Sister trees

[luvmexfood]

I call a tree that comes out of the ground and then forks within a few feet sister trees. Don't know if that is the correct term? If you cut one fork should you also cut the other or will it continue to grow for another 10 years or so? ???

[Texas Ranger]

here in Texas they used to be called "school marms".

[BradMarks]

2nd on School Marms.

[mesquite buckeye]

We get a fair number of trees like this in my part of MO. We also get a lot that fork at or very near ground level. It is common practice to harvest the larger fork when it is large enough and leave the smaller side to continue growing for some time. With trees that rot slowly like walnut and white oak group types, a delay of up to 15 or 20 years can result in little loss to butt rot and considerable growth of the remaining fork. I have seen the small fork bigger than the original cut fork when it matures. The remaining fork has the entire root system of the original tree as well as a large hole in the canopy from the removal of the larger fork to grow into.

I think you will have problems with the short butt log if you delay cutting on a tree like you have if you wait too long. I also would not recommend this technique for trees that rot quickly.

[John Mc]

Sounds a little like Coppice cutting?

[mesquite buckeye]

A little, but generally after the second, or occasionally third fork, the tree is generally done (dead). In true coppice cuttings, which were developed primarily for firewood production, you generally end up with long lived gnarly stumps that get cut back repeatedly over time. Generally when converted to timber, coppice stands produce a low quality product with lots of butt rot and often crooked trunks.

We do get some trees that will successfully resprout after harvest, but unless they are at the forest margin, at least where my trees are, we don't get good regrowth of the sprouts and they tend to die out in the forest. Maybe if we did a clearcut you would see more of this. On our forest we are generally taking out a tree here and there, so the forest canopy quickly recloses.