Has any one got a solution for preventing mushrooms and fungi growing on firewood. Been very wet fall here in wny. They are starting to grow even in full sun south side split stacks. Wood is stacked in double rows for sale next year. Red oak tops that were down a year before I cut them are the worst. I am now going to single row stacks running north and south. Wonder about spraying with bleach or something.
Quote from: farmer mark on October 17, 2021, 11:00:08 AM
Has any one got a solution for preventing mushrooms and fungi growing on firewood. Been very wet fall here in wny. They are starting to grow even in full sun south side split stacks. Wood is stacked in double rows for sale next year. Red oak tops that were down a year before I cut them are the worst. I am now going to single row stacks running north and south. Wonder about spraying with bleach or something.
I think it is probably better to expose one of the end grains south since wood does most of its drying from the end grain.
Also, I cut corrugated metal and have it drain to the sides, a few inches wider than your stack. I pile that on top of the pile so it sheds the water when it rains. Lap it like shingles so it sheds onto the next sheet.
Make sure your bottom row is off the ground. I use a rack I built in one afternoon out of scraps.
But ultimately, mushrooms won't ruin your firewood if it's dry enough.
Mushrooms need a few things to propagate: Moisture, cool shade, and temp changes with a heavy rain to stimulate emergence if they are growing naturally. Growers will fool the mushrooms to stimulate emergence several times a season by soaking the logs, then stacking in open air and the shade.
To prevent this, keep the wood dry and keep the inner areas free of moisture with air circulation if you still have issues. Still you may see it on the ends that can get blown rain on them.
What coastal logger said. Palletize, in the sun and wind, under tin. Never ever a tarp
Buck, split and stack'er under cover off the ground with good air flow. 8)
I guess I'm going to have to cover it. That's a lot of tin for a hundred face cord or so. Beginning to think I was smarter when I was younger and just sold it all green. Been experimenting this fall with rows stacked in different directions. East west stacks look good on south side not so good on north. North to South seem to look best so far sun hits both sides. Sure wish there was something I could spray on to kill it.
This time of the year you can get all kinds of mushrooms and toad stools .Unless you're in the south where it doesn't get so cold I won't worry about them .I certainly wouldn't try to eat them though. Some of those things can be toxic ,not good . :o
Quote from: farmer mark on October 18, 2021, 07:10:46 AM
I guess I'm going to have to cover it. That's a lot of tin for a hundred face cord or so. Beginning to think I was smarter when I was younger and just sold it all green. Been experimenting this fall with rows stacked in different directions. East west stacks look good on south side not so good on north. North to South seem to look best so far sun hits both sides. Sure wish there was something I could spray on to kill it.
Good to hear the results of your experiment!
If you are doing it commercially, you will get better value out of tin compared to the other alternative: tarp, which in my experience sucks. It holds water in its divets, doesn't last long in the sun, and doesn't provide a wide enough "hat brim" to keep the rain from driving into the stack. Most of the water that comes off the tarp tends to drain into the wood anyways.
You can probably find cheap tin at a recycler or put an ad on FB marketplace. Lots of people happy to get rid of it.
think of tin like a boa constrictor. the water thats squeezed out, doesnt get back in. youll season a lot quicker with it than without it. what gougers want for "rustic, decorative, barn find" old tin is a crime but oh well. sheetrock screw old tin scraps right to wood on top the pile nothing else will hold it down better. a 6 inch overhang and a good pitch really helps, just be sure you arent shedding onto the pile next to it.
Quote from: Coastallogger on October 18, 2021, 09:55:58 AM
Quote from: farmer mark on October 18, 2021, 07:10:46 AM
I guess I'm going to have to cover it. That's a lot of tin for a hundred face cord or so. Beginning to think I was smarter when I was younger and just sold it all green. Been experimenting this fall with rows stacked in different directions. East west stacks look good on south side not so good on north. North to South seem to look best so far sun hits both sides. Sure wish there was something I could spray
Spray fungals mushrooms with antibacterial dishsoap & water kills them. Add vinegar too or alone. Hydrated line builders lime powder sulfer lime powder ,baking soda works fine, but absorbed can slow, raduce burn as sodium bicarbonate is co2 antiflame, can use baking soda on ground undeneath area for spores dropped,stop spread of!
I wouldn't mess with tin. I like to use cheaper stuff. Scrap OSB or plywood. Not sure if it fits with your customers demands, but with good, straight grained wood I will split out a bunch of flat "boards" roughly 10" wide. I use these to cap the pile with a spacer along the inside edge to slough water off like shingles.
The simple answer, is that your wood is too wet if the fungus is persistent. Airflow is the answer. If your wood was cut wet, there is no way to avoid a certain amount of fungus and fruiting bodies showing up. If they are dry to the touch and don't continue to propagate, I don't worry. If they are soft and spongy or slimey, problem. If the wood is properly drying, they are the last gasp of the organism that is already established in the wood trying a hail-Mary at reproduction.
I had this issue and took a pump sprayer with bleach and hit the ends with it before they grew real big. Did the job.
covering with a wood product is costly if purchased and has a limited life span. If it is exterior and coated it will last longer. another concern in Ks as well as most places is fastening, as we get high winds on a regular basis. An 8-foot-long piece of tine flying in the air is dangerous. I have scrap CDX soffit ply that was pre painted and it has lasted well. I also fasten with screws. blocks of wood on a tarp are temporary. a tarp is ok if the wood is already dry and covered on top to prevent rewetting. I use metal crates, and my brother-in-law gave me some round tarps with straps made for the crates. I often do not cover firewood at all.