Burning White Pine

[Rat Rod Mac]

I have three white pine trees about ten inches in diameter that are growing too close to my lean-to so I want to cut them down before they blow over in a storm and hit the building. Being pine they are no good for fire wood so I just want to cut them down and burn them. Here is my question,,,, will they burn on a brush pile fire if they are cut down and burned that same day or should I cut them down and let them try and dry for a month or so. I would really like to get this job done in the next two months or so while there is snow on the ground. Anyone ever burn green pine before? RRM

 

[Oldpath05]

Better to cut it now while the pitch isn't running, block it up, split it, stack it, tarp it and next winter it will burn great, fast and hot. Try to burn it now and it will take to muck diesel fuel.

Better yet if not full of nails, put it into lumbar........

 

[KYErik]

The needles and small branches will burn fine while green if you throw them on top of a small hot fire (a small seasoned pile of brush). The rounds will not burn as well unless you have a big hot fire that you throw them on to. To get it to all burn up in its own pile (with no other fuel), you will need to let it dry out.

 

[groundcover]

Know anyone with an outdoor wood boiler ? They are usually happy to take pine .

 

[KennyG]

Split it for firewood. As long as iit is well seasoned you just have feed the fire more often.

 

[4570Man]

You'll have a hard time to get it to burn in its own pile green. You'll be fine if it's on a hot pile.

 

[Oldtink]

That's been my experience too. A couple old pallets, throw on the limbs then the big stuff and get it blazing hot. You'll have to keep pushing it together as it burns down. Pine burns much easier than hard wood in a brush pile. I vote go for it providing you have a SAFE place to let her rip.

 

[atsah]

Cut it, split it, dry it and burn it next year.. I burn a lot of hemlock, kindling etc, I just make sure it's dry, never had a issue..

 

[Oaktree]

Split it for firewood. As long as iit is well seasoned you just have feed the fire more often.

I use it in my garage/workshop. Burns fast & hot, which is what I want in a building that's only heated when I'm using it. Make sure it's good & dry, never had a problem with creosote.
Wouldn't use it in the house other than for kindling.

 

[tractchores]

Pine is fine for firewood if seasoned, it just has less BTU per lb than hardwood. You could sell it unseasoned as camp wood if there's a market, or someone may take it free on Craigslist. Otherwise let it sit a bit, green it probably won't burn all the way on a pile unless mixed with dry stuff.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

Being pine they are no good for fire wood

Why not? A whole lot of people keep themselves warm burning nothing but pine.

It does not make any more creosote than any other kind of wood. The only reason I don't burn it is that it goes too quickly, and I have plenty of oak and other hardwoods to burn.

 

[4570Man]

I burn some pine firewood. I don't go through the trouble of splitting the upper parts of the tree, but I'll split the lower 15 feet. Black pine is pretty decent firewood. It's denser than many other soft woods. White pine is a lot worse. I don't cut pine trees down for firewood but I've had to take a bunch down. For that matter I've never cut a tree purely for firewood.

 

[atsah]

Ever watch any Alaskan shows, all they have to burn is conifer, they kill the tree's and leave them stand for a year or two, cut em down and burn em.. As long as it's dry your good to go..

 

[oosik]

I burned Ponderosa pine for 18+ years. Granted it won't last as long as some hardwoods but that is the major firewood burned/sold in my area. It dries quickly and burns hot. I certainly would not hesitate using it for firewood. I would burn five full cords per year when we had a wood stove. One year I was able to get two cords of black locust - it made a lot more ash than pine and didn't seem to last that much longer.

Here in the PNW we don't have a lot of hardwood - if somebody does, its usually some form of decorative tree in their yard. Our major trees for firewood are Ponderosa pine and up north there is Tamarack.

 

[roadhunter]

I brought in 4 cords of ponderosa last week. Hopefully that will get me through most of the winter. It will certainly keep you warm but I do appreciate it when I get some ash. I have a wood burning furnace so I burn up to 10" rounds 24" long without splitting.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Split it for firewood. As long as iit is well seasoned you just have feed the fire more often.

This is absolutely the RIGHT answer! I've burned a LOT of pine in my wood stove, like was said, season it well and burn it!!

SR

 

[Sawyer Rob]

One year I was milling a LOT of white pine on my BSM, I cut ALL the slab wood into firewood on a pile,

And heated my house with it that whole winter!

SR

 

[s219]

I have 4 acres of planted loblolly (yellow) pine that is about 20-25 years old, and occasionally burn some. It hasn't been my main heating wood since I usually get enough oak and beech from storm damage, but I would probably burn more pine if the other wood wasn't as readily available.

The thing I have noticed with the loblolly is that it's very wet and sappy when green. Much wetter and heavier than other pines (we have some Virginia white pines here, but they are scarce). Seems to take longer to dry than hardwoods from what I have seen. I either burn standing dead loblolly, or make sure it has a good 2 years to season after being split. I can tell by the weight of a split piece if it's ready to burn.

Just last week I cut down a standing dead loblolly that must have been killed by beetles. The top half was dry and ready to burn, but the bottom half was heavy and wet, so I threw it on my wood pile for next year or the year after.

I have a nice 20" loblolly log that I saved to mill into lumber, mainly out of curiosity. Hope to get to it in a few weeks. I normally mill oak, poplar, cypress, and walnut, but thought I'd give the pine a try to see how it looks. In this area, the loblolly is mainly planted for pulpwood, since we are surrounded by several big paper mills.

 

[radioman]

i hate it when people just burn wood that could give you heat in a stove outside in a brush pile. that is heat wasted. If im nearby and if you dont want it - ill take it then. just text me. i pretty much will take whatever trees you guys have for wood that would burn as heat. hard or soft.

 

[jack707]

You cut and wait to next year when dry I use dry pine and hard wood in the boiler.