gridling hardwoods, how long to kill them?

[Mad Professor]

I have some hardwoods (maple , black cherry) shading my orchard and did not have time to fell them before spring.

I girdled them before warm weather/bud break but they are still leafing out and shading things. I did two cuts with a small chainsaw about 4-6" apart. about an inch deep. Will these die off soon or will I still need to drop them ?

 

[ATH]

I compare those to a Christmas tree...they are dead, they just don't know it yet. On difuse porous trees it can take a couple of years as the sapwood is active in a litle deeper. Most will die off when it gets hot and dry during the summer. I have seen beech that were double girdled AND they took off the bark between the girdled with a hatchet still green 2 years later.