The Forestry Forum

Hi all,

Wondering about the prevalence of maple stump sprouts, is this "normal behavior" or are there factors that contribute to high percentage of the situation in the pictures?

Are there existing management prescriptions for this? I feel like cutting them while small is a decent bet on the risk/reward ratio but also worry about creating a path for wound/disease if there is some arbitrary limit on too big. For example some of them die naturally and if they are a bit bigger it can lead to a pretty big wound that allows for butt rot on the primary stem.

Just reaching out for thoughts really. One of the pictures shows a good example of tree in foreground having the butt 'damaged' by the sprout, a smaller tree mid frame with a large sprout, and a nice maple sans evidence of any sprouting in the background.

Thanks!


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/37318/IMG_20231023_132018652_HDR5B15D.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1698082264)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/37318/IMG_20231023_131817204_HDR5B15D.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1698082194)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/37318/IMG_20231023_131725689_HDR5B15D.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1698082147)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/37318/IMG_20231023_131706960_HDR5B15D.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1698082117)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/37318/IMG_20231023_131620846_HDR5B15D.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1698082082)
 

Thoughts may be a bit jumbled, had this all typed out and browser crashed so this is a retype

Is this sugar maple or red maple? Many of my red maple does the same. Red maple sends countless sprouts on a cut stem - similar to grey birch; maybe that's the cause? I haven't noticed it as much on sugar maple. Beyond that I won't be much help. But looking forward to the responses.

Both really, just something I've noticed over the years and wondered about and was on a walk with the dog. I can try to get better #s but looking at those pics they are both shown so it is not one or the other.

Do crop tree release by removing the smaller less dominant tree stem. Use a slant roof cut so that water will run off the smaller cut tree stem and use care so as not to scar or cut into the remaining crop tree.

This timber tree improvement cut may also serve as a firewood salvage cut.