Ideas to Turn “Waste-Wood” into an Asset
Perhaps you have just had a tree service come and prune or remove some trees on your property and were given a discount to leave the larger diameter wood on-site. Now you are thinking about what to do with that wood.
I have a number of suggestions here that may help in turning a “by-product” into an useful and beneficial asset to you or your property.
Firewood
Probably the most common thing for residential wood is simply to be turned into firewood. The processing can be strenuous but having a supply of dry firewood is an asset. Whether used as campfire wood or to heat your home, having a stack of firewood ready to go can be cost effective for heating or convenient for ambience and entertainment.
Mushroom logs
You can turn your unwanted wood into delicious, fresh mushrooms with a little upfront cost and patience. Mushroom logs tend to be best in medium sized wood(6-20 inches), and need to come from living trees. Dead trees often have already been colonized by other fungi which will not allow them to be inoculated with spores from a good eating mushroom, like shiitakes. You will also need a cool, shady place to store them so consider your space before moving forward with this option. Mushroom logs can last anywhere from 3 to 15 years depending on size and species of wood, type of mushroom, and where they are kept.
Trail or landscape borders
Logs and wood can help denote landscape edging and trail borders. If you have a "natural" landscape these can really accent plants like ferns, hostas, and other greenery. Log “Cookies” or thinly cut rounds can also be used as walking pedestals . They tend to not last more than a few years but are easy to make and replace.
A well placed series of logs can reduce erosion
If your property has slopes or hills that are prone to erosion, a well placed log or series of water buffers can really aid in reducing erosion. Plus, because they are natural and will slowly degrade into the landscape they will provide years of stabilization without leaving behind plastic or fabric.
Millable wood
If you are a woodworker or have building projects on the horizon you might consider sending millable wood off to be processed or have a mobile mill come to you to turn your logs into usable dimensional lumber. The price of lumber is on the rise, and the quality is on the decline. There is a fair chance that turning your trees into usable lumber will be cost effective and of better quality. There is one disadvantage to having your own wood milled, and that is storing it. You must have a flat, dry place to keep your lumber. This option only makes sense if you have enough good quality logs to be worth the price of the trucking fees or mobilization cost of a mobile mill.
Seats/Stools/Camp furniture
With a little creativity and a can-do attitude you can turn your wood byproduct into all sorts of rough campsite type furniture like seats, benches, tables, etc. It will keep longer if preserved with a wood sealant, or just replace them when they get too rotten.
Fencing
Wattle fencing is an old technique that takes long, straight sticks and weaves them into a usable fence. This technique takes a lot of patience but the finished product adds an unusual and appealing result. Stacked firewood can also be used to create fences but they need to be stacked carefully to prevent them from falling down,
Wildlife habitat
Rotting logs provide habitat for insects, birds, and other creatures. If you have a natural landscape you might enjoy seeing the animals flock to your rotten log buffet.
Obstacle course for kids
With some work and creativity you can turn crooked, unusable wood into an obstacle course for kids with balance beams, log walks, stepping stones, etc. I have seen some really fun examples of this that adults enjoy too.
You can save some money on your next tree-job by opting to leave wood on-site and you might have the option to turn that “wastewood” into an useful and economical product for your property. I hope this post gave some helpful ideas.
