Thinning Eastern White Pines...

[wolfden]

Hi Folks!  I've read all the posts here on thinning White Pines, but wanted some additional advice and information.  We are a certified tree farm and bought a small forest with many white pines that range from seedings you could easily step on if you weren't paying attention to some 3' or more in diameter.  We have many that are 3 to 6' tall and growing very close together.  We've done some pruning, but want to ttransplant some to other locations within our woods.  We have sugar maples, beech, yellow and white birch along with spruce, white cedar and hemlock.  I see various recommendations for spacing.  We just moved 10 this last spring and spaced them 8' apart in each direction.  Any recommendations would be appreciated before we move more.  Thanks!  Polly and Jim at Wolfden.

[SwampDonkey]

I would first assess the site that your growing the pine. If your talking about a site that has regenerated predominately with the pine then I'de be looking to find weevil problems. Often the leaders are killed and you get a multi-topped tree, we call them cabbage pine. If you have alot of diversity and your pines are getting partial shade I would space the young trees of all species and leave over topping trees to shade the pines. I would leave them 6 to 7 feet apart if they are 6 to 20 feet tall, then space them 10-14 feet apart at pole stage (30 feet tall). The weevils like full sun where they lay their eggs on the tips of the tree. Shade will reduce their numbers (weevils) present but may not deter them entirely. A good site with aspen overstory is great as it's not casting too much shade to inhibit the growth of the pine. An overstory of maples and oaks would probably kill out the pine or slow them down significantly because they cast more shade. Young white pine are more shade tolerant then they are at pole stage and bigger. Once you have a good catch of the pine that have reached pole stage, I would then prune them to reduce the risk from blister rust disease and cull the diseased ones to be burnt. The pruning wouldn't eliminate the rust, but reduce it's presence. If you have a lot of wild currants and gooseberry, rust will be present. The rust will not spread from pine to pine, has to develop on the currant first.

[wolfden]

Good Morning!  Thanks so much for all the great information!  Much of what you provided we didn't know and it sure helps to ask someone who has the information we need.  Thanks again and have a great day!  Polly and Jim at Wolfden.