Establishing a New Pine Plantation

[Wudman]

I've been scrapping and cleaning up lately, the dibble bar went up, and I couldn't do it, though I'll never use it again. We were hoedad planters back in the day, usually bare root stock, i think at 6x9 spacing, the frame on one of my old trucks was welded back together with worn out hoedad blades  . At one point we planted a lot of "Hugo Hells", after the storm a good bit was too tangled to harvest, too loose to burn, it was climb and crawl trying to get some growing trees back in the ground.

I got my forestry start in the "Hugo Hell".  I came out of school in December of '89 and landed on the NC/SC border.  Even months after the storm, I-95 still had trees laying on the shoulder.  The tops had been cut to allow passage of traffic, but the bulk of the stem was still there.  I started salvage operations down around Manning, SC and worked north and west over the next year and a half.  I kept a crew within the city limits of Charlotte for about a year.  The last salvage work I did was in Lincoln County, NC.........blown over Virginia Pine with backberry 15 feet tall.  Truly a nice place to work. 
Wud

[SwampDonkey]

Sounds like the fun running a clearing saw in softwood, knee high and pole wood that died and fell down or rotten fir that got buried in the green strips during harvest. Trails were nice and clean though, except wild raspberries. And the rocks to strike the blade on. Those green strips were like pitching hay with a saw, nothing would fall because limbs of trees grew into other tree limbs, limbs to the ground. 4-8 foot tall stuff. Could only cut about 1/2 an acre a day, 8 hrs.

[customsawyer]

I went over to give Danny's family some help yesterday. The stand that started this thread was thinned this past January. I had to take a couple of pictures to update this thread.

[Magicman]

Thank You Jake for the update and pictures.   

[SwampDonkey]

Nice stand of trees.

[Andries]

I can’t think of a better memorial to Danny.
Thanks for the photos Jake, and a tip of the hat to you for continuing to support his family. 

[Southside]

Pretty impressive when you realize those trees are all of 14 years old. 

[customsawyer]

All I can say is they are the ones that deserve the credit for continuing with Danny's work. It is truly my honor to be the one that gets to help them. If any of y'all were closer I would have to fight you off to get that honor.

[Magicman]

Amen.

[thecfarm]

Nice to have a update.

[Ron Scott]

A Memorial Forest.

[WDH]

Hi everyone, this is Amanda, WDH’s daughter. This is a picture of the other plantation - the one that my daddy planted in January 2018. The trees are in their 6th growing season. We tried to find the same spot as his other pictures, but I’m not sure if this is it…looked close to us. My daughter, Maddy Claire, is featured in this photo.



 

 

[Southside]

Thank you Amanda, thank you. That brought a tear to my eye. Jim

[caveman]

They are sure growing.  I saw them not long after they were planted when your daddy spent part of a day with my forestry team and me.  Your daddy was tremendous influence on me and a wealth of knowledge to this forum.  He is sorely missed, and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to know and learn from him.

[Andries]

Amanda, thanks for posting.
It’s been said that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.
Following in Danny’s footsteps is probably the biggest compliment that could be paid to the man that all of us on the Forum admired. 
I’m looking forward to everything and anything you may contribute in the future.

[customsawyer]

Well done Amanda! The trees sure are doing their thing too. Looks like I need to get some more doughnuts over there to Maddy, so she can keep up with those trees.

[SwampDonkey]

  Great stuff. Your dad, and now you, sure know how to grow pine.

[Nebraska]

Thank you for putting  that up!