Thinning trees

[britales]

I have a building lot that evidently was at some point a Christmas tree farm. I have 15 rows of about 40 trees each. They are about 3 -4 ft. apart and are now about 5-10 " in diam. and average about 40' tall. These trees serve a purpose as a source of privacy from our road as well as a wind break from the nearby Chesapeake Bay.
We do not want to eliminate them but just thin them in a pattern which will be more useful. Originally I was going to cut every 3rd one but since the rows are not staggered this would just leave gaps. Then I thought eliminate every other complete row, but that does not relieve the crowding of 2 40' + trees right next to each other? Soooo! There must be a pattern that will work that I am missing! It kind of looks like this: It does not show up on the screen but there is a curved drive already cut thru all 15 rows about 2/3 on the right side!

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

You get the idea!!



Thanks,
Gene

 

[MasterBlaster]

I would try to thin them so it looked like nature did it. No real 'pattern'.

Keeping the robust ones (like you should) should achieve that.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

First check real close for pests and disease. Nature may be doing some of her own thinning already. Will you be doing any replacement or underplanting?

 

[britales]

thinning,

Guy,
Probably not in this area! Can't detect any noticable disease other than some undersized ones due to crowding! The lot is rampant with Poison Ivy! I will be trying to cut as many vines as possible this Fall to try and get that problem under control as well!
Thanks,
Gene

 

[Newfie]

Try staggering your pattern with an offset from row to row. This will allow you to eliminate every third tree without opening up "lanes".

 

[Ross Turner]

How about doing every 2nd tree so you end up with something like this.* =Trees,X = Cut timber


X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X
* X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X
X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X
* X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X
X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X * X

Which would mean you have thinned it out by 50% & still have a good servicable windbreak.The timber you could market as fenceing posts or bars,Just an idea.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

What species of tree are we talking about here? ID comes first.

 

[Ross Turner]

I would assume that they are some kind of spruce.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Xmas trees here are Fraser fir or white pine, typically. Va is a little north of me, so they may be spruce. But we need to know about growth habit and mature size, and how much crowns will be raised, before we start thinking about stand thinning. Let's put the horse before the cart; wtf are they?

 

[Ross Turner]

The way i read the first post,it is stand thinning thats he is after.
I used the symbols * & X to represent either standing trees or tree thats been felled.

 

[britales]

thinning

I am told they are white Pine! Thanks for the ideas so far!

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Don't believe everything you hear! Be sure!

White pines get blister rust and other diseases. ID these before you play with all these geometric patterns. Butch's idea of a natural pattern of thinning was a good one, and it might be underway by nature already.

Anticipate Nature, don't impose on it.