Timber Stand Improvment

[showstopper]

I have shared this rhyming ditty before, but I will again. As it relates to the seasonal timing of working the chainsaw in the timber...a wise forester once told me, "Do not prune in May or June...or April".

As Skip talks about in the post above this one. You really do not want to be doing much work in your timbers now. It is way better to do that in Jan-Mar. Any bark that is "open" now will invite insect and/or fungus infestation. Oaks, particularly red oaks, are especially vulnerable to wilt, etc, and I don't know of a "better" way to encourage this scourge than to do spring "work" in the timber.

I cut/kill very few oaks, those are the ones I am normally trying to save and release when doing TSI. But, I find that oaks are not the best for hinge cutting. If you need to remove oaks, I would either double girdle them or lay them over.

Thank you for sharing. Hopefully the cooler "spring" will be forgiving for my late work. I'm only cutting some of the oaks b/c there are probably 20 of them trying to grow in a 20'x50' area and they are close together.

 

[Daver]

Thank you for sharing. Hopefully the cooler "spring" will be forgiving for my late work. I'm only cutting some of the oaks b/c there are probably 20 of them trying to grow in a 20'x50' area and they are close together.

I think you are probably fine...but I would restrict any additional cutting starting about now. It does seem as though things are behind a bit in the timber this year, so that will help too. Yes, if your oaks are that dense you will want to thin them...or maybe transplant some??

 

[showstopper]

I think you are probably fine...but I would restrict any additional cutting starting about now. It does seem as though things are behind a bit in the timber this year, so that will help too. Yes, if your oaks are that dense you will want to thin them...or maybe transplant some??

It would be great if I could do that. They are way too old for that though I'm afraid. I should have done this work about ten years ago as they are a good 12-15" diameter trees. Lots of branches have already died and trees are really lop sided with growth on the side to the outside of the patch. We'll see what becomes of them.

 

[Daver]

It would be great if I could do that. They are way too old for that though I'm afraid. I should have done this work about ten years ago as they are a good 12-15" diameter trees. Lots of branches have already died and trees are really lop sided with growth on the side to the outside of the patch. We'll see what becomes of them.

Yeah, bummer. That sounds like a scenario where you will need to thin them.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

Timber fire this weekend went well. An over abundance of ironwood had popped up since TSI work. Fire should help set those back in a big way.

 

[Bassattackr]

If a guy did “all hinge” for tsi- it would be a disaster & deer couldn’t get through it.

Spot on! Too many guys try to create "bedding" by making a hinged mess. Deer just go around it..

 

[Sligh1]

MANAGING FOR WALNUTS ….

 

[Jerry Gille]

Very informative Skip. Thanks. Can you explain the difference between a veneer walnut vs a lumber tree?

 

[Sligh1]

Very informative Skip. Thanks. Can you explain the difference between a veneer walnut vs a lumber tree?

Veneer is “defect free”…. Premium quality. It can be sliced into very thin pieces & used in high end wood work. Much winds up in china.
Here’s a very good short article on veneer walnuts that explains a lot….

https://www.iowadnr.gov/portals/idnr/uploads/forestry/walnut_economics.pdf

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

Quick vid post TSI and one prescribed fire. Turning out really really nice.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

Another vid on oak regeneration AND an Oak Savanna project which might be my favorite habitat there is.

 

[letemgrow]

Elm has been a dynamite browse coming from downed trees. I’ve never found one that hasn’t been mauled like these.

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[Habitat1]

Do y'all see the trees greening out after you double girdle through the winter/early spring? Wondering if that's typical or something wasn't done right on the girdles

 

[Stoney]

Do y'all see the trees greening out after you double girdle through the winter/early spring? Wondering if that's typical or something wasn't done right on the girdles

Last year was the first time I’ve girdled anything in my life and what impressed me is how long it takes to actually kill a tree. This year I’m doing a single girdle and spraying Craig Harper cocktail into it (well after they had leafed out). Anxious to see how that works in comparison. I can tell I did that on two thornless honey locust trees in the farm yard and everything fell off in less than 2 weeks so it seems to be very effective on locust.

 

[Sligh1]

Do y'all see the trees greening out after you double girdle through the winter/early spring? Wondering if that's typical or something wasn't done right on the girdles

Depends on tree. Lot of times it takes a year or sometimes 2. I have had some tree species actually seal the girdles back in and I needed to re-cut them. It could be a case of not going too deep - it’s exception but it does happen.

One thing I’d add…. In DRY years like this where nutrition is dwindled……. Stumps shooting up tender growth like above photos…. That really could be a game changer. If u did it wide scale. This would only be non-invasive trees like: elm, hackberry, maple, hickory, etc where herbicide isn’t needed. The protein & mineral content of that regrowth is insanely high. Like, 18%+ crude protein & packed with other macros/micros. Those stumps are deeper in moisture so the drought will not be near as impactful. If a guy was loaded with growth & browse like that - IMO or thinking - would have a lot more top tier nutrition & deer would do vastly better than areas without it. I have new stump growth all over my farm EVERY YEAR but…. Think it’s exceptionally important in drought years. My 2 cents for day

 

[letemgrow]

Do y'all see the trees greening out after you double girdle through the winter/early spring? Wondering if that's typical or something wasn't done right on the girdles

I’ve had some shagbark hickory seal back over girdles.

The 2nd time tho was too much for them when I went back through.


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[Daver]

Do y'all see the trees greening out after you double girdle through the winter/early spring? Wondering if that's typical or something wasn't done right on the girdles

I have had double girdled hickories look almost normal that first spring...but they too succumbed by the second spring.

Very species dependent and also the timing of your girdling can impact that first year. But if your girdles are deep enough...that is dead tree.

 

[Habitat1]

Do y'all see the trees greening out after you double girdle through the winter/early spring? Wondering if that's typical or something wasn't done right on the girdles

It is mostly shagbark that seems to be all over I'm doing the most of. I too have seen them grow over from someone elses tsi 10 years ago. Kind of blows my mind if the cambium is cut all the way around, twice, how they manage to even leaf out that year. The ones I check out from this winter/early spring's tsi are leafed out, was hoping to have that sun through for this year or might dropped more of them. I agree on the stump sprouting, I think that has to be incredible browse

 

[Sligh1]

It is mostly shagbark that seems to be all over I'm doing the most of. I too have seen them grow over from someone elses tsi 10 years ago. Kind of blows my mind if the cambium is cut all the way around, twice, how they manage to even leaf out that year. The ones I check out from this winter/early spring's tsi are leafed out, was hoping to have that sun through for this year or might dropped more of them. I agree on the stump sprouting, I think that has to be incredible browse

^^^^^THIS!!!!

I’m on my timber every 3-4 years cutting & it’s fun to return 3-4 years later & decide “what’s next”? Cause there’s always more to do. Nature fills in fast.
I have stands of timber I’ve had for 12+ years and finishing 3rd cut on them now. It’s amazing to see.

 

[BearCreek]

The effectiveness of girdling is quite species and timing specific. So much so, that I will prioritize winter TSI by species. For instance, silver maples will start "sapping" incredibly early and seem to tolerate girdling better than about any other tree, so I hit them first and they still usually take two years to die. Ideally, these trees would be girdled in August-November. Hickory can also tolerate quite a bit and you need to have those girdled before about February 15 or wait until after the sap stops running.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are honey locust, oak, and hedge, they seem to die quite easily from a girdling.