Spruce damaged by snow

[sprucebunny]

The top 10-15 feet of many of my spruce trees was snapped off by the recent snow. Will the trees die ? it seems that the thickest, fullest tops were lost. Many of the trees were the dominants in thier little clump and surrounded by balsam of almost equal height.

Of course, the stupid balsams are fine

[floyd]

lateral leader will take over as terminal leader soon

[Tom]

If the top 10 or 15 feet broke off, what was left below it?   Perhaps the merchantable log has still been retained and what broke will be of little value other than pulp anyway.   Look for a silver lining.

[sprucebunny]

I been making lemonade all day, Tom

The trees are only about 20 feet tall without thier tops and less than 8" dbh

Took a couple hours cutting trees out of the road to get to my land but I got a half pickup of cherry firewood. Gonna take a  day to clear the trail across my land but most of the debris is these tops. Wish it was closer to Christmas* and I could sell them for "tips".

I sure hope that a new leader will take over but the stems are about 3" where they broke.

I'm not ready to talk about the flattened juvinile trees or the flattened alders and fallen trees that are backing up the streams       

[Max sawdust]

I think they start cutting Christmas* trees this time of year.  I bet those tips would keep green and fresh if you have a market for them.
Hate when that happens we had some bad damage like that durning an ice storm a few years back.
Sounds like those would be some pretty funny looking trees IF they come back, might be best to give the "next" most dominant one some room to grow.
max

[OneWithWood]

Sorry to here about your trees Joan.  A few years back we had a heavy wet snow that broke the tops off of most of the cedar on the property and those that did not break bent over to the ground.  We lost every one of them.     I am not overly fond of cedar so for me it was a mixed blessing.  The winter landscape is less cheery without them but I no longer have to put up with those sticky needles.
The neat thing about forest land is that it is largely self healing.

[IL Bull]

We had a wet snow last year and one of my white pines turned into a telephone pole. 
It started making new limbs this spring though.

[SwampDonkey]

Joan, sorry to here about the damage to your forest land. Usually it's just the opposite, in that the fir will snap off like a dry stick in cold weather. I've seen heavy snow on spruce that will spring back up when the snow melts off. I have seen young small fir spring back up too from heavy snow. Ever try to snowshoe on top of a mat of thick fir? Womp, all the sudden your up to your neck in snow and fir trees as the weight of your body breaks through the snowpack.  I would cull the worst out if they are of any size and a market for them and an economical venture. (quite a mouthful there). I'm greatful for the mountain beside my woodlot, it dimishes the winds from the west and northwest. The wind here by the house is always more fierce in storms than up there at the woodlot.

[sprucebunny]

Thanks for the sympathy, OWW and SD

I think Mother Nature has it in for this land. The beavers killed 30 acres of 8" cedar and the moose mangle the red maple and birch so bad that it won't even be firewood . Spruce and balsam were doing good .There's a few good size poplar but it's not good for much. I'm afraid to go look at the w.pine

The larger trees seem ok but my middle age ones have suffered a setback.Hopefully the juveniles will spring back.

[Furby]

I think they start cutting Christmas* trees this time of year.  I bet those tips would keep green and fresh if you have a market for them.

Saw my first load of Christmas trees being shipped two weeks ago.
As long as they stay cool, those limbs will kep awhile.

[sprucebunny]

Gee...we don't even have the pumpkins and skeletons out of the way and Christmas* trees are on the move ??

Spruce doesn't keep it's needles or color half as well as balsam. It does make good cover/padding for muddy spots for a season and there is lots of them

[Teri]

Isn't it kind of early to start cutting Christmas trees???

I would love to have a real one,but by the time Christmas* rolls around they are already dead!  And i hate fake trees!

[Patty]

Teri you have to go cut your own Christmas tree to be assured of freshness.    I don't know about Florida, but up here they have Christmas tree farms where you just go in and cut your own. I am famous for bringing home the biggest tree on the lot and making it Norm's job to try to sqeeeeeze that sucker through the back door! We have to put 60# sand bags around the base to keep it upright. Man, I love Christmas time.

Sorry to hijack your thread Joan.

[Teri]

Patty...no places like that down here that I know of.

Growing up on the farm we always cut our own tree. Theres nothing better than a fresh cut Christmas* tree!!!

[SwampDonkey]

They've started tipping and making wreaths this week up here. I think most cut trees after Rememberance Day. It was 25 F here this morning.

[Kirk_Allen]

SB did I read correctly?  Firewood?  CHERRY Firewood?  PLEASE, OH PLEASE tell me your not cutting cherry for firewood

[floyd]

one should remember to remove your bedding for the muddy spots when it starts to dry otherwise mud will stay long time & leave pothole.

[sprucebunny]

Kirk, it's not that kind of cherry ! Up here we have pin cherry or something that very rarely exceeds 6" dbh and most of it is deformed by a disgusting fungus.

floyd- it never dries. The trail is one long, wet pothole

[Ron Scott]

SB,

It sounds like you will have some good "rabbit habitat" for awhile.

[Jeff]

Ron, she does it for the Porcupines...

[floyd]

could you regrade road or maybe put a drain in hole?

[sprucebunny]

All together there is about 7/10s of a mile that is wet....not all in one place. I'm working on it

The trail has been used by 4wheelers and trucks and the clay soil has layered itself in a way that blocks drainage.

I've replaced two large ( 18+24) culverts and added 3 12" culverts and 5-6 4" drains across the trail and a 50' long ditch next to it.I've spent ALOT of time with my shovel just letting the water out of the trail.

Access has been a problem for the 2 years I've owned it. No road in the ROW. No where to park. The land too wet for anything with wheels, but I'm gaining on it and the access road is finally being built YAA-HOO It will be very exciting to drive in 1/2 mile over the ROW instead of the 5 miles of logging road.

 

[Kevin]

Beaver make for a tasty treat, when their population drops so does the water.

[sprucebunny]

War has been declared on the flat tail rodents  I'm still studying up on methods

I went to clean the trail today and as SwampDonkey said, it was mostly balsam tops. I'd only picked up a couple the other day which were spruce so  it's not all that bad. However the birch and tamarack along the road at one end were pretty wrecked and I will have to clear that section of road...again .

The snarls in the alder swamp were impressive but I got some of that cleaned up and the water moving a hair better. Good thing it was warm out cause I was soaked from falling down Probably didn't smell too good either

I'll be looking for recipes this winter, Kevin

[SwampDonkey]

The snarls in the alder swamp were impressive but I got some of that cleaned up and the water moving a hair better. Good thing it was warm out cause I was soaked from falling down Probably didn't smell too good either

I was out on the woodlot a couple of days ago and stepped 'heavily' into a wet area and it splashed up by legs and slopped down into my rubber boot. Smelled like the barn yard with a little moose poo mixed in.

[Kevin]

Don't forget the beaver hat and mitts, they make for a toasty warm winter.