Harvest coppice from late autumn to early spring, when the trees are dormant, cutting each stem 5-15 cm above the ground with a clean, sloped cut. Then split the green wood straight away, stack it off the ground with the top covered and the sides open to the air, and season it for months before burning.
Part of Coppicing & Fuel Management
The sequence from standing coppice to dry firewood: cutting, splitting, stacking and seasoning.
Three Stages
- Cut in the dormant season, because that is when the stool has most energy stored and recovers best; summer cutting weakens it (parent article). See Cutting Technique.
- Process. Cut stems to length and split them while green; split wood dries faster than round wood.
- Stack and season. Stack off the ground, cover the top, leave the sides open; time depends on species (Seasoning & Drying, Storage & Stacking).
What You Need
- Saw, axe or billhook, sharp (Sharpening)
- A chopping block and a splitting axe or maul (Axe and Hatchet)
- Bearers or pallets to keep the stack off the ground
- A cover for the top: bark slabs, scrap metal or a tarp
Method
Step 1: Cut the coupe for the year in January to March (parent calendar), each stem 5-15 cm above the ground.
Step 2: Sort. Straight poles for craft; the rest for fuel (Multi-Purpose Species).
Step 3: Cut to stove length and split at once while the wood is green.
Step 4: Stack in a single row, off the ground, with the top covered.
Step 5: Check in spring and restack if needed.
Step 6: Move seasoned wood under cover in autumn, near the house, before the burning season.
Common Mistakes
- Leaving round logs unsplit. They dry slowly.
- Stacking on bare ground. It wicks moisture up.
- Covering the sides. Air cannot get through.
Safety
Axes, saws and wet wood
Chopping and splitting are among the most injury-prone jobs here: use a block, stand with feet clear, and never hold wood with a hand or foot in the swing. Wear boots, and keep a bleeding-control kit to hand (Bleeding Control). Burning unseasoned wood in a closed stove makes far more carbon monoxide and chimney tar than seasoned wood.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Cutting Technique — how to cut a stool
- Combine with: Seasoning & Drying — getting it burnable