Recommend me a book on trees and how to spot spalting

[Brent Nowell]

hi!

Looking for a book on tree identification and possibly wood properties (strengths/weaknesses for this and that) for west coast trees. I live in Alberta and I really don’t know anything about trees.

Also I’ve seen a few trees standing that are half dead with lots of weird coloured looking fungus on them which I’ve been told is a spalting candidate. Is this correct? It would really be something to make some slabs out of a spalted candidate.

Once again thx for your help

 

[Franny K]

I would suggest starting at the local library. In the states some of them if not all have publications for identifying local trees. I have one I downloaded and printed out. There is also an agricultural extension service in many places to contact.

Fran

 

[Henry3120xp]

hi!

Looking for a book on tree identification and possibly wood properties (strengths/weaknesses for this and that) for west coast trees. I live in Alberta and I really don’t know anything about trees.

Also I’ve seen a few trees standing that are half dead with lots of weird coloured looking fungus on them which I’ve been told is a spalting candidate. Is this correct? It would really be something to make some slabs out of a spalted candidate.

Once again thx for your help

In most cases if you’re seeing fungal growth on the exterior of the log it’s too late, the wood is too soft at this point. That’s about 3 fungi past the ones that the do the spalting . it is possible there’s a small area on the edge of the rot that’s still usable but that’s not common here. It’s very rare for me to fell a tree that has good spalting. It’s much better quality wood if you take a good log and spalt it. Just get it about a foot off the ground and put the thickest coat possible of exterior house paint on the ends. Wait about 8 months and saw the end, just 1/2 inch or so, and check progress. If you don’t see any color paint it back up and wait 4 months and try again. If you see some color check it in 2. It’s important to keep a close watch because it goes from awesome to garbage pretty fast once it reaches a certain point. It took this log around 19 months, but I’ve have seen them be to far gone in 11. I have the best luck with maple.
I’m in N.C. and must admit I don’t know much about west coast wood specifically but it’s the same chain of fungi that produce spalting so I would expect similar results. I don’t know how much the climate difference between here and there will affect the timing.

 

[M.R.]

Understanding Wood
R. Bruce Hoadley
ISBN: 0-918804-05-1
1980
Was into it for reference a week or so ago...