Grow it Green: Choosing the best trees for firewood
IN TODAY’S GROWING GREEN, WE ARE AT NEW HAMPSHIRE AUDUBON’S MASSABESIC CENTER IN AUBURN. I’M JOINED BY KENDALL CORNELIUS FROM UNH COOPERATIVE EXTENSION. KENDALL IS. THE COLDER WEATHER IS STARTING TO SETTLE IN AS WE APPROACH EARLY WINTER. A LOT OF FOLKS LOOKING TO HEAT THEIR HOMES WITH FIREWOOD. WHY MIGHT IT BE IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF WOOD YOU’RE GETTING? WELL, I THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF WOOD YOU’RE GETTING. WE KNOW THAT 1 IN 16 HOUSEHOLDS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE ACTUALLY USE WOOD AS THEIR PRIMARY HEAT SOURCE. SO THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FIRE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HEAT, WE’RE REFERRING TO SOMETHING CALLED A BTU AS A UNIT OF MEASUREMENT. THAT’S A BRITISH T…
Grow it Green: Choosing the best trees for firewood
IN TODAY’S GROWING GREEN, WE ARE AT NEW HAMPSHIRE AUDUBON’S MASSABESIC CENTER IN AUBURN. I’M JOINED BY KENDALL CORNELIUS FROM UNH COOPERATIVE EXTENSION. KENDALL IS. THE COLDER WEATHER IS STARTING TO SETTLE IN AS WE APPROACH EARLY WINTER. A LOT OF FOLKS LOOKING TO HEAT THEIR HOMES WITH FIREWOOD. WHY MIGHT IT BE IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF WOOD YOU’RE GETTING? WELL, I THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF WOOD YOU’RE GETTING. WE KNOW THAT 1 IN 16 HOUSEHOLDS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE ACTUALLY USE WOOD AS THEIR PRIMARY HEAT SOURCE. SO THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FIRE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HEAT, WE’RE REFERRING TO SOMETHING CALLED A BTU AS A UNIT OF MEASUREMENT. THAT’S A BRITISH THERMAL UNIT. TECHNICAL, BUT IT’S THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT IT TAKES TO RAISE 1 POUND OF WATER BY ONE DEGREE. SO WHEN WE’RE REFERRING TO THE BTUS, THAT’S BASICALLY HOW HOT THIS WOOD IS GOING TO BURN IN YOUR AVERAGE WOOD STOVE. OKAY. AND OF COURSE THERE ARE CERTAIN WOODS THAT ARE REALLY GOOD FOR GETTING A NICE HOT FIRE ROARING. CAN YOU KIND OF TAKE US THROUGH SOME OF THE STATIONS YOU HAVE HERE? AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PIECES OF WOOD WE’RE LOOKING AT FOR SURE? YEAH. SO WE HAVE A GOOD, BETTER, BEST SITUATION LINED UP HERE. AND THIS MAY NOT BE WHAT SOME FOLKS THINK. SO IN OUR GOOD PILE WE’VE GOT SO THIS IS PAPER BIRCH. AND WE’VE ACTUALLY GOT MAPLE DOWN HERE TOO. ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS LIKE THIS IS GOING TO BE ABOUT 18 TO ABOUT 20, 20 MILLION BTUS IN TERMS OF HEAT FOR ONE SOLID CORD OF THAT. SO IF YOU ONLY BURNED THIS WOOD, THAT’S THE HEAT YOU’RE GETTING. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT LIKE IT’S A BAD FIREWOOD. YOU JUST GENERALLY USE THIS IN WHAT WE CALL YOUR SHOULDER SEASONS. OKAY. AND THEN WE HAVE THIS PILE OF WOOD HERE THAT IS GOING TO BURN MAYBE A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND A LITTLE BIT HOTTER. YEAH. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR OAK VARIETIES AND YOUR ASHES. SO THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THESE WE’RE NOW TALKING ABOUT 24 MILLION BTUS SO MUCH HOTTER. BUT WHAT I PERSONALLY LIKE ABOUT THESE VARIETIES MORE THAN THE MAPLES AND BIRCHES, THESE ARE REALLY EASY TO SPLIT. SO I’M A PERSON THAT SPLITS MY FIREWOOD BY HAND AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT ABOUT IT. THE NICE THING ABOUT ASH AS WELL IS THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY BURN IT A LOT SOONER OR LESS SEASONED THAN SOME OTHER VARIETIES, JUST BECAUSE IT’S A DRIER WOOD IN GENERAL. OKAY. AND OF COURSE WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE BEST I KNOW TYPE OF WOOD. THE ONE LONER UP HERE, THIS IS ACTUALLY AN EXAMPLE OF BLACK BIRCH. AND WHAT I THINK IS REALLY FASCINATING ABOUT BLACK BIRCH IS THAT OBVIOUSLY IT’S A HARDWOOD, BUT IT ACTUALLY IS GOING TO GIVE YOU 27 MILLION BTUS. YEAH. PER CORD. NOT WHAT YOU’D EXPECT. SO THE OTHER TYPE OF WOOD THAT WE WOULD SEE HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE IS GOING TO BE HICKORY. THAT’S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, ALSO IN THIS 27, 28 MILLION BTU RANGE. OKAY. SOME GREAT TIPS THERE FROM KENDALL ON HOW TO STAY WARM ALL THROUGHOUT THE COLD SEASON IN
Grow it Green: Choosing the best trees for firewood
Updated: 9:33 AM EST Dec 27, 2025
Kendall Kunelius with the UNH Cooperative Extension talks with Matt Hoenig about picking the best trees for firewood amid the cold winter months
Kendall Kunelius with the UNH Cooperative Extension talks with Matt Hoenig about picking the best trees for firewood amid the cold winter months
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