Bad Beech

Right Pat. It is a sad situation for sure. Lots of beech in the UP but looks like all will be gone soon.

Yeah, I suppose so. I have about 5-6 trees on my property and they are scattered all over this area. Hopefully these relatively isolated trees will survive.

I just bought a pound of American Chestnut seeds (nuts) from a guy in Ohio and have started to stratify them in my frig. Its only been a week and some of them are allready starting to germinate. I believe the Upper Peninsula is outside the original range of this tree, so hopefully when they mature they won't be killed by the chestnut blight that decimated the species decades ago. I would like to start a grove of them here on my land. They supposedly once dominated much of the eastern half of NA, and the nuts are edible and choice forage for deer and lots of other wildlife. They grow relatively fast so maybe I'll even see a chestnut from these trees some day ...LOL

I'm allready growing about 40 different native and ornamental trees in my backyard nursery. Should have about 2000 red oak seedlings this year too.

Pat

Pat, I don't think they're all dying but if it's happening out your way it's just a matter of time before we get it.

Zap, I talked to a couple foresters and they said 95% of the beech in the LP is dead and it will be that way in the UP very soon. Sad to see, especially in the UP. There are a lot of really big beech up there and wildlife really depends upon it a lot too. So it will be hard on the deer, bear and turkeys.

geeze now beech is dying? The Ash, Elm Disease, Oak Wilt, Gypsy Moths now Beech. I was shocked this year to find a huge Oak I have died, it just doesn't end. I will still be cleaning up Oak from the gypsy moths from 20 years ago for another decade.

gawn, it's always something, it will keep us busy.

When I timbered out about 120 trees last May, I had to basicly force them to take some beech as part of the deal, they didn't want them, and they were big solid ones too!

My Father in law owns a saw mill up near Mackinaw and he has shown me this Beech disease. It's starts showing up like a white chalky substance on the bark then a year or two later the tree's dead. Biggest problem he said is that they are so massive and top heavy when they die they break up high, about 20-40ft and get hung up in everything else. Renders the area around the Beech very dangerous. Right now they are doing preventative cutting on any that show signs of white powder and are not choice trees. Sad, they are a big beautiful tree. Our kids may never know the joy of making your mark in the bark and coming back many years later to see it.

Ya, beech is not top notch for lumber. Makes excellent firewood though.

Yup, top quality firewood, but a SOB to split !

This is a small beech on our property, are these marks from an animal or a disease?

looks like old claw marks to me. I don't have much experience in true beech bark disease though only this newer white powder stuff that shows up on the bark.

What's the matter Pat? Don't you like all the knots in that stuff?

zap, those could be old bear claw marks but I don't think so. That tree looks just too young and small.

We did have one about three years ago we saw just about 75 feet from the porch in the back, once he finished the bird seed he took off up the back hill, that beech is up in that area.

No sir, I don't !! LOL Sav, I used to own a few 40's up by Chatam...full of beech and maple. I logged most of it and had lots of beech left over. Burned it for about 3 years. I think of all the chunks I cut up I was able to split about 3 of them ! Nasty, nasty stuff, but great firewood for sure.

Pat

We got what's called Beech Bark disease around here. By the time you notice it the wood is punky. I just junked 4 nice logs, no limbs, about 16" logs. Pissed!
Question, all my Beech is twisted, I cut at 26" and every one has about an 1/8 turn in 26"! Makes for challenging stacking. Is this twist a Beech thing?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beech_bark_disease

Looks like its already in the area where I live and I've been scrounging beech for the past 6 months.... perhaps not be best idea considering I have 3 beech trees in my yard. Would hate to bring something home.

Beech does like to twist when growing. I've seen some really twisty wood in beech trees. it also likes to twist on you when cutting them down....LITERALLY. I've seen big beech trees twist on the stump when falling them. I always get nervous dropping big beech trees.....

Mother Nature took this down, imagine felling this.
http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/2nd-beech-down.67582/#post-67582

ive got 6 big ones in my yard. 50 feet each. Im thinking of dropping 4 of them. the leaves DONT decompose! EVER! you can bury them and they wont. My neighbors hate me in the fall.