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A peek into my woodlot

Started by ancjr, May 17, 2013, 12:33:12 AM

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ancjr


I moved here in the fall of '11 and have been enjoying tending my woodlot, however humble it may be.  I'm far from a logger or forester, and always looking to learn about and improve my woodlot. :)

Morels at the base of a Black Cherry.  The neighbors tell me the past couple years have been "off" years for Morels around here.  I still had a couple pounds worth, all told!


Just happened to spot this millipede tonight... never seen one like this before... the smaller red ones are more common...


Typical groundcover: ferns, club moss, moss, virginia creeper... Tulip Poplar everywhere!


Just spotted this spring: Oak seedlings! not sure of type...


Swamp Chestnut Oak?  These couple and the above are the only Oak I have found on the entire property!


They grow pretty straight and tall here!  Lots of ERC, Maple, Sassafras.  That's a 10" DBH Black Cherry on the far right.  Could possibly benefit from thinning?


A view into the back lot which boarders on being a jungle. :)  Nearby, there is an ancient dead Black Cherry that must have been some 38-40 inches.  There were 10ft tall ERC in severe decline that I removed.  The ERC can't take the shade and snow load!  Lots of Sassafras and saplings, but it's all being held in check by the Poplar & Maple.



breederman

Welcome to the forum. How big is your wood lot? If you are like me it will keep you busy. Sometimes I just go out and sit in mine.
Together we got this !

ancjr

Thanks!  Glad to be here!

It's about 5 acres with just enough clearing for the house and driveway.

As a side note, I think I narrowed that unidentified oak down to being a Northern Red Oak.

WDH

The first oak is Northern Red oak.  The second could be Swamp Chestnut Oak, but given the site, it is more likely Chestnut Oak.  It will be fun and challenging to tend your woods. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

justallan1

Welcome to the forum, Ancjr.
Nice woodlot, it should keep you busy.

Allan

mesquite buckeye

Welcome. ;D We are almost neighbors part of the year. ;D ;D ;D
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

WmFritz

Welcome to The Forestry Forum. Nice looking wood lot.  8)
~Bill

2012 Homebuilt Bandmill
1959 Detroit built Ferguson TO35

ancjr


WDH

Black oak.  Quercus velutina.  The underside of the leaf along the mid-rib should be hairy (fuzzy). 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

ancjr

Thanks!  The Parks Dept. is graciously offering Black Oak seedlings to residents as well, so I picked up a couple to keep that one company. 

The reason I'm so excited by finding oaks is that my canopy is (my estimating here) 66% Tulip Poplar, 31% Maple, 1% Black Cherry, 1% Sassafras.  Lots and lots of eastern red cedar with dogwood and redbud in the understory in the west half, all three rare to nonexistent on the eastern half of the property.  My estimation of wood volume is around 90% Tulip Poplar and then evenly divided among the remainder of the canopy.  :)

Not sure if "timber production" is a reasonable goal on such a small site in proximity with houses and utilities, but minimally, I would definitely like to return the site to a more balanced selection.

Right now I'm just cleaning up the invasives, broken eastern red cedar, barbed wire, construction debris, car parts, bottles, cans....  I seriously think I've found an entire F150, piece-by-piece.  :D



ancjr

The second-largest tree on the property.  20" dbh Tulip Poplar right on the edge of the yard.


30ft to the east of the big poplar tree... looks like something more than scale and drought is happening here... 


Largest oak I've found so far.  It shouldn't be too bad to get some more light to this one, only some 1-2" stuff around it.


Totem pole in progress...


Sprucegum

Nice place, thanks for sharing  8)

ancjr

Local Catalpa are in bloom.  A really good year for them!

ancjr

More pictures!  They all look so small in pictures!  :)

Big multi-stemmed Sugar Maple..


Looking southward from the Maple..


Beastly double Tulip Poplar...


Ancient dead Black Cherry...


Sumac...


I have two Sycamore that I'm aware of, this one is the healthier of the two and straight as a telephone pole...


I thought this was Dogwood until I noticed the flowers today...


A closer look...


I don't know what this is either...


This spot is one of my favorites because of the variety.  Take an imaginary rectangle 3ft wide and 20ft long on the ground, this is what it contains as far as trees:  Sassafras, Ash, Dogwood, Eastern Red Cedar, Black Cherry, Northern Red Oak, Slippery Elm, Sugar Maple...  No Tulip Poplar!?!?


347 Sassafras saplings...


:)

sandhills

Be pretty easy to spend a few days wandering around in there, never know what new things you'll find  :)

ancjr

I see something new, and can't find something I saw last time, every time I stop and look.  :D

WDH

The pic with the flowers is a viburnum.  The next pic is a young ash.  It should have opposite branching.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Roxie

Say when

ancjr

Made a broadcast of 60lb black walnuts the other day.  Yeah, yeah I know, wrong time of year.  Was cleaning out the barn and had some left from last year.  So, I'll have happy squirrels.  I hear them working the shells right now.  :)

Don't worry one bit, as I can have several pickup beds full to broadcast in the fall.  My neighbors all up and down the road gave me permission to get all I want!  :D

Riggs

Good looking place, looks like a great place for a walk. Thanks for sharing.
Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.~Ernest Hemingway

Norwood ML 26

beenthere

You are broadcasting just to feed the squirrels ?

Doubt any of the nuts will germinate, but wondering if that is your hope.

The squirrels will like you... :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

ancjr

Quote from: beenthere on June 15, 2013, 02:53:40 PM
You are broadcasting just to feed the squirrels ?

Doubt any of the nuts will germinate, but wondering if that is your hope.

The squirrels will like you... :)

I figured if I put out enough, in the fall, *some* would have to pop up somewhere.  Don't really have enough clearing here to try and plant any yet.

mesquite buckeye

If it gets wet in the fall, I'd gather some new ones. If you wait until it gets wet, you can stomp them in with your heel without damaging them, and if there is enough clay in the soil, it is very frustrating for the squirrels to remove them.
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

ancjr

That's exactly what my grandpa used to do - take a bucket full of in-husk wanuts and smoosh them into the ground after a good rain.  I've done that here, but haven't found any sprouts yet.

The longer version of the story...  My dad had dementia and I'd gather and shell walnuts with him to keep him occupied.  Last year was our last year gathering them together, as he passed away in February.  We would de-husk, wash and sun-dry the walnuts, then put them in cardboard boxes to spend the winter in the walnut drying room which has a dehumidifier.  We'd crack them in batches as we needed them.  It does get pretty cold in this room over the winter, it's insulated but not heated, gets cold but not below freezing.  Due to dad's illness and passing, our walnut operation was interrupted.  It seemed as if the ones collected from last year weren't very good quality - no doubt related to the drought we had.  I figured the squirrels deserved a little treat for planting acorns for me.

Took a 2 liter bottle with drain holes punched in the bottom, filled 2/3 the way with potting soil, put in 3 hefty black walnuts, covered with 3 more inches of potting soil a couple days ago, just to see if they would sprout.  Did the same with 3 english walnuts from the freezer as well.

All set to get plenty more (pickup truck bed full) this fall!

Looking for a source of acorns and hickory as well.

ancjr

Pictures from my other property






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