Pecan spalting attempt

[Greg A Jones]

Cut about 2.5 mos ago and laid out as 1st pic shows. The one I cut is the log on the far left. Roughly 28" D. The close up pic is the result of the 2.5 mos of curing. Not even sure if the coloration is spalting but is definitely not on the sealed, covered pieces.

The split is pretty typical of all the pecan which I only end sealed. Essentially, I have 500 lbs of smoker wood if anyone happens to be anywhere near Vicksburg, MS and wants to come get some for the cooker. Those which I completely sealed on all faces came through somewhat better. Cut pieces stayed under a tarp and were off the ground.

Would very much appreciate opinions as to whether the remaining logs will improve with respect to spalting or what......
Fairly disappointed. On the upside, my sycamore, red maple, and red elm are coming along like champs. Some of them are even showing a bit of spalting despite being covered and off the ground.

[Bob Bergstrom]

http://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/article/spalt-your-own-lumber.aspx. Good reliable info from this lady. You essentially need it damp, warm, and some spores. The picture on the grass looks like way too dry of an environment. Temp needs to be 85 degrees, and some type of spores present. Read her article and blogs and you'll be on you way.

[Greg A Jones]

Don't less grass color fool you. Logs were wet by sprinkler system three times a week. Central Mississippi - July, August, September. Doesn't get much warmer or humid unless you go to New Orleans. Thanks for the link. I'll give it a look.

[Dan Hintz]

It's best if you cover the wood if you want it to spalt... keeps it warm and moist. Cover it with leaves or the like. Also, for woods that split heavily, make sure you cut out the pith before covering... that should localize the splits. No need to introduce purchased spores unless you intend to cultivate a specific strain... there are more than enough strains floating around everywhere to start the spalt without any extra help needed. Dr. Robinson has some great strains for specific colors of stain, but if all you care about are standard black/brown spalt lines, you'll be happy with what's already in the wild. Some soft woods may spalt within a few months, others may need a year or more. Check back every month or two to get a feel for what each wood species does.

[Greg A Jones]

Thanks....I'll let them lie over the winter and see what happens in late spring. Just cutting that one in half and then pithing the two halves culled a fresh chain....dang pecancrete.

[Reed Gray]

Best resource for spaulting I have found. Sara Robinson. When the spores are more active in the woods, is when things will spault best for you, which seems to be later in the summer and in the fall. Having them end on the ground gets the spores from the ground onto the wood the best.

http://www.northernspalting.com/about-me/ (http://www.northernspalting.com/about-me/)

robo hippy

[Greg A Jones]

Don't have any woods convenient to leave them in without worrying about someone taking them. I used a couple of old bags of potting soil to put on and around them to get some organics going. Maybe pecan is just a slow wood to spalt. Or, more likely, I just don't know what I'm doing........:rolleyes: I think I'll pith them and get them off the ground and covered for the winter and try again next year.

[David E Keller]

That middle photo looks a lot like oak... I keep thinking I'm seeing rays on the cut surface.

[Dennis Ford]

David is right; the middle photo must be oak.
On the spalting, I have had luck with putting on end on the ground and covering the other end with leaves and dirt (this needs to in the shade). Covering the end could be done with whatever you have, plywood, tarpaper or ??

[Greg A Jones]

If you can make a tree with this leaf into an oak.......

[Dan Hintz]

If you can make a tree with this leaf into an oak.......

;)

..........

[Richard Coers]

That last photo looks like you are making firewood. Is all of it checking like that? I would split all those sections through the center to reduce stresses and get less cracking. My favorite way to spalt is use chain saw shavings from spalted wood, and cover the wood with those shavings. Mix up some Miracle grow, and water the covered wood once a week. Keep it covered with black plastic to keep it moist. In your try, it dries out between waterings. That stalls the fungi growth. You can also get better growth if the end grain is in contact with the dirt.

[Scott Hackler]

When I successfully spalted some Sycamore, I sealed up one end and scraped a bare spot on the ground, wet it down real good and put the unsealed end on the dirt. Covered it in some shavings and leaves, wet them down, covered with a tarp (in the shade on the North side of my shop) and waited 2 months. I got a lot of black line spalting and a lot of punk! I guess I waited too long to use part of it.

[Greg A Jones]

Not all of it is splitting like that but enough to concern me.
Used both sawdust and miracle grow and wet them three times a week. Did NOTstand them on end which may be my problem.
Strangely enough, my sycamore, which is end sealed, and off the ground but covered, is showing some spalting on the exposed side grain.

Should I get them off the ground for the winter and try again next year?

Thanks for all the tips

[Reed Gray]

The spaulting process can take about 2 weeks. It is important to keep the wood wet because when it dries out, the spaulting stops. Sycamore, a variety of soft maple I believe, has a fair amount of sugar in it, and can spault very quickly. The spores that cause the spaulting feed on plant material. If you feed them miracle grow, beer, or whatever, they feed on that first because it is easier to get to, then get to the wood later. The spores are more easily found in the dirt and wood that is currently in the spaulting. If you use dry wood that is already spaulted, the spores are pretty much gone from it. Dirt does usually have spaulting spores in it.

robo hippy

[David E Keller]

If you can make a tree with this leaf into an oak.......

I agree that those don't look like oak leaves, but I also don't think I've ever seen ray flake on quartersawn pecan. Perhaps I'm seeing something that's not really there.