Girlding?

[SD51555]

I don't understand the point of girdling trees. Why would someone want a large tree to stand dead? That seems like a safety hazard and risky in general. I'd rather get it down and clean it up. What am I missing?

 

[BenA]

The snags provide great habitat for some wildlife. Another reason is, if you wanted to kill a bunch of trees in an area without putting too much clutter on the ground. They'll die slowly over time, and come down in smaller pieces.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I don't understand the point of girdling trees. Why would someone want a large tree to stand dead? That seems like a safety hazard and risky in general. I'd rather get it down and clean it up. What am I missing?

I girdle trees every now and then. Ideally yes...I would prefer to drop a tree, buck it up, clean up the mess. But often in my TSI I will girdle a massive and generally useless tree where I want to let light in, but don't want to spend time cleaning up the mess.

For example, I have hundreds of massive spruce trees on my property. Dealing with them once on the ground is a pain in the ass. I don't need it for the sugar house or my home. It's too far away from a useful landing to skid out and sell. I'll just girdle them and them to allow sunlight on the floor. Same with poplars. Crap firewood. Useless tree to me generally. I do prefer to drop them and let them lay to create aspen regen, but every now and then I'll girdle one because it's too big or I don't want the mess.

Dangerous? Of all the things I do out in the woods that could bring me harm, getting whacked by a falling branch from a girdled tree is way down on the list of my concerns.

 

[Teeder]

Same here. Trees too big to deal with and have no firewood value get girdled. Eventually, I hope they provide nesting cavities for critters.
I girdled some large yellow (tulip) poplar to release my red & black oaks. They probably would have damaged more than helped if I dropped them.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I prefer to drop the trees, but I’ll girdle them if they are leaning in a direction that will get them hung up if I tried cutting them down.

 

[Feelslikefar.]

The only trees I've girdled were white birch trees that I planned to cut down later in the year, or the next year. All of them died and fell over before I got a chance. Only did those because I was standing there. Otherwise girdling seems like too much work, so I just keep on with the hack and squirt.

 

[omicron1792]

Check out injuries from falling girdled trees vs injuries sustained cutting down a tree.

One is waaaay more dangerous than the other.

 

[T-Max]

I do it for the woodpeckers.


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[Feelslikefar.]

I hate woodpeckers. I'd blame it on cartoons but it's more than that.

 

[PoorSand]

I've been told that firewood dries quicker and more evenly while standing up than it does while lying on the ground. I don't burn wood. That's just what a guy told me.

 

[Feelslikefar.]

I've heard that as well. People do it so when they cut it, it's ready to burn. Got to be harder to cut though too I'd imagine, no?