Red Elk Speaks

I’m always thinking.  Now trying to figure out: can dry WEEDS replace alot of WOOD to heat?

The domes I’m making each have fire “places”.  To get started I simply “rack up” (by hand) handful(s) of the dead weeds just outside their doorways.  Cleaning the area at the same time.  The Hundreds of dry Willow “stems” I break into pencil-size pieces.  Start the fires by 1st putting in a piled handful of dry weeds…”TiPi” the dry willows over this…light the weeds…and the fire is “on its way”. Adding bigger wood as it goes.

When fire gets low…I simply add more weed “fodder”.  Aho?

As an experiment I use, too, old dry / rotted straw.  Found it Has to be broken up…”pads” throw out TOO MUCH smoke.  Broken, a “pad” burns Fast and CLEAN.  (I have quite a bit of this “useless” straw).

Tried the straw as garden “helper”….WINDS WHIPPED ‘EM ALL AWAY.  So…this.  Aho?

So, between 9.28 acres of WEEDS…and about 11 bales of “useless” straw bales…we aren’t hurting for Fire STARTER.  Aho?

But a Bucket of this can start a WEEK’S worth of fires.  WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE REST?  HOW can we SAVE on TREE burning use?

Are WEEDS…COMPRESSED, perhaps an answer?

Once we lived by a HUGE sawdust / shavings pile.  Took paper bags, made sure the chips / etc. were well dried (spread out in sun / raked)….and mixed the with small wood chips mixed in.  We’d use 1 to 3 bags (ends folded over) to heat our home during the night.  Kept the house comfortable ALL night on these.  Cut our LOG consumption to almost HALF.

As the “dust” smoldered in the bags, they’d catch the CHIPS on fire…and this would continue the unlit “dust”.  Was a beautiful “mating”.

Now, no sawdust pile…BUT LOTS OF WEEDS!

Wondering if one can make Weed PELLETS for Pellet Stoves.  Weed “BRICKS” (compressed with car hydraulic jack) as “WOOD”.  ???

I once worked at a Wood Box Factory.  SAWDUST GALORE.  BIG HUGE Electric Press…unused, in the shop.  Got permission to use it.  MADE SAWDUST “BRIQUETTES”!   The owner took ‘em home AND USED ‘EM TO REPLACE HIS WOOD in their House Heating Wood Stove.  Told me: “You’re ONTO SOMETHING!”   They sold the shop before the “something” could “come to any use”.  So….???

Weeds tho, found about anywhere…can maybe “do” the same thing.  No one wants WEEDS …dry or not…in their garden Organic Mix.  So, WHAT GOOD ARE THEY!

Nature uses ‘em TO SPREAD FIRES.  Right?  WHY NOT CONTAIN THEM for YOUR USE?

Just ‘tossing this out’ to you, the reader, to think about.  Might help “MOM” / NATURE / AND keep your place Fire Resistant and “groomed”…and YOU BENEFIT FROM this “Useless” By-Product of NATURE.  Aho?

Good luck.    re

(WS)