how to thin maples?

[michiganfarmer2]

I find clusters of 2,3,4 maples growing within a couple feet of each other. most of them are 6 to 8 inch diameter. Shuld I cut all but one in the cluster?

Ive been clearing beach and ironwood out of my sugar bush and im seeing these clusters

[shane hickey]

I find clusters of 2,3,4 maples growing within a couple feet of each other. most of them are 6 to 8 inch diameter. Shuld I cut all but one in the cluster?

Ive been clearing beach and ironwood out of my sugar bush and im seeing these clusters

I bought a woods that had the same promblem In one part of the woods most of the trees are 10 to 12 inches and there are 8 to 12 apart. They look like bean poles. So what I did this year I put a tap Every 2'' around the trees that I know THat I will cut down this summer and Left One maple alone every 20 feet to start, I'd picked the best one to grow. Hopefully in 10 years or so they will have a nice crown. But the others I figured I would try to get every ounce of sap out of them before I cut them up for fire wood. shane

[michiganfarmer2]

I think that is a good idea. Ive thguht about that in the past, but Ive never done it

[wattwood1]

It sounds like you're on the right track. The North American Maple Syrup Producers handbook has a lot of good information on thinning your sugarbush. It describes the qualities of the crowns of the trees that you are going to want to keep and how to thin gradually so that it doesn't negatively impact the remaining trees. Clearing out some of the beech is a good idea if they are competing with your maples or if you want to open up the canopy to start some maple seedling regeneration. I would have to disagree though about taking out the ironwood. They are a good understory tree, won't compete with the larger maples and are an important part of a healthy, diverse, balanced forest. Unless there are so many that they make it hard to work in your woods I always leave them be- same goes for dogwoods, hophornbeam, serviceberry and other subcanopy species. Good Luck, Rob

[michiganfarmer2]

so, I shouldnt have a maple only forrest?

[shane hickey]

Apparently not, Yet it kind of funny The 19 acres of woods that I bought The only thing that grows and that is in there is a Maple tree, Or should I start planting oaks, cherry, and walnut. No I think that I'll leave my woods just the way it is. Shane

[maple flats]

A diverse forest is the healthiest. As other species try to grow, give them the sun they want. This does not mean you need to eliminate maples, just thin as needed and let others come in. From a disease stand point, any woods that are all one species will eventually have a problem from lack of diversity.

[wattwood1]

It depends on what your goals are for your forest and what you're starting out with. In northern Ohio there tends to be a fair bit of diversity in the woods. You could thin everything out but the sugars if that is what you wanted but, as Dave mentions, there is an arguement that keeping a mix of species will reduce the likelihood and spread of disease that might happen in a pure sugar stand. If timbering is part of the plan for your woods and for some reason you lost a lot of maples you could still fall back on harvesting the other trees. If you have a mix of canopy trees in your woods you can select for sugars but still not have to cut everything else out if they aren't competing with the sugars. If you have a pure stand of maples and your goal is syrup only then count yourself lucky and tap away. If your sugarbush is smaller and the adjacent properties are mixed woods that may be a reasonable approach. Rob

[michiganfarmer2]

My goal for the woods is to make syrup

[xyz5150]

Shane,

Its nice to see a crop farmer like you into sugaring. Around here (Shiawassee county) we are losing woodlots like crazy thanks to 13.50 soy's and 6.50 corn.