November Firewood and Kindling Gathering from the Garden
November is the prime time to tidy the garden, clear away prunings, and stock your woodpile with firewood and kindling for the colder months ahead. Whether you have a wood-burning stove, fire pit, or just want to store up for festive fires, your autumn garden cleanup can yield heaps of useful fuel. Here’s how to safely and efficiently gather, prepare, and store firewood and kindling from your garden in November.
What to Gather in November
- Fallen branches and twigs: From trees, hedges, or after storms.
- Prunings: Apple, pear, ash, oak, maple, beech, and cherry are all excellent (avoid resinous wood like pine or spruce in indoor stoves).
- Old, dead wood: Remove dead limbs from shrubs and trees for both firewood and garden health.
- Thicker stems from shrub, rose, or currant pruning: Let woody clippings dry well before using.
How to Prepare Firewood and Kindling
- Sort Wood by Size:
- Separate large logs for splitting, medium sticks for feeding the fire, and thin twigs for kindling.
- Cut to Manageable Lengths:
- Use loppers, a bow saw, or pruning saw. Logs should fit your fireplace or stove—usually 25–35 cm (10–14 inches).
- Split Thick Logs:
- Use a log splitter, axe, or maul while wood is fresh—splits easier before drying out.
- Bundle Kindling:
- Gather small, dry twigs and tie in loose bundles for easy storage and quick starts.
- Stack to Dry (Season):
- Pile wood in a sheltered area with good air movement—not right against a wall.
- Stack off the ground on pallets, bricks, or rails to prevent rot.
- Cover the top with a tarp, boards, or plastic sheeting, but leave sides open for air flow.
Tips for Safe and Effective Gathering
- Always use sharp, clean tools and wear gloves.
- Avoid gathering wood from diseased trees—particularly trees with honey fungus or blight.
- Leave some logs, twigs, and brush in corners of the garden for wildlife shelters and natural decomposition.
- Don’t burn treated wood, painted wood, or soft pine indoors (produces toxic fumes and sticky soot).
- For wood burners: Only burn well-seasoned (dried) wood—at least 6–12 months air-dried.
Bonus: Firelighters from the Garden
- Use dried rosemary, sage stems, or twisted strips of birch bark as all-natural firelighters.
- Old pinecones (outdoors only) make excellent kindling bundles.
Gathering and storing firewood in November is a satisfying, sustainable way to tidy your garden, support wildlife (by leaving some in piles), and keep your home warm and welcoming all winter long.