Thinning pine plantations is a process that occurs naturally with the help of Mother Nature or better yet, a forester. I am an advocate of thinning pines as soon as possible to keep the stand healthy and growing at its maximum growth rate. Thinning opens the stand so the trees grow, changes character of the woods and enhances the wildlife habitat. First, let’s look at why we should thin. Different landowners have different goals which can change the timing of thinning. If you are looking at managing for maximum returns from timber harvest, we tailor our management practices to facilitate growth of sawtimber and/or poles. These products are … [Read more...]
Forestry
Six Steps Involved in a Successful Timber Sale
Are you interested in having a timber sale? This article outlines the basic steps to follow to make your timber sale a successful one. All of the steps below raise questions you need to answer. These questions will help you plan or set goals to manage your timber investment and make your timber sale more successful. … [Read more...]
Types of Timber Sales & Making Your Sale a Success
The more information you have to process, the better advice you can render. Timber inventories should show the volumes of the various products and the date the inventory was completed. It is also very important to know who conducted the inventory. In many instances, the stand type map is developed from the cruise map drawn in the field while taking the data for the inventory. Information like where to put log decks, locating ridges to put roads, location for wildlife areas and mapping out streamside management zones can be obtained while inventorying the timber. From the inventory, the forester can apply the current market prices of the … [Read more...]
Whats Up with Your Timber and the Timber Market
Just about every industry is affected by the current state of the US and Global economy. The timber industry is certainly affected as well. We see local and global trends dictating supply and demand causing fluctuation in the price we get for our timber products. Landowners need to ask a few questions about their timber investment before making an investment strategy or cashing in on their timber investment. … [Read more...]
What Do You Want From Your Forest
I have found that landowners have many different expectations from their land. Their goals and uses vary widely. One very important factor they all have in common is that they all have a great desire to be good stewards of the land. Our goal is to understand the landowner and develop a plan to help them succeed in accomplishing their goals and help them be the best steward they can be. … [Read more...]
Herbicides and Fertilization in Forestry
I recently attended a continuing education course for my forestry license. This stimulated some thoughts that might interest our clients and readers. Many landowners are reluctant to spend additional money on timber stands. The length of the rotation or time it takes to receive any benefit for the capital invested in the stand takes too long. If you view your timber stand like a corn or soybean crop, you have to control competing vegetation and fertilize or you will not have any yield at the end of the year. … [Read more...]