newbie questions - removing black walnut trees

[doanh]

Hello,

I figure here is the best place to ask for help. I have five large walnut trees I would like to remove.

The largest one is 24 inches and the smallest one is 12 inches. I rather not remove these trees but the wife is complaining that two of them are too close to the house around 10 ft or so (the 24 inch and 20 inch ones). There are no power lines near these trees.

I would like to use the wood for woodworking but would appreciate some advice.

1. What is the average cost to remove a tree?

2. Any chance of selling these trees or are they too small to be worthwhile?

3. What should I look for in a tree remover?

4. Will it save any money for me to cut up the trees when it is on the ground, instead of the company doing it all?

5. Should I try to cut down the smaller ones that are away from the house myself?

thanks


Doanh

 

[NeTree]

Where to start... hmmm...

Well, for starters, you may want to consider the rarity of the trees before you have them all removed. Walnuts are pretty rare in my state already, and I recommend saving at least a few good specimens, perhaps the ones furthest from the house. It makes good environmental sense, and can help save a species from going the route of the dodo.

An alternative may be to simply have to ones near the house reduced to a more comfortable size. An arborist can give you plenty of options for you to consider.

Having said that, if you have plenty of room to fell the ones near the house without getting too involved, you may be able to tackle it. If you have any doubts about your abilities, it would definitely be worthwhile in the end to hire a professional who can safely remove them for you. Look for one who is insured {ASK FOR PROOF!} and ask around about their reputation. Prices for tree work also varies widely, so don't be afraid to get more than one price and shop a little. Most companies will work out an arrangement as far as you doing some of the work; ie hiring them just to get the tree on the ground.

I'm not too sure, but I think even the smaller trees have some value for wood. Lumber prices vary widely by region.

 

[doanh]

Erik,

Thanks for the reply.

There are several more trees in the lawn. The trees we want to remove are up to 34 yrs old.

The largest black walnut tree in our yard will be untouched, at about 30 inches in diameter. This black walnut is more than 70 yrs old so I do not want to harm it.

The other ones can be removed without endangering the species.

Doanh

 

[Stumper]

There are too many unknowns to be able to tell you whether there is any salable timber in the trees -it is worth investigating. Average costs are reallly meaningless but you should be able to get a bid at no cost to you. If the pro you hire is excited by salvage possibillities he could concievably give you a lower price including total cleanup compared to you doing part of it. Normally you will save a significant amount by doing the cleanup yourself. Black Walnuts are not endangered so you need feel no qualms about cutting them (esp. in your part of the nation!). Whether removing these trees is in the best interest of your home landscape is for you to determine. If you have friends in the area who have been there a while, you can use the very best criteria in selecting a Tree Surgeon-REPUTATION. If you have multiple people of good reputation then select from among them based upon your own impressions. Best wishes!

 

[ORclimber]

Out here in Oregon a black walnut log has to be at least 30" diameter on the small end to be worth anything. The valuable part of the wood is the dark heartwood and logs under 30" don't have enough to make them worth selling. If you can't sell them in your area, you could probably pay someone with a portable sawmill to cut them for your own use though. The logs also have to be straight, lumber from leaners will deform as it dries. If you don't already know, walnut trees poison the ground they grow in to discourage competing vegetation, something to think about before you cut them down(what would you replace them with). If you want to manage what you have for lumber you might think about growing your 24" trees until they are big enough to be of value. Then abuse them for a few years so they create more dark heartwood, then cut them.

 

[doanh]

Wow, this is really good information.

I removed a few smaller ones and do noticed the dark core inside the wood. So the outer core about 1 inch or so is wasted in the process. As the tree gets larger, does the outer waster layer get bigger?

The trees I have a pretty straight (at least 10 ft or so on the larger diameter ones). On the smaller ones, they are straight for about 15 to 20 ft.

As for planting other trees, not in this area. We may put in a small garden for flowers. I hope flowers can grow in this soil condition.

Anyone know of any good arborists around the southeast michigan area?

I will get some quotes.

Thanks

 

[DadF]

The toxin produced by walnut trees is especially hard on most evergreen trees both needled and broadleaf. It is also next to impossible to get tomatoes to grow in the affected soil and I would suspect that most members of the solanaceae family(potatoes, petunias,etc.) would be similarly affected. The good news is that it doesn't stay in the soil forever. If the tree is removed then the roots won't be alive much longer and that is where the toxin is produced. So in a couple of years the chemical should be pretty well broken down by microbial action and not be a problem in that area.

 

[ORclimber]

Originally posted by doanh
.

As the tree gets larger, does the outer waster layer get bigger?

All things remaining equal it should get smaller. The faster a tree grows the more sapwood(light wood) a tree will have. Young trees generally grow faster and have a higher % sapwood than older trees.

 

[geofore]

walnut

If you wish to save the wood, paint the ends to seal them as soon as possible which will slow down the drying out. It cuts down on splits and checks in the wood when it is cut into boards. Do this when the trees are cut down. If you don't use the wood yourself it sells well here at the flea markets to wood workers and wood carvers if the ends were sealed. Most sawmills do not want to cut trees that come from residential areas so someone with a portable mill may be your best bet, expect to pay for a blade if they hit a nail.

 

[doanh]

wood carver convention? That is a good idea, I will look into where and when one will come up.

As for blades, how much does it cost?

Thanks

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

May i add to condsider center punching the hinge on non side leaners to minimize fracturing lumber up through the most valuable/wide end.

Also if very close to the house with roots under foundation, pipes, wires, also suggest a not so hard pulling/restrictive hinge, to minimize any root movement under foundation etc. The more control a hinge offers, the more it depends on it's anchor. So hinges in rigging in the air that we make the hinge work very hard on(disrupting/stretching), we also place farther from the paren connection so the pulled fibre doesn't extend beyond the subsequent final cut. So that the fibre disruption from the hinging is not evident/harming the final product when trimming.

 

[doanh]

you lost me sir..

Please rephrase in plain english

 

[monkeypuzzle]

 

[Stumper]

Spydy really knows what he is talking about. Sometimes ONLY he knows.... He is refering to specific felling techniques. His very good advice is about how to A .minimize damage to a potential sawlog (lumber log) and B. how to be as kind and gentle as possible to your house foundation since you mentioned that some of these trees are close to the house. If you can't follow his post you probably aren't proficient enough to take advantage of the suggestions-which doesn't reflect badly on you at all-he is using Spydy techno speak for advanced professional methods.

 

[doanh]

I was not planning to cut the trees near the house myself, I was going to hire someone.

But at least now I know what to ask regarding the techniques of how the professionals I am going to hire are going to cut the trees down.

Thanks

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Thanx, i try, hope my importance of balance in hinging makes more sense this round.......?

B)i'd think twice about felling trees whole that underground movement in root area might disturb utilities (especially gas/electric) or foundation. The technique, direction of felling whole or part tree can also be adjsuted to pull hard or soft on stump at diffrent angles, that pulls on roots that pull (or push on felling side) on whatever they are connected to .

Heavy stump hinging; determined by weight, speed handled by hinge, as well as how much resistance to falling you ask of hinge should be considered where root movement can cause damage, for it is all connected.

Same can be viwed trimming tree, to limit damage to branch collar, taking a primary cut, then finishing cut, so that disturbance from hinging doesn't mess stuff up! For the hinge machine does a massive job, and it's anchoring must aabsorb the load the hinge takes on.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Also amybe consider having the stumps removed with a backhoe. Turners and carvers love walnut stump/root. This is where walnut gunstocks come from.