Poplar

[Alex123]

Hi everyone,

I was walking to woods today and noticed my poplar stand is starting to die off/fall over. It's mostly an even age stand and there are lots of small hardwoods underneath ( Sugar maple, red maple, birch, also some softwoods). 

Anyone know if these make good boards or lumber to sell? Trying to see what options I have to maybe offset the cost of removing these trees. Some are fairly big diameter.

Thanks

[beenthere]

This is aspen, Populus ?

Not Yellow poplar, I presume. 

Aspen has a short life span. Tremuloidies more-so than grandidentata

[Alex123]

Yes, Aspen. Big trees but short life span. 

[BargeMonkey]

Where are you located is the question. It doesn't saw bad, easy to work with. Typically unless it's a beautiful clear log we leave it in the woods, can't give it away for firewood. Most of the time here anything of size is already dying or hollow on the stump. 

[Ron Scott]

It sounds like the aspen is "over the hill". Remove all the aspen from the stand for pulpwood and sawlogs, or chips depending upon your local markets.

Much of the large aspen may be unmarketable due to white rot throughout the trees. You will find this out as soon as you cut the large aspen.

As previously stated, aspen is short lived. It usually matures in about 60 years.

[Mooseherder]

I had a couple of loads go to Huber in Easton, Maine a few years ago.  They're making advantech chip board products from it.  I don't know if they're still buying or if you are close enough.  Wish a a couple more loads would of gone because they are junk now. We heated with that wood and worst first practice for almost 20 years.  I cut some with the mill last year and air dried.  It moved a lot.  I've developed a dislike for the smell of it and from now on it is going straight to the burn pile.

[Alex123]

There is a mill buying it for pulp around here so that's what I will try to sell too. I will take all of it out in that section of my property and let the hardwoods and softwoods take over. 

Thanks for all the inputs! much appreciated

[Resonator]

If it's like the poplar I have here, you'll see blackish grey growths (look like conk shells) growing out the side of the trunk. When you see those, you'll likely have rot inside. They'll then snap off 20' high in a windstorm, and leave totem poles. 
Pallet wood is about the only use I've had for the lumber, though did have had a customer try using it for a trailer deck. As said it moves a lot while it dries, but is fairly hard when dry. Some logs have kind of a fruity smell, but most are well... stinky.
Firewood is lower grade, have cut it for outdoor wood boilers before. As a buddy of mine would say: "It's better than burning snowballs".