Will old Birch still be good

[Onelifeoverland]

Spotted this earlier today in neighbours garden. I remember her having a tree chopped down back last year, maybe summer/autumn ish time I'd guess. At the time I didnt realise what wood it was. Had I known I'd have asked sooner if I could have it.

What I'm wondering is, as you see it is being held off the ground by its branches so will the wood still be good for carving after being cut and left outdoors so long ago. Or is it a case that if just need to go find out for myself. Or just forget it as itll be useless for what I want after all this time.

OLO
www.onelifeoverland.com

 

[Robson Valley]

I have done birch carving. It's a sweet wood with a high sugar content in the sap. That increases the risk of fungus rotting.
Beat on it for a "tap note" which will sound solid.
Peel some bark and save that for fire tinder. Look at the wood. If you see spalting, a web of chocolate-colored lines,
the wood has to begun to decay = patches of good wood and patches of very soft punky wood.
It's carvable but you need carving sharp tools to cut and not to push it open in chunks.

First Nations carvers here use spalted birch to carve the ceremonial water ladles used in sweat-lodge ceremonies.

I really hope that it has seasoned as it dried with very few cracks.
That, you won't know until you get 6-12" into the logs.

 

[Broch]

As RV says, you'll find some good wood in there to carve somewhere and, if some has started to be infected by fungus, you may find some interesting pieces to work from. I have got some trees that have been down a few years and I'm still able to find usable pieces of it.

 

[Nice65]

That’s not Birch it’s Cherry.

 

[Mesquite]

That’s not Birch it’s Cherry.

What he said and it'll be nicely seasoned as well

 

[TLM]

Birch should not be left felled and bark on for long it starts to deteriorate fast, very fast.

 

[Broch]

That’s not Birch it’s Cherry.

Good point

Birch should not be left felled and bark on for long it starts to deteriorate fast, very fast.

Well, a I said, I have birch that has been down several years and there is still a lot of solid wood on them. Stuff touching the ground is rotting admittedly but the main trunks held up are very solid.

 

[TLM]

If it is down with leaves that might be because they suck out most of the water. I don't leave birch down more than weeks.

 

[Onelifeoverland]

That’s not Birch it’s Cherry.

Thanks. Clearly need to brush up on my trees

Any tips?!

 

[Nice65]

Thanks. Clearly need to brush up on my trees

Any tips?!

Sure, but it’s not so easy while our outings are scarce. I learned at Merrist Wood. Our ident lecturer gave us a list every fortnight of trees and shrubs. We used the Mitchell Guide to trees, our eyes, touch, smell, to learn them. At the end of the fortnight 20 of his list were put out for us to ID.This was throughout the year, so winter twigs were bare and only identifiable by buds, bark and growth pattern. Buds, opposite or alternate? Under leaf hairy, smooth? Bud size, colour, hairy, smooth etc

The Cherry in your pic just says Cherry to me, steel grey bark, lenticels (that will have brown dusty stuff in them), but the branch habit is a real giveaway. See the side branch on the right towards the brash pile. It branches in a ring, it’s part of the ornamental Cherry growth pattern. Even the cut end doesn’t look like Birch, the bark and wood colour are too dark.

So, start with natives and naturalised trees and shrubs. If there’s lots of it, take a twig home that includes bar, bud, flower, leaf. Take a pic of the bark on main stem, and just learn them.