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white pine

Started by trapper, September 18, 2021, 09:40:42 PM

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trapper

when is the  proper time to remove unwanted branches from white pine?  zone 4
stihl ms241cm ms261cm  echo 310 400 suzuki  log arch made by stepson several logrite tools woodmizer LT30

cbhansen

Not sure about proper time, but when I worked for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, we would prune acres of pine trees all summer long.  They had been doing that for years without issues. 

Clark

Interesting cbhansen. If you're removing dead limbs from larger trees then anytime is fine. The general rule of thumb has been dormant season only for pruning live branches. Maybe white pine blister rust doesn't infect through pruning cuts? I'm not sure but wouldn't want to gamble in an area where WPBR is prevalent.

Clark
SAF Certified Forester

mudfarmer

Hey Clark,

MN DNR/UMN (they have done a lot more EWP research than most others) says this:

QuotePruning is one of the most effective ways to reduce blister rust infections and tree mortality. Pruning is beneficial on any size tree.
<...>
Branches can be pruned almost anytime of year. The best time to prune live branches is during the fall and winter when the tree is dormant. Spring is the only time trees should NOT be pruned when the bark is easily damaged and the shoots are expanding.
https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/ecssilviculture/tipsheets/tipsheet_10.pdf

White pine blister rust | UMN Extension

Like cbhansen I have had no issues pruning EWP basically any time of year, but sounds like my sample size is MUCH MUCH lower smiley_beertoast


Trapper if you can try to prune to 9/10ft you will love yourself in the future if this is a WPBR area!

Ianab

What has been found in NZ is the rust fungus thrives in damp conditions. Removing the lower branches allows more air flow and keeps things drier, so less rust fungus growing. That may apply more to local species and climate, but the fungus spores spread on the wind, and attach to drops of water on the needles and grow from there. Less water means less rust.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

trapper

thanks all just removing branches to get under with mower
stihl ms241cm ms261cm  echo 310 400 suzuki  log arch made by stepson several logrite tools woodmizer LT30

kantuckid

I have a row of planted EWP along the outer edge of my pasture. Having just bought a nice, nearly new 78 hours tractor with a dandy alu canopy, I decided yesterday was finally time to cut the branches the ROPS on my old tractor had beaten to death-along with myself in the seat! I used an Amazon pole saw bought dirt cheap w/o batteries as it uses my wifes girly string trimmer batteries. It's fiberglass pole and about 8" chain bar. Well, a billion sticktites and hundreds of poison ivies later, plus chiggers all over my body, and 8 ion lithium batteries later I've got them all off! Whew! 
The best times when you get er done huh?  :D At one end of the pasture from last winters ice/snow/rain mess I still had a pile of dominoed young pines blocking the end of the field-I just stood back and used my pole saw to whack most then after no batteries left fetched a chainsaw-once they're moved I'm almost ready to bush hog, double whew!
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

ppine

Removing some lower branches can take place any time. 
Pruning up branches on open grown trees helps push auxins to the top of the crown and apical meristem. 
Forester

Ron Scott

The rule of thumb date for pruning here in the Lake States Zone is any time after September 15th when trees have hardened off.
~Ron

cbhansen

Quote from: Clark on September 27, 2021, 07:24:28 PM
Interesting cbhansen. If you're removing dead limbs from larger trees then anytime is fine. The general rule of thumb has been dormant season only for pruning live branches. Maybe white pine blister rust doesn't infect through pruning cuts? I'm not sure but wouldn't want to gamble in an area where WPBR is prevalent.

Clark
We were pruning acres of plantation pine so considering the amount of work that needed to be done, we did not really have too much choice of timing.  However,  the pruning was the lower branches, up to 15 feet, which were largely dead.   Looking back, not sure if that was the correct thing to do, and I can not comment on the health of the trees years later but it seemed to be pretty standard practice for the MNR.  To be fair, does not mean it was correct method.

ID4ster

Dead limbs can be pruned at any time. The question I've got for you concerning live limbs is why do you want to prune them?
Bob Hassoldt
Seven Ridges Forestry
Kendrick, Idaho
Want to improve your woodlot the fastest way? Start thinning, believe me it needs it.

SwampDonkey

Quote from: Clark on September 27, 2021, 07:24:28 PM
Maybe white pine blister rust doesn’t infect through pruning cuts?

Clark
Rust infects via the needles, then migrates to the stem. I guess Ian mentioned that earlier.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

SwampDonkey

I think the original post was concerning limbing a few to mow under. I usually prune in winter or early spring. I think spring is best really, the tree can start to heal up sooner. And pitch flow is probably more resilient, like with balsam fir, it will send pitch to cover the wound like a dressing when things start to wake up from winter.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

wisconsitom

We "raised up" maybe 2000 WP this winter.  Gradually limbing up, for disease control, potential lumber quality, and for greater ease of accessibility.  I think it well worth doing.

One thing seems different about our operation compared to what seems like the way many folks do it, in that we just use arborist's pole saws.  Seems like motorized pole saws are mentioned quite a bit, but I'd never need one for this task.  We're staying right with the trees as they develop-these aren't oldfield white pines with huge branches-and the nice sharp tri-edge blades on those pole saws slice thru pine (or larch, or spruce) like butta.
Ask me about hybrid larch!

Ianab

Hand tools are usually used locally for several reasons.
It's less likely to damage the bark, and therefore scar up the tree.
You don't have to carry a saw / fuel all day.
Safer, as opposed to using a power saw overhead or from a ladder.  
And it can often be faster.

Watch a local local lift prune a pine. Ideally this tree would have been pruned a couple of years sooner, with a first lift to maybe 6-8 ft (what you can reach from the ground). Then the higher ladder prune the size the tree is now.  A third lift would usually follow in a couple more years.

Kaingaroa prunning - YouTube

Heavy duty bypass loppers are the weapon of choice, but he will have a good hand saw on his belt, and the epicormic knife to scrape off random shoots.  

The idea is create a log with all the "defects" contained in the middle 6" dia. Rest of the log (24"+) is going to be clear grain. The technique will even allow a decent log from open grown or edge trees. You have artificially simulated the natural pruning that occurs over time in a dense forest stand. Just it's been done with a saw / loppers rather than the trees natural shedding of old shaded lower branches.

Without the lift pruning the lower branches will die anyway, but they then leave dead "loose" knots in the log. Not going to get high value lumber from that, and the butt log is the largest (and hopefully most valuable) part of the tree.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

SwampDonkey

I like the Ryobi battery pole saw I got last fall, it is curved like a hand pole saw. Many are not, and are less ergonomic that way. I don't do damage to the bark. It is a lot faster than a hand one. But you have to use bar oil, and the reservoir is small, that is the only down side for me. With a 7.5 AmH battery I can work 7 hrs easily. I never had much time last fall before winter set in, but after 4 hrs I had over half of battery life remaining. I only prune what I can reach, I don't climb. But I can prune 16 feet high, which is plenty for 35-40 ft fir. That's you're best log. The push pull all day of manual is more fatigue, and not good on bad shoulders. :D  With fir pruning you have to be real selective and look for bad signs in the but log. Any folds and seems or dried up bark or even a short leader growth, just walk on past to the next. :D I don't prune for value, up here you're not going to get one penny more for clear wood on fir/spruce from any mill. I plan to use logs I prune for myself.  On white pine, that is different, it is graded separately from spruce/fir. Just like it is for hardwood, where clear wood has more value. Even knotty white pine is desirable for trim, believe it or not, under 2", not 8"+ wide ones. Some people find clear pine trim and doors is too boring.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

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