wmonroe
Elite Member
My area has mainly fir, pine and birch. I have found it best to cut mature birch before they die. If left until they are completely dead much is wasted to rot. They rot quickly if left standing. If you see bracket fungus (semi circular grey growth) on the bark it is already too late. In early fall I check the birches and mark those whose tops are very sparse or have some sign of dying to distinguish them from healthy trees once the leaves are off.
Also, one cannot leave a felled birch as it will quickly rot because of the tight bark. I run the chainsaw the length of the tree to score the bark--even if I am going to immediately cut it to firewood lengths. The bark will open and peel itself off in a month or two and it is great for firestarter.
The last few years pine beetles have killed most mature pines. Even standing, they will start to rot after a few years. Fir are much more resistant to rot.
Agreed........ I use the same tactics, except I have found that bucking the birch and splitting (TPH splitter 30" throw) tears the bark off quite effectively
and leaves it where I can pick it up in big pieces and stack it along side the wood pile.
The same situation goes for Beech, though dead beech drys pretty effectively standing. The thing is that when the tops of beech show the tree is under real stress, it almost always means it is bug infested and it wil only ger worse. Better off to fell, buck and split them and kill the larve in the tree before they mature and infect other healthy trees. Beech makes VERY nice firewood, and I have a vast over abundance of it.
Thanks, I guess that is the difference. Almost all of the dead trees I cut are either oak, or cherry for the most part and they seem to dry very well standing.