Permaculture uses for felled pine?

Anybody have any thoughts on uses for pine? We've got a big pine that's been felled.

I've read that it's ok to burn if seasoned well, so I thought some could be used for firewood. My hesitation in using it for firewood is the lower amount of BTUs it has. There is lots of hardwood around here; we'd be getting less BTUs for the same amount of processing labor with the pine.

I was thinking of using the limbs for mushroom logs with Laetiporus conifericola. I read here and there that this variety of chicken of the woods is possibly more likely to have negative side effects when eaten, but it is the one sold at Fungi Perfecti. It would seem like they think it's OK. We've gotten some off of what we think is cedar and it was fine for us.

Any thoughts on using boughs and needles? I was told that a lot of the tree, with its lots of limbs, wood would be to knotty to be worth having a portable mill come.

Zach Baker wrote:I was told that a lot of the tree, with its lots of limbs, wood would be to knotty to be worth having a portable mill come.

if the knots are tight, knotty pine boards can be very nice. they fetch a substantial price. they're snatched up pretty quickly when they're salvaged from older buildings, too.

how big are we talking about?

Thanks Tal, that is good to know. I'd say about 100 ft. It hasn't been bucked up yet.

chicken of the woods is great, too. I don't know how well it works on down wood, though. everytime I've seen it in the forest it's on standing dead trees or stumps. and always on conifers, so I wouldn't worry about that. about the only tree we avoid it on is Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata).

You could use the rough logs to make raised beds for blueberries and other acid loving plants...

Pine has a heavy concentration of creasol that isn't great for indoor use as it'll coat your chimney & is the stuff that chimney fires are made of. We never burn it inside, only in open/outdoor fire.
Make sure you check with any portable sawmill, if it's a "house" tree that's old, there may be metal/nails in it and it'll ruin their blade, which you may be responsible to replace and
they are pricey.
totally agree for using it for beds. great idea!
M

trench, then bury, any sections and limbs not used for other stuff.

mix in some charcoal.

Plant new tree or berries on top.

will hold water for months.