Thinning out a woodlot

[Zucker Lager]

Hey Gang:
We have a 55 acre wood lot that is mixed pines, popple, birch and maple. the lot is crowded, dense, and I think most of the trees are stunted because of that so I would like to thin out around some of the maple trees to improve their growth. I've heard that thinning / opening up too much at one time around the tree will adversely effect it, is that true? why? I was thinking of giving the maples a wide clear zone past their branch spread 360 degree circle. The trees that I want to open up around are tapping size if I do thin can I tap that next year? How long should I wait before I prune the maples after thinning? I would take pictures but snows over knee deep. Any info on thinning would be appreciated thanks Jay

[maple flats]

The tree can't handle opening all 4 sides at once. You are far better opening 2 sides, then wait for the tree to fill in the space at least half way, then open the other 2. The tree will have enough filling in 2 sides at a time.
In timber production you don't open too fast or you get what is called eppicormic (sp)branching (branches growing from dormant buds on the trunk) but that is not the reason if only for tapping purposes. It is just to allow the tree to fill in slower, if opened all at once, the tree is among other issues likely to get damaged by sun scald (sunburn) because the trunk was growing in good shade before, now it has full sun. Full sun all in one year can shock the tree and may delay new growth for a few year or it might actually do long term damage to the tree.

[northwoods_forestry]

For sugarbush management opening all 4 sides at once is an acceptable practice. Sun scald occurs in winter and mostly impacts trees that have been recently planted in the open or young hardwoods with thin, smooth bark released from a coniferous overstory. Sun scald usually affects the sw side of the tree so that's the side you need to be most concerned about opening. Generally, sun scald is not a consequence of opening too many sides in the same treatment.

[Zucker Lager]

Thanks for the info I would have never dreamed that a maple tree could get sunburned. Will be my spring project right after tapping Jay