# Is willow a good wood to burn?



## Johny Utah (May 26, 2011)

I have a ton of willow that I can harvest. Is it a good choice to burn for heat and clean burning.


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## Steve2910 (May 26, 2011)

Depends on what else you have available, but generally not that great


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## Boogieman142 (May 26, 2011)

takes forever to dry(few years) and burns very dirty


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## deeker (May 26, 2011)

It sure does split nice though.

The wood carvers buy quite a bit of willow from me.


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## turnkey4099 (May 27, 2011)

Boogieman142 said:


> takes forever to dry(few years) and burns very dirty


 
Must be a different species than here. I heated the house for 30 years with it (not by choice, it was abut the only abundant wood available here).

Burned very clean except leaves a lot of ash.

Harry K


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## turnkey4099 (May 27, 2011)

If it is like what is around here it will burn clean but leave lots of ash.

Burns fast so you will be adding wood often.

Split it in big chunks, they last well and will hold a fire all night in an air tight.

Drying? I burned it in the fall that was cut in early spring.

Bottom line: If it is free and near-by it will be good heat.

Burning all Black Locust now due to the locust borer. Justsold my last 4 cords of willow to a regular customer at $120/cord - it always surprised me that people would pay that much for willow.

Harry K


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## Steve NW WI (May 27, 2011)

Take Harry's word here. You're in Utah, and Harry (turnkey4099) is in SE WA, similar climates. Boogieman is in a much more humid climate, and willow is a very high moisture wood that takes a lot of drying, it will lose well over 1/2 it's weight between green and seasoned. That's gonna take a lot longer in NY than in UT where the average humidity is way lower.

Not picking on ya boogie, but "here" is always different from "there".

I cant help at all, never burned the stuff.


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## mayhem100 (May 27, 2011)

Burnt about a half cord a couple years ago, don't know the specific variety of willow. It was sopping wet when I got it in the spring, got it home, split it and I burned it in the early part of the season. It was plenty dry and burned fine. 

Would i want to burn willow exclusively in the dead of a New England winter? No. Would I if I easy access to alot of it? Probably.


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## sdt7618 (May 27, 2011)

if you have it burn it, just season it first..... save moving heavy wood! :msp_wink:


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## CTYank (May 27, 2011)

Steve NW WI said:


> Take Harry's word here. You're in Utah, and Harry (turnkey4099) is in SE WA, similar climates. Boogieman is in a much more humid climate, and willow is a very high moisture wood that takes a lot of drying, it will lose well over 1/2 it's weight between green and seasoned. That's gonna take a lot longer in NY than in UT where the average humidity is way lower.
> 
> Not picking on ya boogie, but "here" is always different from "there".
> 
> I cant help at all, never burned the stuff.


 
From USFS-provided research I've seen, equilibrium MC of air-dried wood is much more dependent on ambient temperature than RH. So, that may tip the balance in yet another interesting direction.
Anybody asks me around here, where to pile the wood, it's "south side" for just that reason. And, put some clothes on it.


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## mooseracing (May 27, 2011)

I've been happy with it. Better than just letting it rot, but I had to remove some large weeping williows that were by the house. They were dry really quick. 

I burn it when I am home to get the house up to temp quick and overnight burns during late fall, early spring.


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## Highbeam (May 27, 2011)

Johny Utah said:


> I have a ton of willow that I can harvest. Is it a good choice to burn for heat and clean burning.


 
Yes it is a fine choice. The only negative is that as one of the lower btu per cubic foot woods you will need more of it than you would if it were something denser like oak. If you are used to burning something lighter like evergreen trees than this isn't even that big a deal. If it is solid, I will absolutely chop it up and put it in the stacks along with the other woods. It dries fine.

If you are burning wood from a forest it is your duty to not waste the wood. Letting willow rot just because it is willow is wasteful. 

I find that willow burns and seasons just like cottonwood. Do a search for cottonwood and you'll find lots of threads that will relate to this topic.


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## deeker (May 27, 2011)

Highbeam said:


> Yes it is a fine choice. The only negative is that as one of the lower btu per cubic foot woods you will need more of it than you would if it were something denser like oak. If you are used to burning something lighter like evergreen trees than this isn't even that big a deal. If it is solid, I will absolutely chop it up and put it in the stacks along with the other woods. It dries fine.
> 
> If you are burning wood from a forest it is your duty to not waste the wood. Letting willow rot just because it is willow is wasteful.
> 
> I find that willow burns and seasons just like cottonwood. Do a search for cottonwood and you'll find lots of threads that will relate to this topic.


 
Agree 100%.


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