Proper Girdling

[Karl_N.]

I'm thinning out my overgrown x-mas trees and making pellets out of the waste wood. I'm planning on air drying the trees in the most convenient location I can think of, right where they are. I've taken the chainsaw and cut two rings around the tree a good half an inch into the tree. Think that will do it? I started to chop off the bark between the rings but I wonder if it is worth all that work. What do you think?
Thanks,
Karl

[thompsontimber]

Provided you have completely severed the cambium layer all the way around the trees, the trees will die.  However, as to your subject of "proper girdling," yes, you should take a chisel or something of the sort and peel the bark and cambium layer off between the cuts you made with the chainsaw.

[Ron Scott]

Yes, "proper girdling" is as thompsontimber has stated above. You should do the added work for the best results.

[Karl_N.]

O.K.
Thanks, guess I'll get back to work. The worst part is everytime I thump the tree with my hatchet a pile of snow goes down my back or my backside. Brrr!

[ksu_chainsaw]

I don't know if it would work or not, but one of the Log Wizard debarkers might work easier than the chisel method.  If you use a regular chain on there, you could even have one tool to do it all.

Charles

[woodtroll]

Chisel sounds like slow work to me.
How big are these trees?
Some times it is safer to cut live trees then dead. It is less likely the top will break out and hit you.

[Karl_N.]

These are 20-30' trees, overgrown balsam meant for x-mas trees that no one got to decorate. I'm going to let them air dry in place, it may take a bit longer for them to die being girdled but it will simplify the drying process. I'm redoing a dryer I've been trying to get working for drying chips for pelleting. If I can air dry material first it will go a long way in reducing the amount of work to get the mass down to 10-15%.
blog.sleepersriveralternative.com
I like the idea of the debarker-if I had one.
Thanks again for all the input.

[Tom]

You might also consider insect damage. Trees left to stand and die/dry are susceptible to insect infestation.  While some pine down here may stand for years, after being killed by fire, most succumb to termites, or rot, and are on the ground in short order.

[stonebroke]

Tom I don't think that will be a real problem in northern Vermont after all they get all of about two weeks of summer.

Stonebroke

[chainspinrunner]

I'd have to agree with Tom. Once a tree has started to rot/decay/die it is more succeptible to pests/disease. Even if insects don't pose a big threat watch out for disease and fungus.