SapStain in Pinus Radiata

[John Lewis Cash]

Someone told me detergent is sprayed on the cut ends of Pinus Radiata on the skid site to slow the spread of sapstain, Is this true?

 

[madhatte]

Are you talking about blue stain? That one is distributed by the mouthparts of bark beetles. I can't imagine that detergent would make any difference in that case.

 

[2dogs]

I have never been concerned about blue stain in Monterey pine because I have never saved out the logs for any use. In White fir, Abies Concolor, blue stain has been a problem on and off. The stain was in the trees before and when they were cut down. I have never heard of a stain that penetrates into a log while it was decked. I recently painted the ends of redwood logs with Bailey's end grain sealer but that was to prevent checking.

I've cut and skidded lots of Monterey pine with horses and machines. (I told a little white lie there, another guy actually worked the horses, but I ran tractor and yarder.) Monterey pine foliage is very dense and VERY HEAVY. I hope you can just leave the branches where the trees are limbed. The lumber warps like crazy!

 

[Deleted member 110241]

Are you talking about blue stain? That one is distributed by the mouthparts of bark beetles. I can't imagine that detergent would make any difference in that case.

The blue comes from a fungi right? Did not know that it's the beetles that introduce it to the tree!

 

[madhatte]

The blue comes from a fungi right? Did not know that it's the beetles that introduce it to the tree!

Correct. Think of it as a symbiotic relationship where the fungus hitches a ride on the beetle.