Question about THinning

[Sugarbush Ridge]

I had not thought of building "kiln" but where I cleared for the house I had so much brush to get rid if that I had "big" fires. Also to me,,, a maple stump is one of the harder ones to burn out, To much of stump below ground level and they stay too wet to burn.

[Michael Greer]

First time through. you take out the trees that are damaged, broken or diseased. Small stuff makes excellent sugar wood. Second time through (and that first pass may take years), take out everything that's misshapen or crowded with no crown. This might also take years, but you need sugarwood every year, and it comes from the same sugar-bush as the next years sap. Clean up the clutter, and don't burn anything except in the woodstove or arch. Waste not, want not.

[Michael Greer]

Let's not be anal about the stumps. Cut 'em short, and let 'em rot. It's not like it's your front yard or anything...there are rocks and sticks and you could trip over a skunk, but that's part of being in the woods eh?

[maple flats]

Thanks Dave,,,, now just to find the book that came with the Roundup. The land I bought has just been woods and never managed for sugarbush. Logged of in 1970 which let a lot of maple grow and then about 10-12 years ago the large maple were cut, all before I bought it. Part of my mother's farm. So now leaving underbush to thick to walk thru much less carry buckets or run tubing, which I hope to do some this year. A couple thousand wrist size and under per arce of maple. ash, hickory and elm. My first time thru is just cutting the wrist size and under. Left so much brush on ground still couldn't walk over it. I've taken my tractor and just run over it just to get the stuff to lay more on the ground. I'm kind of suprised of how much it has flattened out over the winter.

For any pesticide search, just google it and you can get it right online. You must specify the manufacturer (many call all glyphosate roundup, you must use the label meant for your specific product, labels are not legally interchangeable). Sorry for the long delay with this answer, I've been real busy getting spring work done. Even though many use products out of label, in fact you can get in legal trouble if you get caught. (I know, as I'm a certified applicator, private, fruit and have had many classes and tests over the years.)

[sugarsand]

When we are thinning or removing dead or damaged trees, I always cut them as close to the ground as possible without getting into the dirt, then let nature take over. This helps prevent ripping a tractor tire on the smaller stumps that arn"t easily seen. I have read some good advice about thinning to fast. Our woods had abundance of Hemlock which does not make for a good sugarbush and is the first I"d like to see gone.Hemlock makes up about 80% of our sugarwood, with the remaining 20% being pine or hardwoods that are broken or dead. I only cut enough to stay two years ahead on the sugarwood. As much I dislike Hemlock it does make excellent sugarwood after air drying for two years

sugarsand