Best Time of Year to Down Live Trees For Firewood? (2024)

I've done some quick searching and I'm finding mostly non helpful answers like "when you have the time" or "when the weather is cooler".

I know there is a "best" time, based on moisture percentage. 90% of the wood I have available is oak, so I'd like to cut the trees when most of the moisture is out of the tree.

What time of year does the sap and/or moisture go back to to roots? When does it start coming back? I'm not an arborist so I'm probably not describing it properly. What is the science behind this?

An oak cut down in February has a lot less moisture in it than one cut down in August. With the long seasoning times of oak I'd like to make it count.

Thanks!

Two schools of thought:
School one: take the trees down during the time that the least amount of sap is running (winter).
School two: Living leaves will suck moisture from the branches/trunk.

The reality is: the sooner the better. To take it one step further - whatever gets it spit the quickest. None of it will really matter until the wood gets split. Splitting it NOW vs later is ALWAYS better.

BurnIt13 said:

I've done some quick searching and I'm finding mostly non helpful answers like "when you have the time" or "when the weather is cooler".

I know there is a "best" time, based on moisture percentage. 90% of the wood I have available is oak, so I'd like to cut the trees when most of the moisture is out of the tree.

What time of year does the sap and/or moisture go back to to roots? When does it start coming back? I'm not an arborist so I'm probably not describing it properly. What is the science behind this?

An oak cut down in February has a lot less moisture in it than one cut down in August. With the long seasoning times of oak I'd like to make it count.

Thanks!

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I get the jist of your question, but the truth is you are needlessly over-thinking it. The best time to cut wood is today. The second best time is tomorrow. The third best is the day after. Etc. Regardless of the moisture cycle of a living tree, it won't have less moisture live and standing than bucked and split in your stacks.

I generally have the problem of too much to do (but who doesn't). The wood is at my parents house 50 miles away. So usually when we go and visit its not to cut and split wood. To process wood I have to to put all other projects aside and dedicate a few months of weekends to get it done.

I'm wondering if dedicating these weekends in the summer or winter is better for the sake of the oak that will be seasoning for 3+ years. In the long run it really doesn't matter but since I don't have the luxury of a 10year stash of wood, if cutting and splitting in the winter will be a 20% difference in MC...why not?

I'm hoping someone can tell me if there is a notable difference, and how the whole process works. Thanks!

In general, I simply prefer working with live trees if I can do it when the leaves are off.

As others said, when you have the time, simply do it and get it split and stacked for the best results. Later is always worse.

BurnIt13 said:

I generally have the problem of too much to do (but who doesn't). The wood is at my parents house 50 miles away. So usually when we go and visit its not to cut and split wood. To process wood I have to to put all other projects aside and dedicate a few months of weekends to get it done.

I'm wondering if dedicating these weekends in the summer or winter is better for the sake of the oak that will be seasoning for 3+ years. In the long run it really doesn't matter but since I don't have the luxury of a 10year stash of wood, if cutting and splitting in the winter will be a 20% difference in MC...why not?

I'm hoping someone can tell me if there is a notable difference, and how the whole process works. Thanks!

Click to expand...

Waiting for the "driest" time of year won't free up any of your weekends.

Most generally cutting during the time when the tree is dormant (winter) is usually best. However, do not look for a huge drop in the moisture content as you will be disappointed. Also, the old wives tale about cutting a live tree and just letting it lay because then the leaves will suck up the moisture is pure baloney. There has been research in this but I can't tell you where to find it. All I can do is report what I've read.

We cut during the winter for several reasons but moisture content usually is not one of them. For sure you can see better in the woods after leaf drop and therefore it is easier to judge the fall of the tree and also see better what damage it might cause to other trees. It also allows you to spot potential widow makers. But one of the very best reasons to cut in winter is that you won't be spending time slapping insects nor will you have to be concerned about yellow jackets. Cutting wood is hard work so doing it when the weather is cool or cold makes the work go much better. Besides, in the summer months there are many other things one usually likes to do but has to do them during the summer months so why be cutting wood then? Another thing for many is that you won't have mud to concern you. Snow is much easier to deal with and many areas don't usually have that deep of snow for a long period so it is almost a non-issue. Of course there are exceptions. Another reason is that many times in winter, folks need something to get extra exercise. Would not cutting wood count as a plus for this? One can go on and on but generally, winter is best. Next best is whenever you have the time and/or the wood is available.

I simply try to do the majority of my tree work/felling/bucking/splitting/stacking/etc. in the coolest weather possible. It is hard work, doing it sweaty and fatigued is no fun and not safe.

Much rather be out there going at it in 30* vs 80* any day. I've been doing some recently on these nice days in the 60s. It is beautiful and doable, but ideally I'd still prefer it much cooler.

Also, come summer I'd much rather be spending time by the pool than wrestling with some tree trying to avoid heatstroke.

One further, if it gets done in the fall/winter, for the majority of woods you can use it the following year. Do it in the spring/summer and you'll be waiting an extra season.

Haha.... Somehow I skipped over Backwood's post and typed my response. I just went back and read his and realize I just reiterated basically everything he just said.

Hehehe.... Oops!

BurnIt13 said:

if cutting and splitting in the winter will be a 20% difference in MC...why not?

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If that were the case, everyone who could would do it, and all of this talk about "best time" would have more substance than just rural myth. (BTW, loggers don't always cut just in the Winter...they always cut when there's money to be made for cutting).

AnalogKid said:

One further, if it gets done in the fall/winter, for the majority of woods you can use it the following year. Do it in the spring/summer and you'll be waiting an extra season.

Click to expand...

Nailed it.