Firewood Seasoning Guide
Find out exactly when your firewood will be ready to burn. Select your purchase month to see personalized seasoning timelines for 70 species.
Seasoning Timeline
If you buy wood in Apr, here is when 10 popular species will be ready. Click the circle to compare up to 3.
| Species | Seasoning | Split | BTU/Cord (M) | Smoke | Rating | Ready by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3–6 mo | medium | 19.5 | medium | fair | Jul – Oct | |
| 3–6 mo | easy | 12.1 | low | fair | Jul – Oct | |
| 3–6 mo | easy | 11.6 | medium | poor | Jul – Oct | |
| 3–6 mo | medium | 18.2 | medium | fair | Jul – Oct | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 24.7 | medium | good | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | medium | 21.6 | low | excellent | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 21.1 | low | excellent | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 19.5 | low | good | Oct – Apr | |
TamarackSW | 6–12 mo | easy | 19.5 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 13.7 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr | |
BoxelderHW | 6–12 mo | difficult | 17.9 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 17.9 | low | fair | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 17.9 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | medium | 17.4 | low | fair | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 17.4 | high | good | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 17.0 | high | fair | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 14.8 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 15.3 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 15.3 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr | |
RedwoodSW | 6–12 mo | easy | 15.0 | low | fair | Oct – Apr |
| 6–18 mo | easy | 14.8 | low | fair | Oct | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 13.2 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 14.2 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr | |
BasswoodHW | 6–12 mo | easy | 13.7 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 13.2 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 13.2 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 12.6 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | easy | 12.1 | medium | fair | Oct – Apr | |
| 6–12 mo | medium | 12.1 | low | fair | Oct – Apr | |
ChestnutHW | 6–12 mo | easy | 18.0 | low | good | Oct – Apr |
| 8–12 mo | easy | 19.5 | low | good | Dec – Apr | |
| 12–18 mo | easy | 30.0 | low | excellent | Apr – Oct | |
| 12–18 mo | medium | 24.2 | low | good | Apr – Oct | |
| 12–18 mo | difficult | 23.7 | low | excellent | Apr – Oct | |
MulberryHW | 12–18 mo | easy | 23.2 | medium | excellent | Apr – Oct |
| 12–18 mo | difficult | 22.7 | low | excellent | Apr – Oct | |
| 12–18 mo | easy | 21.1 | low | excellent | Apr – Oct | |
| 12–18 mo | easy | 20.0 | low | excellent | Apr – Oct | |
| 12–18 mo | easy | 20.0 | low | good | Apr – Oct | |
| 12–24 mo | medium | 20.0 | medium | fair | Apr | |
| 12–18 mo | difficult | 19.2 | medium | fair | Apr – Oct | |
| 12–24 mo | medium | 19.0 | low | good | Apr | |
Red ElmHW | 12–18 mo | difficult | 19.0 | medium | fair | Apr – Oct |
| 12–18 mo | difficult | 18.4 | medium | fair | Apr – Oct | |
| 12–18 mo | difficult | 17.9 | medium | good | Apr – Oct | |
HemlockSW | 12–18 mo | easy | 15.3 | medium | fair | Apr – Oct |
CatalpaHW | 12–18 mo | difficult | 14.8 | medium | fair | Apr – Oct |
WillowHW | 12–36 mo | easy | 14.2 | low | poor | Apr |
MesquiteHW | 12–24 mo | difficult | 25.5 | low | excellent | Apr |
| 12–24 mo | difficult | 18.4 | medium | fair | Apr | |
| 12–18 mo | easy | 17.9 | low | good | Apr – Oct | |
OliveHW | 18–24 mo | difficult | 26.7 | low | excellent | Oct – Apr |
| 18–24 mo | difficult | 26.4 | low | excellent | Oct – Apr | |
| 18–24 mo | medium | 25.3 | low | excellent | Oct – Apr | |
| 18–24 mo | difficult | 24.8 | low | good | Oct – Apr | |
| 18–24 mo | medium | 23.7 | low | excellent | Oct – Apr | |
| 18–24 mo | easy | 23.7 | low | excellent | Oct – Apr | |
| 18–24 mo | difficult | 23.7 | low | excellent | Oct – Apr | |
| 18–24 mo | difficult | 23.2 | low | excellent | Oct – Apr | |
| 18–24 mo | easy | 23.2 | low | excellent | Oct – Apr | |
| 18–24 mo | medium | 22.1 | medium | good | Oct – Apr | |
AppleHW | 18–24 mo | medium | 21.6 | low | excellent | Oct – Apr |
PecanHW | 18–24 mo | medium | 21.1 | low | excellent | Oct – Apr |
AlmondHW | 18–24 mo | medium | 26.7 | low | excellent | Oct – Apr |
| 24–36 mo | medium | 28.0 | low | excellent | Apr | |
| 24–36 mo | medium | 24.2 | low | excellent | Apr | |
Post OakHW | 24–36 mo | medium | 23.7 | low | excellent | Apr |
Bur OakHW | 24–36 mo | easy | 22.7 | low | excellent | Apr |
Red OakHW | 24–36 mo | medium | 22.1 | low | excellent | Apr |
| 24–36 mo | difficult | 25.8 | low | good | Apr |
Seasoning times assume wood is split to burning size, stacked off the ground with good airflow, and covered on top. Click any column header to sort.
What Does Seasoning Mean?
Seasoning is the process of drying freshly cut (green) wood to a moisture content below 20%. Green wood can contain 50–60% moisture by weight, which means more than half the log’s mass is water. Burning green wood wastes a significant portion of its energy evaporating that water instead of heating your home. It also produces excessive smoke and accelerates creosote buildup inside your chimney, which can lead to dangerous chimney fires.
Properly seasoned wood burns hotter, cleaner, and more efficiently. You will notice less smoke, longer-lasting fires, and dramatically less residue in your flue. If you want to compare how different species stack up once seasoned, check out our BTU comparison chart to see the heat output, weight, and burn quality of all 70 species side by side. Not sure how much heat your home needs? Our BTU calculator gives you a quick estimate.
How to Tell If Your Wood Is Ready
The most reliable method is a moisture meter. Insert the pins into a freshly split face (not the bark side) and look for readings below 20%. That number means the wood is ready to burn efficiently. Without a meter, look for these visual and physical cues:
- Cracks on the end grain (checking): radial splits develop as the wood dries and shrinks.
- Lighter weight: seasoned wood is noticeably lighter than the same piece when green.
- Dull, grayish color: rather than the bright, fresh-cut appearance of green wood.
- Loose or missing bark: bark peels easily or has already fallen off as moisture escapes.
- Hollow sound: strike two pieces together; dry wood produces a clear, resonant knock rather than a dull thud.
Stacking for Fastest Drying
How you stack your firewood matters almost as much as how long you let it sit. Stack wood off the ground on a rack or pallets to prevent moisture wicking up from the soil. Leave the top covered with a tarp or metal roofing to shed rain and snow, but keep the sides completely open for airflow. Restricting ventilation traps moisture and invites mold.
Choose a sunny, breezy location. South-facing spots with good wind exposure dry the fastest. Cut and split wood to final burning size before stacking; smaller pieces expose more surface area to air and dry significantly faster than full rounds. On the top row, stack pieces bark-side up so the bark acts as a natural rain shield for the wood below.
Know when your wood will be ready?
Now calculate exactly how much your home needs.
Calculate My Firewood NeedsFrequently Asked Questions
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