Loblolly Pines growth in five years
- Thread starter Glenn9643
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jinman
Rest in Peace
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- Feb 23, 2001
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- Texas - Wise County - Sunset
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- NHTC45D, NH LB75B, Ford Jubilee
Glenn, that's some impressive growth for just over 5 years. If they duplicate that growth rate over the next 5 years, they'll be pretty darn big.
rox
Veteran Member
Why did you select pines for this area? They look great BTW
DavidA
Bronze Member
Glenn, those trees look great. I have approximately 50 acres of Loblollys planted in early 2002. Mine still have bottom branches around 3 1/2 to 4 feet above the ground and are generally 4 or 5 feet shorter than yours. Our growing season and good old red clay in the piedmont area of North Carolina may be less conducive to growth than the climate and ground in your area.
You are doing a great job keeping the ground clean and clear around the trees. You got it almost looking like a lawn. I keep mine bush hogged but can't seem to get them nearly as clean as yours. keep up the good work. You will have some really marketable timber in a few years.
You are doing a great job keeping the ground clean and clear around the trees. You got it almost looking like a lawn. I keep mine bush hogged but can't seem to get them nearly as clean as yours. keep up the good work. You will have some really marketable timber in a few years.
Rox, we planted the pines for several reasons. One being a source for the pinestraw to mulch flower and vegetable beds, and the other that they are native to this area and grow well here.
Jim,
The Leyland Cypress, pecan, two large pines and a cedar visible beyond the tomato plants in the first picture were planted in 1992 by my wife after everything was killed by a flood in 1991.
I took the second picture to record how low the pond was last summer. The trees on the left side of the pond in the picture (pinoak, live oak, and several leyland cypress) were planted the same year. The nearest tree on the right side is a cedar, also planted that year. It takes a long time to grow trees to a large size, but some do grow faster than we realize.
Jim,
The Leyland Cypress, pecan, two large pines and a cedar visible beyond the tomato plants in the first picture were planted in 1992 by my wife after everything was killed by a flood in 1991.
I took the second picture to record how low the pond was last summer. The trees on the left side of the pond in the picture (pinoak, live oak, and several leyland cypress) were planted the same year. The nearest tree on the right side is a cedar, also planted that year. It takes a long time to grow trees to a large size, but some do grow faster than we realize.
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David,
The climate probably does make a big difference in the growth rate.
I legged them up last year (cut the lower branches) so I could mow without fighting the pine needles and I think that made them grow a little taller too. I cut about ten acres with a JD 455 and 60" mower deck. The south pasture is too rough and I bushhog that regularly. Keeping the grass cut and weeds under control helps tremendously with mosquitoes around here. Wet periods, especially in the spring, when I can't get out to cut they will just about carry you off!
The climate probably does make a big difference in the growth rate.
I legged them up last year (cut the lower branches) so I could mow without fighting the pine needles and I think that made them grow a little taller too. I cut about ten acres with a JD 455 and 60" mower deck. The south pasture is too rough and I bushhog that regularly. Keeping the grass cut and weeds under control helps tremendously with mosquitoes around here. Wet periods, especially in the spring, when I can't get out to cut they will just about carry you off!
pappy19
Silver Member
As an old former West Monroe boy and Louisiana Tech Forestry Graduate (don't ask what year), your Loblolly's look good. Next year during the late fall, take off the next whorl of branches and it will stimulate more growth. If you are want ing to get some good saw timeber, you should prune a whorl each year until the last prune is at 10 feet. After that, it won't make that much difference. Sounds like pine straw is what you're really after, and if that is the case, don't worry abou the saw timber. Also, you could plant cedar underneath the pines for some variety. Watch out for shoot borers and tip moths, as they love a nice growing plantation to invade.
Pappy,
Looks like you moved slam out of the country!
I'll probably continue to prune limbs; some of those left are beginning to droop and slap me when I mow, and in a year or so the tops will shade it all pretty well anyhow. As you said, not so much concerned with sawlogs as with pinestraw and the local environment.
We have several cedars scattered about the place and I don't think we need anything else among the pines. That area is just a couple of acres and we have tried to vary our planting on the rest of the twenty.
Looks like you moved slam out of the country!
I'll probably continue to prune limbs; some of those left are beginning to droop and slap me when I mow, and in a year or so the tops will shade it all pretty well anyhow. As you said, not so much concerned with sawlogs as with pinestraw and the local environment.
We have several cedars scattered about the place and I don't think we need anything else among the pines. That area is just a couple of acres and we have tried to vary our planting on the rest of the twenty.
pappy19
Silver Member
Glenn9643 said:
Yep, I left all the chiggers (red bugs), cockroaches (water bugs), fire ants, fleas, and humidity. I do miss Ray's PG, The Mohawk, Pardner's, and Casio's.
N80
Super Member
I've got planted pines on my place too. Planted for timber and pulp wood by the previous owner. They grow at an astonishing rate. I'm guessing loblolly is the predominant natural pine species in this area but I think most of the planted pines are a hybrid of some sort.
We've had a bit of a blight in pines in the southeast. Some sort of beetle I'm told, I think(?). It has supposedly peaked and things are improving. I lost a few pines but haven't seen a new dead one in over a year. Don't know if the problem is specific to hybrids, loblollys or all pines in general.
We've had a bit of a blight in pines in the southeast. Some sort of beetle I'm told, I think(?). It has supposedly peaked and things are improving. I lost a few pines but haven't seen a new dead one in over a year. Don't know if the problem is specific to hybrids, loblollys or all pines in general.
