ever heard of this method?

[jkupcha]

Whenever I call to have wood delivered I always ask how long its been split. One guy told me that he cuts standing dead only. I asked him how he finds that many dead trees? he said he use to cut trees then split and stack year round to get ahead but sometimes the wood rots or gets bugs on the ground. Now he cuts a ring around the base about an inch into the tree. This kills the tree and he leaves it standing until he needs it. This keeps his inventory off the ground but still ready when he needs it. He says usually the trees are dead a year before he takes them down. Still even then wood is only partially seasoned. They need at least another year split and stacked to dry thoroughly.
Maybe you full time cutters have heard of this method but it sounded brilliant to me.

 

[Walt41]

It is called ringing the tree, it is best done in the winter. Ringing is ok but not as good as having the wood split and stacked to season IMO.

 

[freemind]

I have allways heard it termed "girdeling" the tree. I have a new patch to cut this year. Trees have been standing girdeled for several years. Owner had this done to "manage" his trees. Didn't seem real bright to me.

Some of those trees snap off and fall into other good trees, entangling themselves together.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

It seems like a decent idea , in part. When the tree dies it doesn't try to shut off the capillary action and essentially uses up most of the available moisture.

If the capillaries aren't closed off the wood will dry out quickly once cut to length and split for use. It will shorten the seasoning time but I doubt it will eliminate it completely when trying to get below 20% MC.

I've felled trees and left them lay 2 weeks before coming back to harvest the wood. Surprising how much weight is lost in green elm this way. Once the leaves have withered half the drying is done.

 

[yooper]

People girdle trees here all the time for fire wood use on there own land. I know some old farmers that would cut there fire wood ahead of time to dry by deliberately felling them to hang up. they would leave them to dry hung up for a couple years then pull out with a tractor or skidder when dry. those that didnt hang up they would skid out and stack.

 

[dingeryote]

People girdle trees here all the time for fire wood use on there own land. I know some old farmers that would cut there fire wood ahead of time to dry by deliberately felling them to hang up. they would leave them to dry hung up for a couple years then pull out with a tractor or skidder when dry. those that didnt hang up they would skid out and stack.

LOL!!!
Next time I hang up a big Red Oak, I'm using that excuse.:hmm3grin2orange:

My luck though, I'd probably get whomped looking for Morels in the spring.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[coog]

LOL!!!
Next time I hang up a big Red Oak, I'm using that excuse.:hmm3grin2orange:

My luck though, I'd probably get whomped looking for Morels in the spring.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

Morels? Might not be a bad way to go.Some things are worth the risk! Yumm!

 

[dingeryote]

Morels? Might not be a bad way to go.Some things are worth the risk! Yumm!

Two things ya don't talk about around here.
What goes on in your bedroom, and your mushrooming spot.

An old farmer I know well, once had some doper trash, planting pot in a section of his woodlot, and watched them all spring going in and out at night.
Finally in late June he called the county dope team and they nailed the punks.

When asked about why he didn't notify the county earlier, he reluctantly admitted that he didn't want anyone seeing all the Morels that come up on the edges of the clearing where the dope was planted, and after he got his annual harvest and let the rest rot down, he finally called.



Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[unclemoustache]

Morels? Might not be a bad way to go.Some things are worth the risk! Yumm!

I can give you a few morels right now:
- do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
- don't eat yellow snow.
- be kind to children, especially those that like to throw rocks.

 

[coog]

Two things ya don't talk about around here.
What goes on in your bedroom, and your mushrooming spot.

An old farmer I know well, once had some doper trash, planting pot in a section of his woodlot, and watched them all spring going in and out at night.
Finally in late June he called the county dope team and they nailed the punks.

When asked about why he didn't notify the county earlier, he reluctantly admitted that he didn't want anyone seeing all the Morels that come up on the edges of the clearing where the dope was planted, and after he got his annual harvest and let the rest rot down, he finally called.



Stay safe!
Dingeryote

Your friend is no fool. Great story.

 

[AIM]

Ringing a tree is a good way to do it. My county ditch personnel will do it quite often along ditches and creeks so the tree will quit producing seedlings that will grow along the banks. Usually after a year or so the landowner will see the dead tree and cut it down for firewood.
I've done a few myself but I have so much dead elm and ash that the only time I need to, is when a tree NEEDS removed but not for a year or so.

 

[savageactor7]

I suppose if he girdled the tree when it was dormant there might be some merit to his method.

I dunno for sure and personally don't think or believe wood start to season until it's cut and split. But that's just old school thinking nothing scientific only personal experience.

 

[KD57]

We used to do that a lot back in the day, I still do to some extent, and it worked pretty well. I kept enough split to sell, and cut the ringed trees as needed. I think the wood keeps better/longer standing dead.
I dunno, maybe it's just an old school myth, but I like doing it. I guess it depends on the type of tree as to how well it works, some get pithy standing, some don't.

 

[Curlycherry1]

One of my lumber suppliers, Horizon Lumber in PA gets standing logs that they saw into lumber. Black cherry turns a different shade of red when it dies standing and is left for a while. Anyway, they still have to dry the lumber just about the same as green wood in order for it to be useful. If I remember correctly I think they told me it still is about 25% even when dead and standing for several years.

Here is Horizon's "fallen trees" section of black cherry that died on the stump.

http://www.horizonevolutions.com/online-inventory/fallen_trees.html

 

[flotek]

i suppose if its for space restraints but its not going to really season till its cut down and split ...atleast not in a reasonable amount of time

 

[iowa]

A guy I work with does this. He cuts around the tree and lets them die. However, he says to do this early fall. That way the leaves suck all the moisture out? Dries the wood better he says!

 

[Walt41]

I tried that method with my ex-wife but it did not work

 

[frogy]

Would someone please tell how they do the girdle. We made a cut around the base about an inch or two deep on some elm a few years back and the are still alive.

 

[super3]

Would someone please tell how they do the girdle. We made a cut around the base about an inch or two deep on some elm a few years back and the are still alive.

You have to cut through the sapwood.

All that iv'e seen this way have 2 cuts, one above the other about 3 or 4" apart.

 

[yooper]

You have to cut through the sapwood.

All that iv'e seen this way have 2 cuts, one above the other about 3 or 4" apart.

yep that is the proper way to girdle a tree. we usta girdle all our wild life trees when I logged. land owner wanted it that way.