Hope I can get some opions on this. I have 5 acres - most of it wooded. It is predominantly oak with some pine and spruce thrown in and a few (not enough) sugar maples. We burn 4 - 6 cords of wood a year. Most of that I scrounge up, some I buy and some I harvest from my 5 acres.

When I cut from my land I pick dead or dying mature trees. These are usually the oaks. I haven't cut any of the evergreens. I typically take down only 4 - 6 trees a year. I am thinking that if I keep cutting the oak I will eventually be over run with the evergreens. Though the oak seems really good at colonizing and monopolizing the area.

So I was considering starting to burn the pine or spruces. I only hear bad things about burning pine due to the pitch. One of my stoves is airtight and the other is not. I don't know if that matters.

Any input or advice would be much appreciated.
Phil