Can you burn willow wood

In general, all softwoods including willow, aspen, firs and pine do not have a high BTU rating because the wood fibers in these woods are not very dense. The space between the wood fibers are often filled with sap or other moisture. Firewood from these types of wood do not burn very well at all when green.

The wood often takes as long as two years to season properly. Once the wood is seasoned, it is dry and filled with air and will burn almost like paper: very quickly in a fire that is very hot and will not create coals.

By contrast, hard woods have very little space between the fibers of the wood. The hardwood will season in less than a year and will burn slowly in a fire that creates coals and gives off much heat. Burning wood is a process of chemical reaction. Any moisture left in the wood evaporates. Additionally, the wood breaks down chemically into charcoal, gas and volatile liquids.

To identify well-seasoned wood, check the ends of the logs. If they are dark in colour and cracked, they are dry. Dry seasoned wood is lighter in weight than wet wood and makes a hollow sound when hitting two pieces together. If there is any green colour visible or bark is hard to peel, the log is not yet dry. Most sources say you should only bring logs in right before burning. At most, the Purdue Extension Department of Entomology says, you can store enough for a day or two.

I recommend that you keep any firewood at least five feet or more away from the foundation. A wood pile is a good place for snakes to hide, so burn your wood before snakes become active in spring. If you keep wood year-round, place it on a rack at least a foot above the ground. Pick up fallen fruit. Fallen fruit is another food source for rodents and in turn can attract snakes. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Assignment Can you burn willow in a woodstove?

Ben Davis April 5, Can you burn willow in a woodstove? Is Willow suitable for firewood? Is Weeping Willow good firewood? Any hardwood will work just fine in an outdoor fireplace if it has been properly seasoned. While you can burn willow wood outdoors, it should be a last resort.

BTU: Willow trees come in over a dozen varieties and they readily hybridize. The so-called Red Willow gives off a more pleasant smell than other willows when burned and it smokes, making it a good choice for smoking meat or fish. Willow wood may take a really long time to season, most commonly getting appropriately seasoned at two years. This is a much longer time than other hard woods, mostly because willow wood is lighter and takes longer to dry out completely.

For better results, we recommend splitting it before you store it for drying. If you are looking for a hard wood that seasons quickly, going with pecan, mesquite or even oak could be an adequate substitution. Keep in mind that if you are burning moist wood in an outdoor fireplace, it could give off sparks and ambers that could set surrounding brush, grass, or wood on fire. Generally, aim to burn only dry wood; it will pop and smoke less and hence burn more efficiently and safely.

All willow varieties contain large amounts of watery or milky bark sap.