Thursday, December 30, 2021

Tight Branch Angles, Included Bark

Tight branch angles are trouble. They trap bark between the stem and the branch or fork, making a weak connection that is prone to breaking up in a storm. You lose wood quality, timber volume and maybe the entire tree. If you can reach the problem branch when it is young, take it off.  Take the tree out so other, better trees can grow if you do a pre-commercial thinning. Trees like this are good candidates for firewood, too. Sawlog trees with this problem should definitely be taken during a harvest, rather than keeping them for the next sale. They are high risk.

This is how the tree appears when you can look inside.

This is what happens when you don't nip the problem in the bud. Rot is introduced into the tree, and there will be ring shake at the year of the injury.


 

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