The Forestry Forum

Is tamarack (Eastern Larch) suitable for use as bridge planking over a small waterway in my woodlot.  It will have full sun exposure so will remain relatively dry. The beams for the bridge will be treated timbers.  I am seeing quite a bit of die-off in the surrounding properties and I want to harvest/use the larger tamarack before they disappear.

It'll be good for about 10 years. Being in the sun will make it last longer.   I have some that needs replacing on an atv bridge but it was old when I put it on a few years ago and it rarely sees sunlight.  I decked my trailer with it.  Some of it moves drying.  Use it right away.

Larch is a great outdoor softwood, hard to saw flat with so much pitch in it .

Grandfather, then father, always used 2" thick ash planking on a small crossing we had to get to a small field. Dad finally got a hold of some concrete ones the government tore out of a road. They've been there for 40 years now.  :thumbsup: Ash lasts a lot longer than maple or birch. We have no white oak. Tamarack won't last any longer than spruce. But I use black spruce for fence posts all the time around the garden, it lasts quite a while. I take the posts out after summer gardening, but they just lay on top of old cedar posts when not used.

That is what I'm using to plank the pond screen house floor I'm putting up. 

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/20240821_190720.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=355263)

Hopefully that bear won't lug off the screening. I know they like poly tarp. Found one a couple hundred yards hauled off my lean to. And it was hauled into a part of the woods that was dark as a cave because of canopy cover.   ffcheesy