Winter Tree Harvesting Trick....yay or nay?

[andrew dohrmann]

Saw this on a show...is it true if you strip the bark off a tree as close to the trunk and stump as possible before winter...that it will freeze once winter hits in that small portion of the exposed tree...thus killing it providing a fresh dry tree by summer??

Thanks! sorry didnt know where to ask this!

 

[sgreanbeans]

Yes, it is called girdling. Actually, ya have to cut into the wood, all the way around the tree, not very deep, just to cut through the cambium. Now the part where it is ready by summer........not so much. Different trees in different places, times will vary, but very doubtful that the wood would be seasoned in a couple months. Maybe a year. Now it you remove the tree, cut it into firewood, it will season much faster.

 

[ATH]

just to add to what greenbeans said (he answered your question but there are a few details I thought worth mentioning)...

freezing has nothing to do with it. You can do that any thime of the year with same result. You an either peel a wide strip of bark (note: bark is MUCH easier to peel in the early spring), girdle with a chainsaw, or ax/hatchet. If using a chainsaw, that is when it is more important to cut a little into the wood (I tell people go through the bark + depth of chain into the wood)...2 cuts about 3" apart is even better.

Also it does not need to be close to the ground...make the girdle where you are comfortable....that is usually just above waist height.

Final note: do not kill a tree where it might cause damage/injury. It should be at least 2x the height away from any potential targets.

 

[sgreanbeans]

I had my Sr. Sales Arborist in SoCal, dude had 23 years in. Told a client that it would not hurt a tree, to do that. Tree in Q, had a 12" girdle, 3" deep, all the way around, dug out with a claw hammer. Told the HO that it would never hurt a tree............and they wouldn't let me fire him. Tree leaned over a fence, directly over the pool of the dude behind him. Coincidence? I think not.

 

[greendohn]

We "girdle" the thorn locust around here and wait at least a year before going after them, sometimes longer.
This "girdling" lends itself to loosening the bark and thorns as well as killing the tree.
I don't fool with moisture meters and sech but I'm pretty sure these trees still need c/s/s for proper seasoning. We leave them c/s/s for a time before burning them,,, "usually"

 

[troythetreeman]

Green wood splits easier if you do it on cold days, depending on the type of wood it is this makes a big difference. Some wood splits much easier then others.

 

[Time's Standing Stihl]

I always double girdle everything. I've had a few survive a single girdle before. Seems to take a quicker effect to do it before the sap starts flowing...