Using TSI to release oaks question

[letemgrow]

I have been workin on my 140 acres for the past 5 years to remove a lot of hickory, honey locust, elm etc to release walnuts, oaks, cherry etc.  I was told by some foresters that oaks could not be "released".  Is this true cause it sure seems logical that if you remove the canopy and kill the trees around an oak it would grow faster and produce more acorns since it would have all the nutrients and no competition. 

Thoughts???

[WDH]

Sometimes severely suppressed trees of any species will not respond to release, but I have never known oak to stand out from most other species.  I would go ahead with your release strategy as stated. 

[Ron Scott]

Ditto! We release oak trees as necessary to meet our management objectives.

[tuckermtn]

not sure if its that same with mid-western oak, but be cautious when releasing oaks too much, as I have seen quite a bit of epicormic branching when the bole of a red oak gets too much sunlight too fast...I try and leave a suppressed hemlock or spruce to shade the bole of the oak.  Granted I not a forester, just a logger, but thats my theory...

[woodtroll]

We would release oak also. And if opened to far they may have epicormic branching. What size are these trees? Also thinning is not only to speed up growth but to allow a stand to maintain healthy growth, as opposed to stagnating.

[thompsontimber]

I'm with everyone else on this one. Whoever is telling you that you "can't release oak" is off base.  Like others have stated, epicormic branching becomes the great concern when you open them up. 

[Ron Wenrich]

I'll give a little bit different answer.  It all depends.  I've seen some that would release and others that would not.  It all had to do with age and where it is in the stand structure.

If you have an old tree that is suppressed, chances are that it will not respond too well to release.  Surrounding trees may release better and keep that type of oak in the understory.

However, if the tree is young, and it has good vigor, it will respond very well to release. 

One thing that has to be remembered is that diameter and age don't necessarily go hand in hand.  A suppressed tree that has been growing for years in the understory may be just as old as the surrounding dominant and codominant trees.  In that case, it will be hard to release that type of tree.

If you're thinning and releasing codominants, then you shouldn't have any problems. 

[madhatte]

It is not true that oaks will not release.  I can provide you with this link to a recent study regarding oak release, its practicalities, and its pitfalls. 

[letemgrow]

We would release oak also. And if opened to far they may have epicormic branching. What size are these trees? Also thinning is not only to speed up growth but to allow a stand to maintain healthy growth, as opposed to stagnating.

They are 12-14 inches dbh, I am not releasing for logging purposes, more for better wildlife mast.  These trees are very straight obviously with all the competition.  I am leaving the ones with good crowns already and cutting oaks that are stunted along with the junk trees. 

[letemgrow]

However, if the tree is young, and it has good vigor, it will respond very well to release. 

One thing that has to be remembered is that diameter and age don't necessarily go hand in hand.  A suppressed tree that has been growing for years in the understory may be just as old as the surrounding dominant and codominant trees.  In that case, it will be hard to release that type of tree.

If you're thinning and releasing codominants, then you shouldn't have any problems. 

I am wanting to keep the most vigorous oaks and cut the rest out.  I have already started and the oak trees vary in size.  Some are 14+ dbh and a few are 8 or less DBH and all have good crowns with what I am keeping.  The one 8 inch white oak grew just as fast as the elm that butted up to it and a hickory on the other side.  Both those were cut down to release the oak since it seems to be the exact type of oak tree I am looking for.  I did not treat the stump of the elm since it was so close to the oak....did not know what tordon would do in that situation.  It literally butted up to the oak stump. 

[WDH]

It appears that you are proceeding very nicely.  Your plan seems sound.  The oaks definitlely have good future market value, not so obvious with hickory or elm.  However, the oaks are superior in wildlife value than elm especially and also for the most part for hickory.  The young elm buds and flowers, which appear very early in the spring versus most trees, are an important food source for migrating songbirds, but not worth much to the other critters.  The hickories are good if you like squirrels.  For most of the other critters, especially deer and wild turkey, the oaks are the way to go.

So, what to leave for wildlife is a function of what type of wildlife you are targeting for.  With the oaks, you can have your cake and eat it too if you look at the past value of oak as a desirable hardwood in the market.  There is no reason to believe that oak will not remain a valuable hardwood, although the price may ebb and flow with popularity.  Sometimes the heavier grained woods like oak and ash are popular, sometimes it is the more modestly grained woods like maple and cherry.  Fashions cycle, and we all will probably be wearing bell-bottom jeans again someday  .