# hickory seasoning time?



## burroak (Jan 17, 2011)

I cut a couple truckloads of hickory today, but now I have a question. I cut it to length today, and if I split it in March, will it be ready to burn by November? 

It's not quite a full year, and since I'm new to hickory, I thought I'd ask.

Thanks!


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## TMFARM 2009 (Jan 17, 2011)

i'd say with a couple tires , gas , and a match it'll burn now...lol

no really it should be ok if under roof the whole time....


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## TonyK (Jan 17, 2011)

I try to let it go two seasons before I use it unless it is dead and the bark is coming off then one seems to be fine for it. If left on the ground it will punk out pretty fast so keeping it split, high and dry works best for me.


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## audible fart (Jan 17, 2011)

What I've done in the past when I get a load of wood that I don't feel like splitting into stove sized pieces right away, is just split the rounds in half. A lot more moisture can start escaping if a round is split in half than in round form. I used to do that when it was 100 degrees out. Just split the rounds in half, and in one fell swoop you've begun the drying process and escaped the guilt of not starting the drying process.


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## freemind (Jan 17, 2011)

I live in NE Indiana. I have found Hickory (shagbark) needs to season two years before it is good and dry. I stack mine off the ground, and it is NOT under roof. 

Seems we have enough humidity in this area, that wood takes a little longer to season.


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## thejdman04 (Jan 17, 2011)

It depends a lot on your climate, amount of rain,wind humidity etc but it should be ready. It would be best to stack it, it will dry a bit quicker, but if you don't, make sure your piles don't get too big or the center wont season.


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## pacman (Jan 17, 2011)

*yes*

I will be ready. Just make sue you split and stack it where it can get plenty of air and sun. I would cover it with some tin to keep the rain off of it and make asure its not directly the ground. Put it on some pallets, 4x4, blocks and thing but not on the ground. Hickory wil rot fast if its on the ground too.


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## J.W Younger (Jan 18, 2011)

burroak said:


> I cut a couple truckloads of hickory today, but now I have a question. I cut it to length today, and if I split it in March, will it be ready to burn by November?
> 
> It's not quite a full year, and since I'm new to hickory, I thought I'd ask.
> 
> Thanks!


It depends a lot on your weather,how long and big your chunks are.
I cut mine 2' long and split into one handed pieces and burn it in a year.
Bugs love it and it rots fast in contact with the ground.Good BTUs tho.


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## Laird (Jan 18, 2011)

I burn a lot of hickory and one year under roof has always done the job.


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## Turkeyslayer (Jan 18, 2011)

I have been burning alot of hickory this year. I cut it last Jan. and Feb. and only pile the portion I am selling. My wood is in a large heap and I have had no problems burning it this year. I really kicks out the btu's. The only thing I have found is it leaves tons of coals to the point the stove fills up with coals and there isn't a lot of room for wood. I have found it is best to mix it with a non-coaling wood such as soft maple to get the most from the hickory and not fill the stove with coals.


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## Hedgerow (Jan 18, 2011)

TMFARM 2009 said:


> i'd say with a couple tires , gas , and a match it'll burn now...lol
> 
> no really it should be ok if under roof the whole time....


 
+1... The key is "under roof"... I used to stack "Wherever" until I started splitting it and putting in the barn. Loved the results... Love burning hickory... Especially in my smoker!!!


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## Hlakegollum (Jan 18, 2011)

I burned all of my oak (2 years old) and now working on the hickory (Pignut-1 year old), 4 times the ashes. Yikes! It is burning fine after 1 year in the woodshed.


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## Kensterfly (Jan 22, 2011)

The only thing we have around here to burn is oak and hickory. I love hickory but it really needs two years to season well if it's cut green. It will burn after one year but so much better after two, just like oak. I also recommend that you split it right away. I had a dozen or eight inch rounds that I left unsplit for a couple of years. Neither an 8lb maul or my Fiskars SS will make a dent in them. 
They've been sitting out for almost three years now. I started using them whole for overnight burns.


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## K2Orion (Jan 22, 2011)

I'm burning the last of my pignut hickory that I cut/split stacked in April/May of 09. The stuff that was on the bottom of the stack is still a little wet. It hisses some and burns slower than the well seasoned stuff. I stack on pallets but uncovered with only about half a day of sunshine. It does make more ash than the oak, also looks like July 4th when I open the door to reload. It pops and spits sparks like I've never seen before when I rake the coals around.


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## pacman (Jan 23, 2011)

*nice !*



turkeyslayer said:


> i have been burning alot of hickory this year. I cut it last jan. And feb. And only pile the portion i am selling. My wood is in a large heap and i have had no problems burning it this year. I really kicks out the btu's. The only thing i have found is it leaves tons of coals to the point the stove fills up with coals and there isn't a lot of room for wood. I have found it is best to mix it with a non-coaling wood such as soft maple to get the most from the hickory and not fill the stove with coals.


 
nice pic !


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## Uncle John (Jan 23, 2011)

Actually you can burn hickory after 1 yr., but better after 2 yrs.


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## J.W Younger (Jan 23, 2011)

Kingfisher said:


> Actually you can burn hickory after 1 yr., but better after 2 yrs.


I heat with an OWB,but do have a woodstove in the shop.
I'm not having problems burning hickory after 1 year but 2 years is fine,just gives the boring insects more time and for some reason they love it.I suppose it depends some on where u are when you cut it and the species.


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## fields_mj (Jan 23, 2011)

Since you cut it in the dead of winter when a lot of the moisture has dropped down into the roots, it should be just fine for next year. I try NOT to cut hickory any more than a year and a half out because it likes to rot so bad. I've found that dead trees/limbs that blow over and hang in a fork are too rotten to cut after about 2 years. If it's already dead, I'll go as little as 6~8 months.


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## Hillbilly Rick (Jan 24, 2011)

I find it's easier to split hardwoods when it's below freezing, I also find it's much easier to throw split logs up on the truck than full rounds. If I cut it this year, I'm burning it next year.


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## songofthewood (May 1, 2011)

Just started cutting a pig nut hickory.The info here is very helpful as always. Stay safe and keep cuttin'


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## cuttingintime (May 1, 2011)

Kensterfly said:


> The only thing we have around here to burn is oak and hickory. I love hickory but it really needs two years to season well if it's cut green. It will burn after one year but so much better after two, just like oak. I also recommend that you split it right away. I had a dozen or eight inch rounds that I left unsplit for a couple of years. Neither an 8lb maul or my Fiskars SS will make a dent in them.
> They've been sitting out for almost three years now. I started using them whole for overnight burns.


 
I like this post, well said.


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