Plastic cover to dry out cut bramble?

[timelady]

This is probably a really stupid question but I've never done this stuff before!

I have a HUGE pile of bramble branches building up as I cut down what is more of a small woods than an allotment plot. ;) I bought a big blue plastic tarp that says it's waterproof at my local DIY place to cover it so it could dry out nicely for a bonfire later in the year (which I am allowed to have, thankfully). Yesterday we had a frost and when I got to the allotment in the morning I checked my newly acquired disassembled shed which I wrapped in another plastic tarp just to keep dry. It was all dewey and melting frost and the tarp was wet on the inside and underneath as well. So now I'm worried that my branches won't be drying out? Is this just a morning dew/frost thing or should I get different covering? Or should I not worry because the branches will still dry?

Not as worried about the shed because it's used condition anyway, and will be built up in a couple weeks.

Ta,
Tina
artist-allotment.blogspot.com

[timelady]

[worldor]

I would have thought that the tarp would create moisture/condensation underneath. I would leave them exposed to dry out.

[Robert_Brenchley]

They won't dry out under a tarp. Take it away, though it's unlikely to get much chance to dry this time of year. As long as you've got a bit of dry wood to start the fire off, that's all that matters. Get some dead stuff for kindling, and take it home if you haven't got anywhere dry on the plot. Then start your fire with that, add small stuff at first, which is going to dry out fast in the heat, and it'll soon be away. No need to go for a roaring blaze, a steady smoulder is all you need.

[teresa]

Let the air get all around the brambles, to dry them out quicker,
I find my piles dry out from the top down.
When your ready start a new pile with the top bits screwed up newspaper is fine to burn dry stuff and keep adding to the pile.
This way if any animals are under the origanal pile they have chance to move on before getting burned.
I barbequed a snake once  just lit the small pile of rubbish and found him cooked afterwards some how did not fancy cooked snake for lunch. :-\
tarbs are good for covering ground after digging it stops weed seedlings from germating as they dont get the sunlight?
Keeping your shed dry is a good idea easier to handle a dry shed than a wet one when screwing together.

[timelady]

Thanks! Today I had a meander around the allotment to see what other people were doing and decided to move my bramble pile anyway. Someone else had this nice little bit where they made two rows of spaced out stakes, then piled their bramble between them making a sort of wall. I liked the idea because my plot is next to the road so I could screen it off with a bramble wall.

So glad to come back to hear you all telling me to have it in the open anyway! :)

I do have quite a bit that is actually dry, because half of what I'm chopping is actually brittle dead wood. So that's work well for burning. Can't take any home to keep dry, alas, my only transport is my bike.

Tina.

[shirlton]

We cut our brambles down onlya montha go and left them to dry out in the open. We had the fire last week and put the dry stuff underneath and then wrapped some freshly cut green brambles all around the outside. It burnt up a treat.