Question about THinning

[GeneralStark]

Is that 3-4 liters on vacuum, or gravity? And what do people use the stuff for? and how much does it really sell for? Thanks

I was also wondering if anyone knew information for me about my thinning of the Sugarbush. Is it is better to leave the tops in the woods or to pile and burn them?

Just leave the tops in the woods and they will fertilize the soil as they break down over time. It's not always pretty but keeping the nutrients in the woods is better in the long run. Whatever I don't remove for firewood I leave, or cut and pile if it's in an area I want to easily get around in.

[tuckermtn]

I sent you a PM for your email- I can email you a price spreadsheet for logs that I keep as part of my job.

[Sugarbush Ridge]

Don't do any burning in the sugarbush. Maples are damaged very easliy by not just the actual fire, but just the heat from the flames can cause damage at 10-15 or maybe more feet from the fire. In 1 to 3 years you'll see a damaged spot on a tree and thinking back,,,, oh, that's the side to the fire I had over there.

[Sugarbush Ridge]

Question,,,,, How is the best way to get the small stumps to die after thinning? Is there a better time of the year? Or do I have to do it according the moon sign which would only be 2 or 3 days at a time? What I cut early last fall,,,,, I think almost every one had suckered out and will soon have a worse mess than I had before.

[maple flats]

Roundup stump treatment (read and follow label directions) works fairly well. Of the species you mention the beech has a tendency to become an invasive if allowed. Read up on various methods of control. What beech does, is it has a large root structure, spread far beyond the drip line. Those roots will sprout new shoots if the ground where a beech was removed has sunlight. As soon as you see new shoots (check 1-2x annually, treat with roundup (again read and follow label directions).
Still, some beech is GOOD to have, just don't let it take over. If left unchecked you will get a beech thicket in a few years after cutting down a large beech, this thicket will choke out everything else. It will choke out young sugar maples, however a mature sugar maple IS dominant.

[Brokermike]

There is a great new book out, a very easy read, called "More than a woodlot: managing your family forest" it is put out by Northern Woodlands magazine. It has great thinning strategies and discusses sugarbush management. For $20 it is money super well spent

[Sugarbush Ridge]

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.

[Sugarbush Ridge]

Don't burn!!!!!!!!!! you can scorch the side of a maple with just the heat from a fire and then have big dead spot on trees. I hurt a bunch of them before i saw what I was doing. Leave the tops to rot down, Maybe use a chainsaw to cut them up some more to it in the ground soomer to rot quicker

[GV2]

I know most replies say do not burn but in the last few years I have built small kilns around stumps and burned them all day. It s a good way to get rid of debris obstacles in your woods and a good excuse to sit in front of a a fire all day out in your maple stand before the first snowfall. Putting a bag of charcoal on the stump before retiring for the evening usually gets the job done. I had to fill in holes left behind after the stump burned below ground level. I am new to the forum so I hope my attempt attached a picture worked.

[GeneralStark]

You could also use the stumps and culls to cultivate mushrooms on. One more product you can get from your woods.