Watch your topknot. Forked trees make a couple problems for forest landowners. A forked tree has less merchantable volume than a well formed, straight tree, and they are prone to breaking up in storms, or from ice. Any time a forked tree is up against a better one, it is good to take out the forked one and let the good tree grow faster. The hackberry in this photo has provided me with yet another widow maker to watch for. Always be watching overhead when you are in timber.
Depending upon species, the crotch is marketable, highly prized by wood works, boat builders especially.
ReplyDeleteThe caution about widow makers stands (no pun intended). It is very sage advice well to remember.
If you want artsy wood, trees that had to fight their way up are good keepers. Catalpa does not have terminal buds, so the stem winds back and forth going up, putting some good personality into the wood. There's room for trees like that in our world.
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