert and his comment about live oak being limited to the south easter united states. Many black oaks lost big limbs in the surprise snow of Nov 2010. I will burn some of the lesser wood, ie. Ash is the only wood Ive ever been able to burn streight off the tree (dried for 1 week or less) everything else I try to let dry for at least 5 years. We have a Jotul wood stove that we cook in. You best be looking over your shoulder as you drive home with your coal! Even though it is not firewood you should use to start your fire, it does produce a BTU of 23 million per cord once it gets going. Personally, when I am home, I burn alot of Pitch Pine. The Btu rating for Almond varies from 29 to 32, why the variance? Don't burn it until it has seasoned for at least one year. I take that to mean that seasoned wood, with the same moisture content, will be pound for pound equivalent in terms of heating value but you may need to burn to 2-3x pine vs hickory. Got some firewood out of because it's the first thing I got rid of at his house when he passed, it but it got mixed in so I have no idea how it burns. The manzanita and white alder need more research.