Girlding?

[TreeDaddy]

I would single girdle with a small electric chainsaw. Then spray the girdle with Craig Harper’s cocktail

eazzzzzzzy peazzzzzzy

bill

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I want to create bedding at the back of my cousin's property that is mostly mature sugar maple. These are mature trees and cutting them down would be tons of work. Thinking of girdling aggressively the back 3-5 acres. Guessing making two rings to a depth of half inch around trunk will do the job? Have never tried but have cut down enough trees to know that its a lot of work. If I do this sometime this winter can I expect the trees to die this next growing season? Do they send up new sprouts from the roots? Very interested in trying this.

3 to 5 acres of mature sugar maples? I think at that scale I'd be getting a logger in there to sell them.

 

[bigboreblr]

Cut them in a pile here n there.

A they can enjoy the buds this winter as food. Great oportunity to collect sheds in the branches.

B. use the fallen trees as windfalls.

Hit it now. When the maples start late winter sugaring, the chemicals will not set in. Girdle a top ring, then below it make your girdle for chemcials.

 

[Mike]

3 to 5 acres of mature sugar maples? I think at that scale I'd be getting a logger in there to sell them.

Yea me too but it's not my property. I am trying to improve his land to hold deer but when I suggest he do something it never gets done. Owner is my cousin and he has an Idiot son who lives there with his wife and 4 small children so it's a ****ing circus over there. Always some kind of drama that takes my cousin away from doing any habitat work. I feel for my cousin but he has been too tolerant and let this situation get out of hand. I agree Natty, I would have the whole back of that property logged out.

 

[Brian662]

I want to create bedding at the back of my cousin's property that is mostly mature sugar maple. These are mature trees and cutting them down would be tons of work. Thinking of girdling aggressively the back 3-5 acres. Guessing making two rings to a depth of half inch around trunk will do the job? Have never tried but have cut down enough trees to know that its a lot of work. If I do this sometime this winter can I expect the trees to die this next growing season? Do they send up new sprouts from the roots? Very interested in trying this.

Are they timber quality? The sugar maple market was strong as of last winter anyways. Could have a logger come in and get your cousin paid to do the work for you. He leaves the tops and you have your bedding structure.

 

[Brian662]

Sorry, late to the party on the logging idea. I think if you did the leg work for your cousin it would be helpful. All he has to do is cash a check?

I'd much rather cash a check than girdle 5 acres of trees...damn.

 

[Mike]

I agree with you guys on the timbering Idea. I mentioned it to him at the end of last summer but then it always seems like he gets sidetracked with some kind of drama from his son. And yes these are timber quality trees and that is why I would not feel safe trying to drop them myself. I will try to push the idea again and see if we get anywhere.

 

[farmlegend]

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?

The real hazard may involve attempting to fell a problem tree; trees with rotted trunks, big multi-stemmed trees, trees with extreme leans prone to barber-chairing, or whatever, when girdling is a safer option.

This is also an aspect of large property/small property management. Some hunter/landowners of smaller acreages are more particular about what direction those trees fall, while those with larger acreages less likely to care when and where that tree falls so long as it's dead, which girdling usually accomplishes.

 

[b116757]

I want to create bedding at the back of my cousin's property that is mostly mature sugar maple. These are mature trees and cutting them down would be tons of work. Thinking of girdling aggressively the back 3-5 acres. Guessing making two rings to a depth of half inch around trunk will do the job? Have never tried but have cut down enough trees to know that its a lot of work. If I do this sometime this winter can I expect the trees to die this next growing season? Do they send up new sprouts from the roots? Very interested in trying this.

Have your cousin log that area if your where girdling mature sugar maple on my place you would be writing a check

 

[KY wild]

I agree with you guys on the timbering Idea. I mentioned it to him at the end of last summer but then it always seems like he gets sidetracked with some kind of drama from his son. And yes these are timber quality trees and that is why I would not feel safe trying to drop them myself. I will try to push the idea again and see if we get anywhere.

Logger paid me $1.30 a board foot for butt log and 80 cents for second cut on sugar maple, added up quick. My share was over a grand an acre for decent maple stand and I was glad to get rid of them. Sugar maple has very extensive canopy and allows little to no sun to reach the floor, so big help to remove.

 

[SD51555]

I dunno, all the branches falling off into pieces might be nice, depending what your reason for cutting them down is. lol
Dealing with the branches is the part I hate the most, of course I'm cutting them down to have them gone, not for firewood.

I’ve started making rabbit brush piles right where the trees fall. I keep the good logs for firewood, but I’ll make and aspen or poplar into skids to hold up a pile.

Gives that brush purpose right away, and sometimes you get lucky and something good pops up thru it because it kept the deer away, like dogwood or jewelweed.


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[SD51555]

I also like to keep the forest very clean and orderly when making new cover. I used to make a real mess when clearing trees and brush. I don’t sweep up when I’m done, but it’s not far from it. I want tall thick cover and smooth sailing underneath for the critters.

And 5 acres of sugar maples? Sounds like a syrup enterprise waiting to happen.


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[Double Creek]

CSP will pay you to girdle them and leave standing. Provides shelter for bats.

 

[jackpine]

I girdle black locust and boxelder at my places. If you just cut them off they will shoot up root sprouts and stump sprouts. Girdle them and this eliminates the sprouts with no use of chemicals. Usually by the second year they are dead.

Same here but for me it’s northern pin oaks, they grow like weeds here. I will end up using them for firewood but the desired outcome will determine how I cut it. Like you said, if I want it to stump sprout I will drop the tree, if I want it dead I will girdle it then wait a year to drop it for firewood. Not sure if some species take longer to die after girdling but my oaks are bare the following spring.


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[Telemark]

I would not girdle acres of hard maple. Do your best to get a logger in there.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

3 to 5 acres of mature sugar maples? I think at that scale I'd be getting a logger in there to sell them.

Yea me too but it's not my property. I am trying to improve his land to hold deer but when I suggest he do something it never gets done. Owner is my cousin and he has an Idiot son who lives there with his wife and 4 small children so it's a ****ing circus over there. Always some kind of drama that takes my cousin away from doing any habitat work. I feel for my cousin but he has been too tolerant and let this situation get out of hand. I agree Natty, I would have the whole back of that property logged out.

If you're willing to do all of the girdling for him and he's OK with that, then offer to do all of the legwork in order to get a logger in there. Reach out to your local State Forester for help. Or just find a good logger yourself...he'll do all of the necessary paperwork. Have your cousin sign off. I can't imagine he'd pass up the chance to do nothing and make a few grand off of those trees. A lot less work for you. You're going to create some great deer habitat.

 

[Telemark]

My experience with hard maple is that they are very difficult to kill by girldling without some heavy duty chemicals. The Harper cocktail calls for 10% imazapyr, which is a pretty gnarly substance. Personally, I won't mess with it. Some of the herbicides have been shown to have serious effects on vertebrates. Apparently it was atrazine that is "turning the frogs gay." Atrazine is commonly used by foodplotters and recommended by Sturgis and others.

 

[Brian662]

My experience with hard maple is that they are very difficult to kill by girldling without some heavy duty chemicals. The Harper cocktail calls for 10% imazapyr, which is a pretty gnarly substance. Personally, I won't mess with it. Some of the herbicides have been shown to have serious effects on vertebrates. Apparently it was atrazine that is "turning the frogs gay." Atrazine is commonly used by foodplotters and recommended by Sturgis and others.

Atrazine is not commonly used by food plotters. Its a restricted use herbicide, not available without an applicator's license.

Attazine is commonly used by farmers for corn crop plantings. It can be used for switchgrass but applying the herbicide requires a license.

 

[omicron1792]

My experience with hard maple is that they are very difficult to kill by girldling without some heavy duty chemicals. The Harper cocktail calls for 10% imazapyr, which is a pretty gnarly substance. Personally, I won't mess with it. Some of the herbicides have been shown to have serious effects on vertebrates. Apparently it was atrazine that is "turning the frogs gay." Atrazine is commonly used by foodplotters and recommended by Sturgis and others.

Craig is a phd who has devoted his life to the subject. I think we have to be careful thinking we know more because we read a few things on the internets.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Atrazine is not commonly used by food plotters. Its a restricted use herbicide, not available without an applicator's license.

Attazine is commonly used by farmers for corn crop plantings. It can be used for switchgrass but applying the herbicide requires a license.

Simazine is a viable alternative that is not restricted and does not turn frogs gay

My frogs said "Trust me,she'll like it too"

bill