Is there a best time of year to harvest green wood, and how should I store it?
Remy Johnston
Lewiston, ME
Fortunately, green wood can be harvested and worked at any time of year. That said, I generally prefer to harvest in late fall or winter.
Harvesting in the colder months helps ensure the longevity of the material: once nature freezes over, the wood has little chance of rotting or drying out. At these colder temperatures, if my cut logs are longer than the intended project, I don’t bother sealing the ends. There’s plenty of wiggle room for checking on the end grain. If I’m going to turn a bunch of bowls or plates on the lathe within a few weeks, I’ll rough-cut my blanks, stack them, cover the end grain with chainsaw wood shavings, and place them under a tarp to slow down drying and mitigate cracking. Once it’s time to turn, I find that it’s good to defrost the blanks at room temperature for about an hour.
In the warmer months, or warmer climes, harvesting green wood can be a bit fussier, and cut wood will lose moisture more quickly. I’ll leave logs full-length until I actually plan to work with them, and I seal the ends with a wood glue and water mixture, or scrap latex paint. Once sealed, I’ll place them in a shady spot atop 2×4’s to keep them off the ground, and cover with a tarp. A good trick for storing smaller pieces of wood is to wrap them in plastic bags, then place in a chest freezer.
I haven’t noticed significant differences in the workability of the wood depending on the season, but harvesting in the spring brings the delightful perk of being able to easily peel bark off of the logs of some species. The bark can be used to weave baskets or sew bent-bark containers. Even if you don’t weave, peeling bark is so satisfying it just has to be good for you. Although if you’re turning bowls in the spring, you’ll find the wood is saturated with sap, so you’ll be in the splash zone as you turn, and you might wish your faceshield came with wipers.
About the author
Angela Robins is a woodworker and educator, inspired by Scandinavian and Japanese wooden crafts, particularly the boat and the bowl. From axe carving to turning, she works primarily with freshly cut wood. She is based in New York’s Hudson Valley where she teaches woodworking.
