Girdling vs hinge cut

[fishin coyote]

As I sit on stand these last few days of the season here I‘m looking at a few trees that need to come down to open up the canopy for some young white oaks and chestnut trees. The trees are soft maple with some grapevines in them, I’d rather drop them but if I do I‘m going to damage my young trees and/or have to deal with the vines holding them up. What are your thoughts on girdlingand would it be a viable option?

 

[Rubee]

If you cut them you can determine which direction they fall usually. If you girdle them you can’t. The wind will determine the direction and might be right on top of your young oaks and chestnuts.

 

[BenAllgood]

I have to do a ton of maple plus a bunch of others, and my forester suggests hack and squirt between August and November.

 

[yoderjac]

As I sit on stand these last few days of the season here I‘m looking at a few trees that need to come down to open up the canopy for some young white oaks and chestnut trees. The trees are soft maple with some grapevines in them, I’d rather drop them but if I do I‘m going to damage my young trees and/or have to deal with the vines holding them up. What are your thoughts on girdlingand would it be a viable option?

Girdling is the last thing I would do. It will kill the trees and eventually they will come down. You could lose the trees you are trying to protect just as they are putting on some size. At least with a chainsaw, you have some influence on where a tree falls. Depending on the equipment you have, you may have even more control over where they fall.

 

[BenAllgood]

I wouldn't girdle because you might not get a good kill without chemicals. But, if you can't fell without damaging the regenerating oaks and chestnuts, I wouldn't do that either. Hack and squirt is a proven method for use in controlling undesirables when trying to regenerate desirable species. The dead trees tend to decompose and fall over time in pieces starting with branches then tops until left with short snags.

 

[Telemark]

How big are the young trees? Are they for mast? I had to drop some trees that took a few limbs off some smaller red oak trees. After a couple years I couldn't even tell they were damaged. Trees have a way of filling in where they have space to do so.

With girdling you have no control over when and how the trees fall. If you drop them, you can have a say in where they fall and what time of year. Personally, I would drop the maples in winter. It's easier to see what you are doing, the trees are less likely to snag, any damage to other trees should begin to heal in Spring, and the stumps of the maple should sprout and produce food for deer.

 

[H20fwler]

I’ve taken trees down both ways both have pluses and minuses.
Like BenAllgood said to girdle right you pretty much need to squirt your cut with Crossbow or similar and tree will come down slowly over years shedding branch’s and top blowing off, the wildlife benefits would be for bugs and birds and light gets to forest floor when tree is dead.
Hinge cutting (not cutting all the way through) you have more control of the fall and it creates good browse and bedding cover and bunny cover. Eventually the branches will grow tall and thick again and you need to cut it all the way off.

For fast canopy opening I just cut them all the way down and cut for firewood or make brush piles.
Along edges where I want to see better from stands I hinge cut.
Where big trees are interfering with fruit trees but to big to drop safely I girdle and let them shed some then cut them down later when they are more manageable.

 

[fishin coyote]

Thanks guys,I didn’t even consider uncontrolled falling The young trees are 5-15‘. I’ll just drop the offenders the best I can and deal with any damage that occurs.

 

[Boll Weevil]

5-15ft just hack'n squirt. It's fast and they won't hurt a thing when they fall.

 

[yoderjac]

5-15ft just hack'n squirt. It's fast and they won't hurt a thing when they fall.

I think he meant the trees his is trying to protect are 5-15 feet tall, not the ones he is trying to take down.

 

[cavey]

Variety is the spice of life...... and is often a better way to do your habitat practices so .......... You could do a mix.... pros and cons to both.... depends on your end game and the tree your cutting on. I wouldnt hesitate to leave a "few" standing girth cuts.

P.s. you will go crazy in the head trying to save every young tree... aim cut drop and walk on, nature will rebound .

 

[yoderjac]

By the way, for the trees you are taking down, you could make "mineral stumps". See MSU Deer lab for details on this. It takes them out of the canopy and increases deer food at the same time.

 

[Buckly]

Girdling is the last thing I would do. It will kill the trees and eventually they will come down. You could lose the trees you are trying to protect just as they are putting on some size. At least with a chainsaw, you have some influence on where a tree falls. Depending on the equipment you have, you may have even more control over where they fall.

I was told by my forester that girdling was the way to go with larger trees. That way they die and fall apart in place piece by piece over many years Saving the smaller trees. I did a bunch a very large maples that way and that’s exactly how it worked. Took about 10 years for the tree to eventually be gone and all on the ground. Those small trees will be much bigger by then if something did happen

 

[yoderjac]

I was told by my forester that girdling was the way to go with larger trees. That way they die and fall apart in place piece by piece over many years Saving the smaller trees. I did a bunch a very large maples that way and that’s exactly how it worked. Took about 10 years for the tree to eventually be gone and all on the ground. Those small trees will be much bigger by then if something did happen

Had a big oak blow over in the last ice storm. Fell right between fruit tree cages. I was lucky. If you can afford to let a tree fall anywhere girdling can work. It may be the only option is some cases. The dead tree does provide great habitat for lots of creatures. If you can fell it where you want, you eliminate the risk of damage to planted trees. A mineral stump can improve deer habitat. Like most things, it is finding the right fit for your situation.

 

[BenAllgood]

You also have to consider scale. If you're practicing "regenerative forestry", hack and squirt is probably the best way by far to accomplish it if you have sufficient parent trees left. A lot of shade tolerant species like beech, ironwood, and maple have grown to a point where they are taking over as primary species in many areas. And, in many cases, there is little to no regeneration of the once dominant species like oak because of the shade. Going through a stand using hack and squirt on midstory undesirables allows sunlight to reach the once ever present oaks. Controlling invasives at the same time or before is extremely important in this process to prevent them from using that now available sunlight to regenerate and shade out desirables. If you went through a stand just cutting and letting lay all the undesirables, in that circumstance, you could have an impenetrable mess. Cutting up or hauling out all the undesirables at that scale would also be unfeasible. Again, it comes back to the circumstances and your objectives as to what practices you employ.