A chore that has to be done every year is cutting down the Siberian Elms and other invasive trees. Elms were imported to the state as potential wind breaks and as canopy cover. The tree is very hardy and can grow with low moisture, but give it water and it will grow 6-10 feet in a season. Once established they are hard to remove as they produce deep roots. They produce an abundance of seeds and will also expand by root spread. The only good thing about the tree is it is wood with a good BTU rating and makes excellent fire wood if you let it cure long enough. If burned when not fully cured it produces a strong odor.

 

Other imported trees are the Russian Olive and Locust Tree. They are hardy species initially used as wind breaks and for erosion control and like the elm it has deep roots. In the Southwest the early settlers used locust as fence posts as it was resistant to rot. The main drawback for Russian Olive is the long thorns that make it a pain to cut down and cut up. Although these trees are not technically hardwoods the are quit dense and make good firewood.

 

Although not an invasive specie, cottonwood is another tree that will need to be periodically cut down. It grows along the borders of the neighbors and will shade the orchard. During heavy wind events the trees can be toppled so every now and then a tree will fall into the property and need to be removed. These trees can easily be 30 inch + diameter and are work to remove. The wood produced has a lower BTU then pine, burns quickly and produces lots of ash, but on cold winter days it burns just fine. All the trees are cut down with a 20 inch chain saw. The wood is cut up using a 16 and 14 inch chain saw. Most of the smaller pieces less the 6 inch diameter were cut with a modified miter saw. I save as much as possible and the smaller diameter pieces are an excellent source of kindling getting the fire going quickly. Some of the elm trees were 20 inch diameter and the cottonwood was over 30+ inch diameter.

 

The following are pictures of trees cleared from property and cut as firewood.

The structure behind the pile is 7X9 feet. The pile represents 25% of the total mass of trees cut.