Cut Wood & Prep Questions

[mishellyshel]

My dad's neighbor is usually very stingy with his apple tree wood and often my dad just prunes a couple branches when they are in the way of his trees.

This weekend he did a major pruning and i have a lot of wood to prepare.

There is no way i could do it all even if i did it every day for the next couple weeks.

How long will i be able to store the large cut limbs until i can trim them and where and how is the best place to store it all for about a month until i can get to it? i dont want any mold to set in because after this batch is gone, i am back to buying it!

 

[ticklechin]

I just got huge load of apple from a customer so I am in the same boat as you, I just put a sheet on the floor in the living room, tossed it on and covered the top with a sheet. Not sure what else to do,

 

[SamiJami]

In my opinion, you can store them and they will naturally dry. Just make sure they're in a well ventilated, open area. Someone may come in with better instructions. Good luck!

 

[starleomach]

I hang mine in the rafters of the barn..so maybe a shed?

 

[mishellyshel]

i do have a shed where i store my firewood. but it is so damp in NJ right now it is all in my dads driveway getting pelted with rain! i know the branches get wet while they are outside but now they are cut and wet. i am going to put them in the shed tonite and then start cutting and scrubbing. i am just so nervous about the mold!

i usually scrub & then do a 3 minute boil bath before they go in the oven. if i boil too much i think they lose the flavor cause the chinnies dont seem to like them as much.

i am afraid to not boil in case i missed anything in the scrubbing process.

i am excited that i dont have to pay for wood for a few months BUT it really is a LOT of work. and i have just enough apple sticks left for tonite, so i gotta get clippin'!

 

[Twilight Chinchillas]

I have left some of my wood outside in a covered patio, and it didn't mold, especially in this weather, until I could get to some of it to process. The larger pieces you can cut down to size, boil, and then air dry. I heard of someone air drying wood in their vehicle in the middle of summer! One they obviously didn't use a lot!

 

[Spoof]

Depends on the relative humidity. Because it's so humid there, if you don't get it inside/climate controlled within a week it'll likely start to rot. Also, this is the time of year that boring beetles and other insects come out and they go to town on wood left out. If you bring it in and find little piles of sawdust under the stack you know you've got them.

If you can move it to a covered area you should be able to extend it's life a couple weeks, even in high humidity. The biggest sign is smell - if it starts to smell like it has the funk, it's gone bad.

Good luck!