iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

redcedar

Started by mesquite buckeye, January 04, 2013, 05:53:01 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

mesquite buckeye

    Can't seem to find any postings for Eastern Redcedar, Juniperus virginiana.  I have a farm in north central Missouri with a substantial portion a nearly pure stand of redcedar. Seems like nobody manages the stuff, even though it is one of our most widespread softwoods with some really nice properties. Stands on abandoned farmland (old field succession) seem to be highly tapered, so don't get coveted too heavily by buyers. If the trees are pruned in lifts and thinned occasionally to keep up good growth, the taper disappears and they produce clear wood at a fairly fast rate. Any comments?

Also, there was a redcedar conference in Springfield, MO, about 5 years ago or so where there seemed to be some interest in redcedar, but haven't seen any followup since.      :'(
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

beenthere

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.

Hmmm?  Can't find...??  There are numerous threads on redcedar. Hit the Search function and many should pop up for you to browse.

Go to member Cedarman and view some of his threads/posts. As well there are many others.

Do you plan to cut some of your redcedar from your farm? Have you had the farm there for long?
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

mesquite buckeye

Thanks. Found lots of stuff, but nothing really regarding upgrading management to add value or create markets.

I have been managing my farm for 21 years now. Mostly oak-hickory, with walnut, cherry, hackberry, elm, persimmon, ... mixed in.

About 25 acres or so is predominantly redcedar, either old field or planted, from 6 to maybe 40ft tall. Bigger stuff maybe 12" or so at base. Have been thinning and pruning for close to 20 years in the cedar, with very nice results (little taper, clear growth. Those open field cone shaped trees really straighten up as you lift the canopy.

Anyway, I've been asking some of the people who ran the last redcedar conference when they would get around to it again. The basic reply is good idea. The feeling I get as they talk is "That is a lot of work".

I'm going to be thinning some of the stands again this spring, and could probably prepare a talk to show what happens when the trees get pruned and thinned. I will mill the bigger logs, which will record the distribution of wood growth, particularly in the through the center cuts. 

Most of the old field stands either get bulldozed, used for posts or as low grade cedar if they get big enough. So far as I can tell, hardly anybody is managing for timber quality with this species.

If you read the old literature, redcedar was once considered one of the prime species to harvest in the American forests in the 18th through the mid 20th century. All the good ones got cut, and nobody bothered to grow new ones, an old story.
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

beenthere

mesquite
That helps to know a bit more.

I'd suggest getting in touch with
http://snr.missouri.edu/forestry/faculty/

and query the staff about the redcedar. Maybe Bruce Cutter or Gene Garrett for starters.

Possibly there is a conference coming up that may address the issue again.
Contact Hank Stelzer, MU Extension Forester

or
http://mdc.mo.gov/your-property/professional-forest-management
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

mesquite buckeye

Dave Guaze used to be the cedar pruning/thinning guy, but I understand he has moved on, reportedly DC.

I will pester Hank. Don't think I know the other two.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

shelbycharger400

anything bigger than 12 in your luckey for it to be solid core, although I have seen a few 20 - 24 in dia ones that way.  I am working on a tree line that was planted around 1906,  some of them were naturally planted.  Biggest 0ne I have cut sofar was 24 in , that was at 3 feet above the ground, at 6 in above the ground it was 34 or 36 in dia, cant remember.   Lots of them are at that size.

mesquite buckeye

They say under good conditions they can get over 100ft and 4 ft thick with little taper. I'd like to see that one.

Are yours the open grown, branchy cones or staight, clear trunked?

It seems that cedars growing in dense stands on cool, wet northern exposures are more prone to heart rots. I'm hoping that keeping them pruned up will help with this problem. It is definitely more ventilated under thinned and pruned trees, should be an unfavorable environment for the growth of heart rotters on the stem surface. We will find out. Hope I'm still walking around when the trees get really big to find out.

I know that large, solid cedars have been cut in the past. That means we can get them again if we do it right. :)

They say you plant trees for your grandchildren.
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

mesquite buckeye

BTW, went to high school in Blooming Prairie. *DanG cold. :snowball:
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

shelbycharger400

I like milling them .   Even some of the heart rot logs produce some lumber. Then you have the heavy rot boards, even those sell to the right buyer.

mesquite buckeye

They sure smell nice. Can get a little overpowering by the end of the day though. ;D

Do you grow them, or just cut them?
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

drobertson

there is good money in the finish product. But selling logs or short logs it is about equivilant to giving it away.
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

shelbycharger400

I saved a few here in the yard, only one survived the lawn mower  :D
It is about a foot and a half tall, I have abunch of 3 in ones around trees ect.
Parents house many years ago, I found a bunch of them with the pine trees when they were only 2 in tall, moved about a hundred of them, only 8? survived.  I moved them to the crick bank when they were 4 feet tall, Now they are over 15 feet tall.

All the other ones im cutting are at a farm.  Bushy as can be, they were never trimmed .  Quite a bit of them are butressed at the base for the first 3 to 4 feet.  Most of the rot is in the first 3 to 4 feet. I did have some that were rotted from base to the top.  Taper? its a variable, but 4 to 6 in of taper in 9 feet aint bad. Some of the 12 to 16 in dia logs only had about 1 to 3 in taper in 8 feet.    Trees are in the middle of a field planted as a windrow.  Some are hollow, some are not.  Its 6 in of dirt/ then sand, and well drained.  Water table I think was at 28-38 feet.       Its the same here, soil and water level.  I have a bad leaner to the inside of the treeline that I can drop anytime , all the others I have to wait til the power line is moved on one side, and the other I cant until the sprinkler is moved .  Ill get a length measurement.   

mesquite buckeye

If you start pruning them up, try not to cut off more than about 1/4 - 1/3 of the live crown in a single year, cut the branches just outside the branch collar, and try not to wound the trunk. You can go back in a few years and raise the crown again. You will end up with clear, low taper trees. :)
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

shelbycharger400

March time frame they all have to be down. Im goin to be busy!  My slabber might be too slow, So im lookin at resetting up my belsaw .  Lot of lumber standing ! It commands a premium.

mesquite buckeye

Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

Thank You Sponsors!