I will be selectively harvesting some white poplar (aspen) soon for next year's wood. I buck it all into stove length then wait until it the temps hit at least 20 below for a good week, then split by hand. Frozen green logs are much easier to split, they usually end up shattering cleanly.
We have balsam poplar here, some people call it black poplar, very similar or same as cottonwood, I don't touch the stuff, too pulpy and never seems to cure properly and creates lots of creosote in your chimney.
