# How long does it take cherry to season?



## lopro (Oct 6, 2010)

Ok...I had some oak felled last November. I waited until this August (last month) to get it split and stacked. Needless to say, the oak is too wet to burn efficiently. The readings I get on my moisture meter are anywhere from 25-35% moist. Plus I have a new EPA stove that doesn't like this moist oak...it burns, but not well.

So, now I've got to buy some firewood.  Since I can't find anybody in the area who has oak that's been split for a year or more, I'm gonna buy some cherry that was felled in early spring (around March), and split this month (October).

*Question:* Will this cherry be better than my oak? Or am I about to buy some wood that is too moist for my EPA approved stove?


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## sunfish (Oct 6, 2010)

You about to buy wood that's not dry enough. It might dry quicker than oak, I don't know. I like my wood to season at least 8 months after splitting and stacking in the shed. Air tight stoves *need* dry wood...


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## banshee67 (Oct 6, 2010)

cherry is a pretty wet wood from my experience, doesnt matter when it was "cut down", only matter when it was split, you can take a round of cherry that was bucked to length and been sitting for 6+months , split it open and its still wet inside
it will lose the bright color fairly quick, once split, but its still not seasoned


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## woodman6666 (Oct 6, 2010)

Cherry does dry much faster than red oak I would guess it would dry 40% faster than red oak, but I agree any species of firewood needs to be split before any real drying occurs. Just my 2 cents 

www.procutfirewood.com


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## blackdogon57 (Oct 6, 2010)

If your going to buy wood why would you not look for dry wood ? Don't get so hung up on species. Any dry wood will do the trick. You might have to load the stove more often with softer wood but your stove will work much better and you will stay much warmer.

I spent a couple of weeks this summer in western Newfoundland. Almost every house had a big pile of Balsam Fir firewood out back. Its about the only species that grows out there. Certainly not the best firewood but if properly dried it does the trick.


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## woodhounder (Oct 8, 2010)

all the cherry that I have split dries really fast.


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## trimmmed (Oct 8, 2010)

6 months after being split should burn ok


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## Pulp Friction (Oct 8, 2010)

I cut a lot of cherry this year in early spring through the beginning of summer. Most of it was split immediately and dried in total sun and plenty of breeze. It was bone dry in just several months, but it involved the best drying months of the year. Also, I left plenty of rounds approx. 10" or so in dia. and they were also bone dry last week when split open. However, cut and split in early fall with rains starting to happen, I doubt it will lose enough in time unless split quite thin and placed in open sun. Only then will it stand a chance.


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## Cambium (Oct 9, 2010)

I had a cherry that "FELL" not felled in April...I started splitting the logs in August...was still wet inside....Now I'll probably use that to burn in February.  
I'm going to wait another week to start covering them...let the sun and wind dry them out a little more.


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## J.W Younger (Oct 9, 2010)

lopro said:


> Ok...I had some oak felled last November. I waited until this August (last month) to get it split and stacked. Needless to say, the oak is too wet to burn efficiently. The readings I get on my moisture meter are anywhere from 25-35% moist. Plus I have a new EPA stove that doesn't like this moist oak...it burns, but not well.
> 
> So, now I've got to buy some firewood.  Since I can't find anybody in the area who has oak that's been split for a year or more, I'm gonna buy some cherry that was felled in early spring (around March), and split this month (October).
> 
> *Question:* Will this cherry be better than my oak? Or am I about to buy some wood that is too moist for my EPA approved stove?


I
have an OWB but heat my wrkshop with a small stove that will take up to 24" wood but works better with 20 and under.I need about a cord for it per winter so instead of cutting wood just for the stove, pieces under 20" are tossed into the shop stack.If by the end of aug I have less than needed I'll cut and split some cherry.
My stove is by no means air tight but cherry cut and split in aug burns well and no water steams out the ends when burned as early as dec.


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## dingeryote (Oct 9, 2010)

Once split, cherry around here burns OK after 3-4 Months, but dosn't burn well until 6-8.

If you're stuck with less than seasoned stuff from a vendor, see if you can find one selling Ash.

From there, start hunting standing dead snags now, so you have decent stuff to run for 2-3 months, and give whatever ya find some more time to get closer to optimum.

Cherry ain't too bad a bit green, but it dosn't make the heat that it should, and you'll burn more.

Start hunting, asking, begging, and scrounging.

Possibly ya have a buddy with more seasoned stuff than he will run this year, and you can trade unseasoned for seasoned?

Good luck!!!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote


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