Three Trees With One Blow

[WDH]

Dodgy Loner, Campsis radicans just loves to climb up my pine trees.  The problem is that the mills hate vine covered trees.  They wrap around the tail sprockets of the bark chain in the woodyard (pulpmill).  In my days as a procurement manager for a pulpmill, there were some dire threats from the woodyard about vines, mainly trumpet creeper .
 

[Dodgy Loner]

Uh-oh.  Looks like we're in trouble when we sell our timber.  Campsis radicans, Toxicodendron vernix, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, and Vitis rotundifolia run rampant in our woods.

[SwampDonkey]

You fellers from the south are sure a tender bunch.  Ya's don't want any snow, now ya don't want no bushes either.

[WDH]

SD,

Vines ain't bushes . 

DL,

Campsis is far and away the worst offender.  It can completely cover a tree up, like Wisteria frutescens .

[Dodgy Loner]

You obviously haven't seen the Toxicodendron on our property.  Not only does it provide a lush groundcover throughout most of the forest, it completely surrounds a good percentage of our trees on all sides.

[WDH]

With a name like Toxicodendron, I don't think that I want to meet it in person .

[Dodgy Loner]

I'm sure that you've had plenty of encounters with it over your many years in the woods.  Fortunately, I don't seem to be allergic to it (but I don't try to press my luck, either).

[thecfarm]

I have had 4-5 trees hit here by lighting.Mostly white pine.I have not seen any of them live for long.I've only lost one white maple due to lighting.Seems to like my tall pine.Now that the white pine has all been cut, the hemlock wiil take a beating.I would cut it now and saw it up into something,firewood?Let us know how it saws on the sawmill.It might bind up the blade.

[SwampDonkey]

Gaultheria shallon isn't poisonous, but it sure is a vine and it never dies. It's hard to measure trees or compass lines in that mess. Berries don't taste bad though.  But, it would take a couple hours to brush out and measure 8 or 10 trees in that stuff. But, we are talking 2 or 3 meter diameter trees. One of them trees would be more than the day's wage anyway. Some we had to guessimate heights because we either couldn't see tops or bottoms from 80 meters away on flat land.

[WDH]

SD,

In my cruising days, it was easy to measure the trees when the woods were clean and open.  Almost fun.  On some plots, though, it was estimation time .  That was usually a function of the basal area of green brier, grapevine, and blackberry bushes head high . 

It is so aggravating when the compass needle points to the thickest mess that you can imagine.  In the days of youth, you plowed right through.  These days, wisdom prevails and you sidle around .

Thecfarm,

When I saw that hickory, the sparks may set off a whole new round of Georgia fires .  We could say that lightning caused it .

[TexasTimbers]

Been studying on that spirally arranged carbide jointer .

I have one dubya. I'll plane that hickrory for you on the halves.

[WDH]

OK Kevjay.  When I fly to East Texas in a week and a half, I will bring it with me...............wait, it won't be dry yet.  OK, we will wait until late fall to do it, unless you want to put it in your kiln.  In that case, I will bring it with me in my checked baggage.  I can see it now in a conversation with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport Security.............., " Uh, that is hickory lumber, Sir.  I did not see it on the banned substances list". 

[TexasTimbers]

Got another gulley washer today. Just put a rudder on it and float it on over. Save you a bunch on airfare too.

[Mongo]

Is Garlon 4 available to the public, or do you need a license to buy/apply it?  What's the approx. cost to buy it (if I can buy for personal  use) or to have it applied if licensing is required?  Specifically I'm looking to get rid of a grapevine, some bamboo, and sumac tht are overgrowing a stone wall. I've cut it back/down every year and can't get rid of it, so even though I'm turning into more and more of a hippie with each passing year, I'd be more than willing to get rid  of  the brush overgrowth along my stone wall. 

Thanks!

[WDH]

http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/View_Catalog_Page.asp?mi=1901

You can get it here.  Garlon 4 is very expensive, about $120/gallon, and is restricted in some states.  Note sure what state you are in.

Here is a comment at the bottom of the website page about the restrictions:

"Note: In certain states an applicator’s license number is required. If your state is one of these, please include your license number or permit number and the expiration date when purchasing your order. These herbicides cannot be sold in California, Connecticut, Iowa, Nebraska, or the state of Washington."

Garlon 4 is probably overkill for what you need to do.  Have you tried round-up?  You can buy it locally, and it is much less expensive.  If you do try round-up, buy the concentrate, not the pre-mixed stuff, and mix it as a 3% solution in water with a dash of liquid dishwashing soap to act as a surfactant (reduces the surface tension of water so that solution completely wets the leaves and does not just run off).

[PineNut]

If you are getting Round-Up, remember Round-Up is a trade name for Glyphosate. I went to the Coop and ask for a generic version of Round-Up. I got Cornerstone but there are other brands also. I paid about $60 for 2.5 gal of 41% solution. The same material with the well-known trade name was about $160.

[WDH]

Excellent point, Pinenut.  The generics are much cheaper.

[Jeff]

In the book by Bernard Malamud and in the movie "The Natural" staring my look alike Robert Redford, Roy Hobbs carves a baseball bat from a hickory tree split in two by lightning - and goes on to make baseball history.  I think I'd have to make at least one bat from that tree and put a lightning brand on it. 

[WDH]

Excellent idea.  I am no turner, so maybe one of our turning experts might want to take a blank and turn a bat.  Then, one of our carving/wood burning experts (like the Boss ), might be able to engrave it properly.  Then, we could donate it for a Forestry Forum Auction .

[Norm]

I always wanted to try my hand at turning a bat WDH. Send me a blank when you get it cut up and I'll turn you a bat from it.