what to do with lanky trees

[westphalian]

i'm thining a mixed woodland. when the conifers go i'm left with gangly hardwoods. i know ash and sycamore don't mind being topped but i don't have many oaks and don't want to take any chances. when oaks (or whatever for that matter) are so thin and tall is it best to top them to reduce chance of blow over or snapping?

the one in the pic has a fair old lean anyway so considering topping it 12 ft from the ground??

[Big J]

I would say that the hardwoods there are too drawn to survive without the support of the softwoods. Topping them would be very labour intensive and wouldn't look good. Consider a mixed thin, leaving some of the softwood?

[westphalian]

Cheers. To be honest I’m not bothered about the labour or the looks. Equally not bothered about the ash or sycamore surviving as there’s loads of them. I just want the few oaks and beech I have to do well and as you know oaks like the light. i want more diversity and light to understory

Edited August 11, 2018 by westphalian

[Big J]

I'd leave some of the softwood in place. Mark out your desired trees and halo thin, but leave a ring of sheltering trees around it. 

 

I'd really try to avoid lopping and topping the trees as I can't see them having a long future. 

[WesD]

Why don’t you just leave it all and let nature do it’s thing, if your not bothered like?

[spuddog0507]

Hi just take the smaller softwood and hardwood out leave all decent trees and if you take the softwood out round oaks to let the light in all you will end up with is oaks with loads of branches when its got more value as a nice straight pole and was the stump in the picture cut at that height for a reason ?.

[westphalian]

Cheers. I’ve just spent 5 minutes trying to think of a false clever reason why I cut the stump so high.

The honest answer is I’m milling 8ft sections on a Logosol and I can’t lift anything much wider[emoji30]

Edit. Just thought of the reason. I like to give squirrel s a nice vantage point when they are nibbling

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Good thread! Not an uncommon scenario. Interested to see what sort of opinions are presented. 

 

Forgot to mention height to diameter ratio and what people’s thoughts might be...

 

The “stump” comments made me think of TCD!  ?

 

 

Edited August 12, 2018 by kevinjohnsonmbe

[Rough Hewn]

Worked in a woodland in Sussex a few years back, where 30+ yr old s.chestnut had been coppiced, leaving a few nice looking stems.
Over several months they mainly fell over, into each other.

[westphalian]

That’s my main fear. I’m not bothered about poles being valuable in 30 years time cos I will be worm food by then. It’s a PAWS, way too dense with little understory although that photo is on the lane. I’m no expert and I’m grateful for advice but imo that oak is gonna topple, 50m up the track a sycamore DBH 10” blew over a few months ago.

Who’s TCD?

I’m now having to head back and take all the effing stumps down in case I have to post another picture on here[emoji851]

 

I understand your comment now WesD. I am using “not bothered” a lot [emoji23]