Amazed at results of thinning

[Jeffrey Hakala]

I just wanted to ask a question to the more seasoned guys on here about thinning results. I just started to thin out my bush and have already started to see new leaf growth! I guess I was surprised to see this happen in two weeks time! Is this a normal result? Or is this a really good year for tree growth?

[Jeff E]

I did a major thinning 4 yrs ago. I am starting to see a slight upward trend in sugar content, but there are so many variables, it is hard to be diffinitive in the why behind sugar content.
What is definate is tree growth and crown development. That is definately going well since the thinning.

Now I thin any area before I put tubing in, or if I have damage to lines or wind damage to trees. In other words, if it is easy to run the saw in an area, I do it because the benefits make the effort worthwhile.

[adk1]

I did some this past spring. THe only problem I have is that the trees I need to thin are larger than my maples and all on a hill. If I were to drop them they are gonna wipe out many of my maples..so I dont know what to do. They are basically big white pines or hemlocks and a few oaks

[sugaringman85]

ADK1 - you could always put a three ring girdle around the trees you want gone if you think there will be more damage done to the understory. Unless its a large area and the pine and hemlock are worth cutting into logs. Oak might be worth something. Depends on how big your maples are!

I have been working on thinning 1 and 2 inch diameter sugar maples for the last 5 years or so and see some growth in the crowns of the ones i started on. takes a long time for a sugar maple to make many changes. As my forestry professor said back in the day about thinning, or style of thinning. If it touches the crown...cut it down! ie for trees around the tree your are trying to save.

[red maples]

I like that if it touches crown cut it down.... it is pretty amazing even after 2 years of cutting down a tree how quickly that hole in the canape closes up!!! the trees just reall get agressive to get that extra light!!!


at this time of year you will see all sorts of new growth. As far as I know and I am the farthest from an expert but the tree is trying to protect itself from the sun and makes more leaves and and can process more nutrients etc etc etc. hope I said that right.

In NH they are doing testing on sugar content combined with foliage vs seed production vs stressed and non-stress trees. One thing they were seeing (If I remember this right) is that slightly stressed trees are producing more seeds because they feel they need to reproduce more incase the stress gets worse. Now they will compensate and store more carbs to turn to sugar to try to compensate for the stress and also for the extra needed nutrients to grow new foliage. thats alot in a few words. but the study is on going as they are trying to figure out exactly why some years are very dark grade years and others years are lighter grade color year. and what leads to different flavors as well ie. metabolism, stronger, lighter, buddy etc.

[maple flats]

The trees are not trying to protect themselves from the sun, they are trying to get the sun's energy. The leaves are there to utilize the sun's energy. This is why the open space is filled in so quickly, evolution has created it where the strongest tree fills available sun space the fastest to make it even stronger.
This is also the reason why some branches die out, if they are not producing more that they consume they wilt and die, thus lower limbs die out and new upper limbs shoot out for more sun.
Within the bark of the tree are branch buds laying dormant, when sun gets to that bud, it grows a new limb. This is a natural process. When it happens lower on the trunk due to excessive new light to the trunk it grows "eppicormic branches" (new branches from the trunk) These are not good for log grade but are actually good for maple producers, more leaves = more sugar.

[Paddymountain]

If it touches the crown cut it down......
....hmmmm. reminds me of my years trimming trees for Asplundh
When in doubt.... cut it out!

[Twindadx2]

Good information. We just purchased a new house and property and are new to the syrup business. I was wondering about thinning and which trees to thin and which maples are healthy and should be kept. Are there any rule of thumb for which maples will produce better?

[red maples]

well the thing is if your trees are over crowded especially if you have alot of big oaks like I do the can grow taller and take up more of the canape leaving little sunlight for the maple to expand their crown. Resulting in very small tight crowns on the maples . So I am noticing as I thin things out and give the maples some breathing room they are starting to sprout some new branches. I have a very diverse woods, red maples, sugar maples, White oak, red oaks, white, black and sliver? birch beech plus some the softer woods as well pine and hemlock but my woods are very over grown so its taking a little longer to get trees out as I just take what I need but its getting there.

You might have healthy trees that are just stunted because they are blocked out by bigger trees.

[Twindadx2]

Thanks for the info Red Maples. In that area of our property we have some mixed trees as well with ash, ironwood, birch, poplar, beech and some cherry. This is our first year seeing the trees with leaves as we moved in last fall. What a difference! It was so bright and open in the fall compared to my first time back there with all the leaves on. A lot darker. I plan on getting back there shortly to do some thinning and cleanup of some dead trees and blowdowns. I need to start stacking up on some firewood for the winter as well. I guess I should bring a can of spraypaint with me to mark the trees that should come down. I guess the bigger the canopy the better the tree should produce for me? and as quoted before "If it touches the crown, cut it down"! I like that analogy!

[Jeff E]

One thing that works for me: I mark the trees I want to keep. I look for a single, healthy main trunk, without acute forking in the crown. There are damaged trees that need to come out, overtopping trees, as well as healthy competing trees. But there are other places where these same cull type trees will remain, because taking them out will open things up to much.
So I start by identifying the producer and future producer trees, and work from there.

[GeneralStark]

Good information. We just purchased a new house and property and are new to the syrup business. I was wondering about thinning and which trees to thin and which maples are healthy and should be kept. Are there any rule of thumb for which maples will produce better?

I would suggest watching the Cornell Extension Webinar included in the following link on sugarbush management and thinning. It is highly informative for anyone looking at increasing the production from their woods.

http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/web/schedule.htm

[farmall h]

Jeff as you release the trees next to your "keepers" you will see the tree crown out more in the summer. Our orchard was very thick when my folks purchased it in 1972 (35 acre parcel)but as we have cut firewood and soft wood species over the years the maples have crowned out nicely. Although it took over 40+ years to get it this way. Unfortunately we started the thinning process too late. The majority of the trees were probably 50 years old and tall. It is best to thin your Maples when they are in the 30 - 40 year growth period since they are at a good height and are rather healthy. There are many articles on the internet that explain when and what criteria for culling Maples or any other $ trees. More crown=more sap!