Thinning in Maple grove?

[Piper2022]

I live in central Maine and we have a 10 acre lot on a hill that is used as a hobby maple grove. We tap about 500 trees a year. The lot was cut somewhat heavily about 15 years ago for timber but the owner at that time left any nice maple to grow. Now the lot is beginning to get a very dense under growth with the beech and some white pine chocking out any maple tree under 15-20ft tall. I am tempted to just go to town with the saw and cut mostly all the beech and pine out to let the maple saplings grow taller. Pretty much any maple sapling under 10 feet is doomed due to the beech especially. I know its hard to make suggestions without seeing the lot, but dose anyone care to chime in. I could hire a forester to come but its just a hobby grove and we mainly just give the syrup away as gifts.

 

[atgreene]

Keep the forester as far away as possible. Rock maples bring a premium at the veneer yard, they'll be trying to convince you to thin out the larger maples.

We're not far from you, thin out everything that isn't a maple. Beech will lower the sugar content of maples. Not sure why, but any sugarbush with beech in it always runs a lower sugar percentage. Oaks and pines will shade them, birch fall over in an ice storm and wipe out tubing lines and hemlock attract porcupines and squirrels that will knaw on the tubing. Our rule of thumb is take it out before we run mainline. Once the tubing is up it's hard to trim out anything you didn't take before it got big.

Good luck!

 

[Piper2022]

Great, thanks for the input. I am going to cut the **** out of the beech trees then. I can't believe how thick some of them are, they are only like 10" trees but consume a ton of space. I am interested to see if the sugar content changes at all with all the beech gone this spring. Thankfully the area with lines run only has limited beech trees. Basically 5 acres has been tapped and the other 5 or so useable acres we are planning on tapping and running lines this spring. How many taps do you guys have over there?

 

[atgreene]

We do 500-700, depending on the season. We're a seven generation farm, so we've managed to thin out all but the best trees, which makes a huge difference in sugar content.

 

[dave1949]

Beech is hard to rid of, a lot the beech saplings may be connected by their roots. In your case, it would be worth painting the cut beech stems with something that will kill them or you will be cutting beech again and again, not sure if that would affect the sap though, so check that.

I don't do any sugaring, but I sure appreciate those who do :licking:.

 

[Larro Darro]

Never had any dealings with maple or beech, but when I cut trees and brush, I have an old gas and diesel mix I squirt on the stumps to keep them from sprouting back. Since you are sugaring, you would need to use sparingly.

It will be cane grinding season down here soon. My BIL's family have a few acres of cane and make syrup every year. I don't care for it myself, but lots of folks around here love cane syrup and it brings a good price.

 

[dave1949]

http://www.umaine.edu/cfru/All_coop/Publications/NelsonWagner2011_BeechCtrl_NJAF.pdf

Maybe this will help in some way. The study conditions sound similar to your situation. It's interesting that beech is much more susceptible to glyphosate than sugar maple.

I'm not one for getting out the chemicals, but beech is a booger.

 

[Piper2022]

Thanks for the info on hitting the stumps with chemicals to reduce regrowth. I will try to do that on half the land, the other half drains into a dug well and I don't want to risk the water in that region draining into the dug well. Tonight I cut a ton of the beech, even cut one that was almost 30in in diameter. Most are about 6-10in so they are easy to cut. Just removing the beech has really opened it up, it's crazy how much they block the light in the understory. It's coming along, I probably thinned about 3 or so acres tonight and last night. Now I have to pull the trees out which should be a process...

 

[dave1949]

Thanks for the info on hitting the stumps with chemicals to reduce regrowth. I will try to do that on half the land, the other half drains into a dug well and I don't want to risk the water in that region draining into the dug well. Tonight I cut a ton of the beech, even cut one that was almost 30in in diameter. Most are about 6-10in so they are easy to cut. Just removing the beech has really opened it up, it's crazy how much they block the light in the understory. It's coming along, I probably thinned about 3 or so acres tonight and last night. Now I have to pull the trees out which should be a process...

Well, you have some decent firewood there to use or sell. There aren't any 30" beeches around here, the beech bark disease kills them off before they go much over 16"-20".

I don't blame you for being cautious with the chemicals. I've not applied any to my woods, but I'm more interested in wildlife conservation than producing something. I have a small patch of Japanese knotweed and some garlic mustard that sorely tempt me though. :laughing:

The best mechanical method is to get a forestry saw like a Stihl FS-250 and use the brush blade for sprouts, put on the saw blade for stuff 1/2" and up. Beech is tough to cut with the brush blade. Make a pass or three through your maples each year to keep down the regeneration. It might even die-out--eventually. :laughing:

I spent 6 hours yesterday with my FS-250 clearing sprouts from some walking trails that aren't wide enough to bush hog. 99% of what I was cutting was #&@!* beech. The saw has bicycle-style handles and a support harness. I was only moderately sore this morning.

 

[Larro Darro]

I spent 6 hours yesterday with my FS-250 clearing sprouts from some walking trails that aren't wide enough to bush hog. 99% of what I was cutting was #&@!* beech. The saw has bicycle-style handles and a support harness. I was only moderately sore this morning.

I have an old Solo trimmer with a saw blade that is rigged like that. It's 12 or 13 years old, but will still do a lot of work. When you get the harness adjusted right, it isn't too bad to use. You just have to remember to move your feet, and not be leaning to get closer to your work. That is what does a number on my back.