101 uses for pine cones

101 Uses For is popular and let's hope it stays that way. Our second book is presently called 101 tips for self sufficiency; we will certainly dip into this section for ideas. So post away and let's try and get at least one thread up to 101.
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possum
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101 uses for pine cones

Post: # 101369Post possum »

We have literally tons of the thigs lying around, other than using them to light a fire, what other uses are there for them?
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Sky
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Re: 101 uses for pine cones

Post: # 101403Post Sky »

possum wrote:We have literally tons of the thigs lying around, other than using them to light a fire, what other uses are there for them?
Sell them for tinder!

Wish ours were at an age where they dropped cones, they have them but are holding onto them right now.

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Thomzo
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Post: # 101579Post Thomzo »

Nice clean ones look good as part of a pot pourri.

Stick eyes on them to make hedgehogs

Spray them and hang them up as Christmas decorations

Throw them for the cat to chase.

They look quite nice piled up in an unused fire place during the summer (much better than the pile of ash that sits in mine all summer anyway).

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possum
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Re: 101 uses for pine cones

Post: # 101599Post possum »

Sky wrote:
possum wrote:We have literally tons of the thigs lying around, other than using them to light a fire, what other uses are there for them?
Sell them for tinder!

Wish ours were at an age where they dropped cones, they have them but are holding onto them right now.
I had been planning on doing that, but for ages it was too hot to be bothered to go out and pick them up, then suddenly the rain came, so will have to wait till it is a bit warmer/dry again to pick serious amounts for tinder. Either that or start piling them up in the sleepout to dry again. Our pines are 50 years old and have never been pruned (unfortunately), once the car is working again I will hitch up the trailer and start filling it up. though I might have to fight over it as OH is planning on filling it up with all the firewood lying drying here there and everywhere and bring it to the wood pile.
PS have you worked out who possum is yet sky?
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Sky
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Re: 101 uses for pine cones

Post: # 101609Post Sky »

possum wrote:
Sky wrote:
possum wrote:We have literally tons of the thigs lying around, other than using them to light a fire, what other uses are there for them?
Sell them for tinder!

Wish ours were at an age where they dropped cones, they have them but are holding onto them right now.
I had been planning on doing that, but for ages it was too hot to be bothered to go out and pick them up, then suddenly the rain came, so will have to wait till it is a bit warmer/dry again to pick serious amounts for tinder. Either that or start piling them up in the sleepout to dry again. Our pines are 50 years old and have never been pruned (unfortunately), once the car is working again I will hitch up the trailer and start filling it up. though I might have to fight over it as OH is planning on filling it up with all the firewood lying drying here there and everywhere and bring it to the wood pile.
PS have you worked out who possum is yet sky?
Course I have lol I knew who you were straight away.
We're busy pruning all our trees, we've done about a thousand so far ... don't know whether a lifestyle block worth of pine would be worth anything as timber but even as firewood we should make quite a bit. What are you planning on doing with yours?

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possum
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Post: # 102056Post possum »

At the moment, just pruning and felling stuff, we will probably have to chop it as firewood, just to get rid of it, but if we fell now if should be dry in time for next winter here, as in summer it is like sticking it in a klin here. There is a local guy we can hire a log splitter from to make th job easier.
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Sky
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Post: # 102061Post Sky »

Cool, our pines have another fifteen years to go to maturity and who knows what they will or won't be worth by then but we're pruning them anyways just in case and also cos it just makes it nicer and easier for us to walk around our woods.

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Post: # 102074Post possum »

at over 50 yrs old, ours are way past maturity, we are now into safety consideration stage. But we have some ornamental woods which are just wonderful to walk through, so keep pruning, walking through trees is just heavenly.
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Post: # 102159Post the.fee.fairy »

Melt some lard and suet together. Add some bird seed, then dip =the pine cones in, squidging the seeds into them and covering them nicely.

Leave to set.

Hang up for the birds outside - its really good for them because they have to use their brains to get the seeds out of the cones. They'll love you for it!

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Re: 101 uses for pine cones

Post: # 117093Post Glorfon »

Give some one a big surprise during a snow ball fight.

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