I would say it may slow it down. Dead in its tracks, not so much in my experience. Depends on when you catch it and other factors, like moisture content and temperature. Fresh cut timber in June, it grew 1/4" hair, pressure washed and bleached and it came back in a week. It turned out fine after it dried out.

Hello,



Maybe if it had been cut in January, sawn right away and stickered good, this would have stopped it dead in its tracks. Not necessarily because of lower moisture content of winter-cut trees which is apparently a myth but there are other pertinent factors. I butcher a pig in December because it's cold enough to keep bacteria at bay while the meat cures and the moisture content drops some so that when warmer temperature comes the meat is less susceptible to bacteria invading. Doing it in June would be impossible. It's just the point that maybe we ignore the traditional wisdom at a certain cost.

Greetings,

Don Wagstaff

Yes, that is for sure Don. These trees were cut in the end of May or first of June I don't recall exactly the day but it was what I had to do, not ideal at all. As for white pine, just about all of it will blue up around here, regardless of when it was cut. Maybe if it was cut November and was cared for properly. There are two way of avoiding it for sure, one is to cut all the sap wood off for it is just the sap wood that blues. And I have had great success with logs soaked in the river, no pitch left to feed the microbes. Well, except for the wood exposed while floating in the water. Oh, I just thought of a third, use hemlock.

Hello,

Yes. River soaking. Ideal!
With the but ends facing up stream to boot.

Greetings,

Don Wagstaff

But temperature is no entirely enough. A year ago I had pines in 3 different senerios simultaneuosly. I stored some timbers in my 3 walled shop, that got no sun, with 1" stickers We were having single digit to 20's degrees temps. I thought this would be ok. Forgot about them for 2 weeks. holy moly. Fir no problem. Heartwood on pine no so bad, sap yes. One box-heart pine sap all around even had crazy red streaks in it. Once moved stickered with good air flow the problem stopped.
Brandon

These timbers were cut late November, sawn within week or two. That day was the first sticking snow of the year. Freezing temps through it all. No real stain well stacked timbers. prefer 4x4 cedar stickers

Hi Heavydraft,

How old were your pines when cut and typically what number of heart and sap wood growth rings and the heart/sap radial dimension from the pith plus the outer (under bark) sap dimension.

Regards

Ken Hume

Hello,

Very correct Brandon, temperature being only one of three main things, atmospheric moisture and air circulation the other two.

I would most like to stack wood standing vertically outside, with spaces in-between for lowering moisture content, keeping it out of direct sunlight and under cover for protection from rain. It's all an ideal, not so practical in my circumstances so I revert to the less than ideal. After sawing I stack in a place outdoors, substantially up off the ground, covered to shed rain but not inhibit air flow, in a shadowy place, where it will catch the good wind. Truly important is the material used in stickering. If not absolutely dry staining will occur. The stickers should be of a softer wood and not plywood or something similar and these stickers should be in line throughout the stack. Good if you have the space to use 4x4 stickers. Sometimes I go as thin as half an inch just to save the needed room.

Greetings,

Don Wagstaff