russian olive firewood btu

Ill have much pecan to burn this fall , we cut a huge tree . We have tons of the best hard woods in this country . The wood is dense and difficult to cut, and the bark is very coarse and uneven, making stacking a challenge. FREE shipping Add to Favorites ALL Natural Russian Olive wood bowl 10 inches Round X 3-5 inches High X 2" Deep . Ive only ived here for the last 4 years, It should have been pruned back many years ago but now to late and needs to be cut down. Green wood from the olive tree is high in water content, so it will smoke in the fire. I live in southwest Oregon. Just curious what kind of energy we are getting from them compared to the cords of hardwood we buy. It doesnt seem to put out much ash, but does put out some real heat. They make great posts and firewood. Stay warm and dont worry about it so much. Required fields are marked *. I am courious about the btu of pecan and swamp chestnut oak and which oak burns the best . Whatever temperatures you face, olive will keep you warm. I grow eucalypt here in the Modesto area and it never lasts as long as almond, but it is also resinous and burns faster. All you ever wanted to know about Russian Olive except its BTU's. Russian olive will mostly produce a lot of ash but will burn for a long time regardless. The tulip poplar is not a poplar, it is in different family. IT IS USELESS FOR FIREWOOD BECAUSE OF THE LITTLE/NO HEAT OUTPUT, BUT MAINLY ITS TOO DANGEROUS TO BURN INDOORS, AS IT POPS AND EXPLODES AND THROWS SPARKS EVERYWHERE. My comment doesnt pertain to btus so much, but would like to say that here in central Ind., I look for elms,not sure if there rock, red or slippery elms.But easy to spot cuz they die avg. I live in East Kentucky and fire wood is abundant. Burn really hot. It might be interesting if someone else also burns that stuff and has a good supply of different types of wood to compare with. The shrub can grow up to 30 feet in height. Beautiful wood, but until it is thoroughly dried, while working with it, it smells awful my brother was making 10 inch boxes out of it and said smells like cat piss. I can lift a 3 log of aspen into my fire box the same oak log is too heavy. Do they make good firewood? Black Cherry, and Apple give off a wonderful aroma,as well as producing nice heat. Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The smell just gets me ready for breakfast as soon as I get it going! Remove them last to prevent the tree from rolling. Do they make good firewood? MSI applied and was awarded a total of $247,000 from the Colorado Water Conservation Board and Colorado Parks and Wildlife for a three-year project to remove the trees from Bakers Bridge to the New Mexico line. Though that is not to say that their moisture levels are exceedingly high. Superb device . When were rigging it out of the tree or hauling it I use the charts for douglas fir since Ive heard they are about the same density as live wood. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Magnolia firewood burn qualities 1. It is not wood that leaks water as soon as it is split, unlike sycamore wood. 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. The dense, deeply creviced bark makes a perfect hideout for spiders and insects. So, are Russian olives worth the trouble? Its similar to black walnut and white ash but doesnt rate as well as honeylocust, Osage orange, or beech. Im also interested in getting photos of completed wood projectsespecially of obscure or lesser known woods. cajun, Any BTU rating for Russian olive? I want to leave it as natural as possible. Russian olive does produce a lot of heat. Anyone know the BTU's/cord? 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. In central MN (east Metro) that stuff is thick and burning the roots gives green-brown smoke. Add surfacing: $113.00 . Maybe a little more BTUs than cottonwood . Save it, let it dry for 2 -3 years and youll be opening windows to let the cold air in in February . It is a hardwood that can produce a lot of heat for a long time. I have some upstate PA, that often is recovered when down, and used for firewood. ), You can help support the site by buying one of these resources, designed and published by The Wood Database. The average efficiency rating is around 19.9 million BTU per cord. Every year we have to cut several down. I forgot to mention that I cut and split a Catalpa. The earth is drwoning in CO2 from burning sequestered carbon. The red fir name comes from the beautiful red color of the heartwood. We repainted the Jotul with 1200 degree rated stove paint and a lot of it has burned offso we know the Jotul gets hot, just not how hot. Make another cut at a 45-degree angle above the original cut, so the cuts join, creating a notch in the wood resembling a wedge of watermelon. Cal., I really miss having Live Oak and Eucalypyus to burn. They also have little thorns on the smaller limbs. I live in Washington State,and We have a lot of conifers here! Russian olive will smoke a substantial amount if not left to dry out for long enough. FYI, this insert has glass doors and a chain-link curtain inside them. In most cases, wood that has little sap build-up is easier to chop and quicker to dry. I have burned Ailanthus for several years. They are hard to start with kindling so I have a tub of old diesel in which I soak Tanoak bark. Sounds like my neighbor would get along great with yours. We love it it burns slower and longer so we dont have use our wood as fast. Getting sufficient heat while using minimal wood is valuable, whether relaxing at home or huddling around a campfire. They don't produce as many large pieces of firewood as taller tree varieties, but the branches make good kindling. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Russian olive tree was introduced to the Animas Valley, north of Durango, for their decorative merits. Olive is a highly dense hardwood which makes it great for coaling. Long story short, am I wasting my time with that willow? I had intended to include a reference to my location but failed to do so. More time for your wood to dry will decrease the quantity of smoke created when it is burned, allowing the fire to burn cleaner. But it does burn off a substantial amount of ash. I will say that it leaves very little coals and very little ash. This can help you decide what the best firewood type is for your needs. If you burn coal, you are leaving a destiny of death and starvation for your descendents and mine! Russian olive is medium-quality firewood. Its now plentiful since it has been declared a nuisance species. But the common name aptly applies due to its obvious high density and/or hardnessprobably how it got the common name in the first place. Your email address will not be published. I found that if you have some green (wet) wood and want to have a campfire go to your local hardware store and buy a duraflame fire log . Western dogwood grows along the west coast and canyon live oak is common in California and Oregon. Season the wood to remove any moisture for one year before burning it. WE MADE BARTOPS, SHELVES, AND FENCING OUT OF IT (PRIMO FOR THOSE, AS THE GRAIN IS VERY PRETTY AND CONTRASTING). The apple is a good secret that most wood burners never thought of . Here in South Central Alaska, all we have is Birch, Black Spruce and Cottonwood. Be wary of using Russian olive wood in an open fireplace. 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. I have to say, Ive tried Red Oak and not impressed. A few of which are Wild Olive or Silver Berry. my experiences with Russian olive is that it is rather easy to work with and finishes very nicely. At 23.0 million BTUs of heat per cord, Russian olive gives off moderate heat. The russian olive gets it's feet in first now. I cant tell the actual temp because it made the temp gauge go past the max 600 degree mark then go back around to the 200 degree mark . I cant understand anyone having a problem with it! Or, if the wood is worth your effort. I find black cherry and hickory give the best burning results. THE COALS GLOW REDHOT LIKE OAK, BUT WITH HARDLY ANY HEAT. Store firewood somewhere constantly dry and airy. Seasoned olive burns clean and leaves minimal creosote. For wood stoves I beleive ash,oak,hickory mix. I have a few standing dead pin oaks. But, as long as it burns and it sounds like it beats cottonwood and pine. They have a wierd looking fruit that is bright green and and can be as big as a cantaloupe and just as heavy. The initial smell is like a sweet-smelling perfume. Well here it is getting to be winter in upstate NY again and the little woodstove in our basement has been running since September or so. As previously stated by others, forget ANY cottonwood, only one or two sticks at a time for Manzanita as it is super hot. and keep the bedroom doors about a foot from closed to save heat. This guide looks at whether its worth tossing in the fire so that you dont waste time splitting it for no reason. We call them Rock Maples and they are over abundant in our town in Maine. Ive enjoyed reading everyones comments, but few people are visiting or posting lately, so I thought Id fan the flames. getting mostly ash, some cherry and some oak. I cannot find any chart that lists BTUs for Shingle Oak anyone out there have specific information on that particular variety? Like some other fruitwoods, howeverparticularly mulberrythey are difficult to set on fire. Also have lots (4 cord) of seasoned oak and cherry on hand. I do know the tree I burned had a bad aroma . Dont even bother. Russian olive does produce a lot of heat. must be mangable There is some conflicting data between different sources due to different calculating variables. (Sir Douglas Menzizii) He really didnt know how to classify it because it had characteristics of fir and also of hemlock so he called it Pseudo(false) tsuga (hemlock)so it is really not fir at all or hemlock? With a BTU of 23, Russian olive firewood can produce substantial heat over a long time. Im in California, about 3800 ft up the west side of the Sierra Navadas. Olive wood - what a find, limited quantity! 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. Where does the hart-nut tree stand in the BTU scale? We raise pecans, and they burn cleanly and well, as do prunings from our apple trees. My grandfather told that with him carrying wood in all winter and grandma hauling out the ashes he never saw her all winter !! Thorny, tough wood makes splitting difficult. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Russian olive is medium-quality firewood. We bought cedar this year and it burns slowly and puts out little to no heat. Apparently Magnolia is very similar to Tulip Poplar. 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. The density of Russian olive means that it can burn slower without losing heat. Everyone has these charts but none of the wood listed is available here in Southern Cal. Hi! I live in East Tennessee which has a great variety of hardwoods. The last batch I made got the temp on my grill to well over 600 degrees with just a small mound. If it is really dry it gives off some heat, but I usually recommend it as a campfire wood. The answer for me was a wood splitter, which does a nice job with it and the hardwoods I also use. 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. Like another poster mentioned, the oaks need to be processed and used quickly, they get bugs and start to rot very soon after coming down. Glad that these charts settle the madrone/euk BTU argument. Thanks. thanks. The greatest downside to using it is the abundance of tree sap that adheres to ones gloves during the cutting and stacking process. I dont know how that changes as it dries out. Hemlock that is stacked in a single stack with plenty of air and sun can be ready to burn in one summer. I primarily have Red Oak, Black Cherry, American Elm, Red Maple, Locust, Hickory, Cottonwood, Poplar, growing in the woods. Some people find this unsettling, while popping embers can burn carpets and rugs. Don't burn it until it has seasoned for at least one year. NOW I LIVE IN ARIZONA AND THE CEDAR OUT HERE IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT! I have a rather large Bradford pear that I need to take down. I really dont get the obsession with BTU by speicies. Its a very interesting subject you bring up Audrie that I would also like to hear comments about. Sapwood a much lighter yellow-white. 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. All firewood has about the same BTU per pound. 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 thrives with zero care. New member to this forum. However, the destructive habits of these non-native, invasive species were quickly discovered by residents in the valley. Due to being more shrub-like than other trees, Russian olive trees have very little sap. Quick AnswersContinue, A crackling fire is a great way to stay warm in the cold months, but using the right firewood is essential. The small, more seasoned stuff burned with mid flame and burned very slow . Not talking about ordinary white mulberry, just the fruitless ones. I already have my next tree cut and seasoning . The specific links on this site are affiliate links (as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases) and help support the site at no extra cost to you. That means youll need a powerful maul or hydraulic splitter. When its cold out, I seem less lazy to get up in the middle of the night to keep the fire hot overnight. Or would it be worth the heat and not having that pile to look at anymore? The two common types found in these parts are tall shrubs or small trees, depending on site characteristics They are in the Rose family. Sometimes the base of the tree is hollow with a wet sawdust inside. ), I am reduced to asking neighbors or builders if I can haul away their downed trees. But unlike other woods like birch, Russian olive catches fire very slowly. The denser the wood from a tree variety, the higher the BTUs per volume. This is because softwoods, like pine and fir, contain resins, which have more energy per weight than wood fiber does. 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. One perk of Russian olive: it burns hot. Try to fell a Russian olive tree and split the wood between winter and early spring. One BTU is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. BARK SEEMS OAKLIKE. interesting site. 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. I live in an area surrounded by Russian Olive trees. I live on the west slope too and have found that oak, even when protected, doesnt keep that well, unlike cedar, pine, fir, or lodgepole. I have pictures of him with an electric pole saw (hes deathly afraid of power equipment)cutting 2 diameter branches on the ground !!! Many of its given names are based on the trees olive branch-like aesthetic. here in washington all the old timers and people that heat there houses just with wood buy douglas fir and the hipsters burn hard wood because they think its better. It is a hardwood that can produce a lot of heat for a long time. The store bought lump charcoal gets it to usually 500. my back yard, and all of northern california would like to respectfully disagree. Patricia in DE. Anyone that enjoys cooking with fire should check out these top types of wood for cooking. Your main consideration is that, to burn clean, any wood. ft. barn/house. In these states, selling or planting them is often illegal. In Iowa we mix our loads in the stove out of boredom. Joined Apr 27, 2013 Messages 307 . Being a transplant from So. This can mean much longer burn times and less loading. Originally, Russian olives were planted in America to act as a windbreaker and soil stabilizers. Its not the best, but it will warm you. Like several posters have commented, a big chunk of fir will last for 5-6 hours in the wood stove, and makes for an easy re-start in the morning. A well educated, 76 year old, freedom loving American who worries about my children and grandchildren. http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/elaang/all.html, http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/nativegardening/avoid.shtml, Want a masonry heater, Russian, Finish, kakelofen type, The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces, Russian Fireplace / Masonry Heaterabsolute newbie. is magnolia on the list of burning trees and where is it and if its not can i have some info bout it,please. [Full Review]Continue, After firewood has been split, all that remains is to store it. It does make a nice fire so maybe they should call it Good Fir Fire. I think these charts are the more accurate of the many charts. 4 years later I still come here when I need to cut a load of firewood. Then fill it with fist size chunks of natural wood , then put the lid on . . I cant find any information anywhere on bradford pear btu either. Comments:Originally brought to the United States in the late 1800s for windbreaks and erosion control (and as an ornamental tree). I farm a good bit of ground and we have 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. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. I note that quaking aspen is rated higher than aspen in your West chart. Russian olive burns clean, produces minimal creosote, and doesn't spark and pop. Unlike tulip poplar firewood which releases few coals and has a short burning period. If this site is still monitored I wonder if you could answer some questions. But its tendency to take on more water in certain settings means extended seasoning time. Someone asked about Avacado. For all the work of cutting and curing any variety of wood, coal is the BEST for heating. 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. Firewood is easier to split while it is still green. The black locust sparks more as its moisture content rises. If some of the wood is used for construction, there is a net decrease in CO2 from the activity. Russian olive or Elaeagnus Angustifolia is viewed as an invasive species. Hardwoods, ideally should be two years old, but one year is a minimum in the northeast. . When we are burning both stoves say in January, then Im just a wood-slave the whole day long. Its close to soft maple on the btu chart plus I dont need to go anywhere or handle it too many times. Dont waste your time with Sweetgum wood. I am refinishing a 3 drawer, 4 cupboard piece of furniture that I believe is olive wood. When the tempreture drops to single digits or below zero the BTU output keeps my home comfortable, I also like the shagbark hickery. Thanks! In the wild, Russian olive trees have been known to smell very sweet and strong. i have access to some and im wondering if its worth my time to get it. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. The Russian olive removal sites offered up the perfect solution. The few times he has a bonfire he cooks hotdogs and marshmallows over treated oak pallet wood !!! central KS and have been burning Osage Orange for 27 yrs in a Majestic insert fireplace with a blower. Chopped up a few live oaks and boy that is a great wood for the fireplace! Step away from the tree at a 45-degree angle once it starts to fall. Pros And Cond Of Using Russian Olive as Firewood. Remember that fires can be unpredictable, so never leave them unattended outdoors. 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. I burn about 12 cords a year using a wood boiler heating house and shop. My preferred woods for the Jotul are cherry, sugar maple, and Norwegian maple. I have been researching on the Net and found some basic info but nothing so far as to how often/what size to harvest different wood species. Hit the wood against the wood box or ground before bringing it indoors. I am the guy behind Theyardable.com. French Polynesia, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Libya, Martinique, Middle East, New Caledonia, Oceania, Reunion, Russian Federation, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, South America . That means extra work scooping it up and tossing it or scattering it over the garden. I dont bother with cottonwood as a fuel source. I am presently making a box from Russian olive. As such, glass doors are essential to preventing a fire in your living room. 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.