felling a beech with a split in trunk

[bfitz3]

In my hikes last year, I came across an 18" beech on its last legs with beech bark disease. It had lost 80-90% of its foliage. Yesterday was dead calm, so I figured it would be a great day to fell it. I have two options for felling direction, south and west. The tree leans very slightly south of west.

Problem: there is a five foot long vertical split in the bark with water seeping out. I took a few hits with the ax and found the split is at least an inch deep, and the wood on the west side of the crack is discolored from water. With the crack, the tree suddenly has a feel of danger that makes me uncomfortable. I'm imagining a rotten core and a barber chair.

At that, I'll let nature take its course on this tree. Hopefully when it falls some of the wood will still be useable. If not, score one for the woodland critters.

Wondering what others have seen in situations like this...

 

[pen]

How about some pictures?

 

[woodhog73]

Agree need some pictures.

Even healthy trees can split vertically if they are heavy leaners. Can be dangerous. If you have good wood on the back cut side of the tree, then I would ( after making my felling notch) bore cut to the center, then cut back towards your tension side where your hopefully good non rotted wood is. Leave some wood on the back side which is your " trigger " Then you can cut the trigger last, allowing the tree to fall. That piece of holding wood on the back side takes pressure off the center of the tree, where you would normally experience a vertical split.

It's the only safe way to cut heavy leaners and also works well in situations where there is center rot.

Whatever you decide make sure to clear an exit path just incase it does split on you. Don't want to be near it if that happens.

 

[Jags]

I have never done it, but another member here once mentioned the use of a pole pruner to keep himself a safe distance away from a dangerous lean. That might just be the ticket.

 

[bfitz3]

How about some pictures?

Sorry, Pen et al. Pictures or it didn't happen. I know. I'll try to get out there and snap a few. Raining nicely today and tomorrow is a loooong day. Maybe Wednesday.

 

[bfitz3]

Woodhog ... The lean is very slight... It's more that the canopy is off center than the tree leans.

I thought about doing a plunge cut with a trigger, but the crack has me a bit worried as it's a new situation that can't be fully 'appreciated' until the tree is on the ground. Now I'm thinking again...

The crack is on the south side of the tree, so I wonder if cutting my wedge through it, past the crack (assuming it's relatively shallow), would be a good option.

Are there rules of thumb for what causes a beech to crack? (Pics coming) should I assume it's hollow?

I'm still inclined to leave it standing for nature's course, but there's a lot of nice wood in a really easy place to get at.

 

[woodhog73]

I've got no beech on my property or families acreage that I cut on that I can recall. So no experience with beech.

However 18 inches diameter is fairly small overall. I can't imagine too many trees in this diameter range if any that would intimidate me but I've also felled probably several hundred if not over a thousand trees in my life time since I was 15 years old. Pictures would really help. Speaking from experience if you have any doubts at all or are second guessing yourself then go with your gut instinct . If it feels unsafe leave it be. Don't put yourself in harms way if you feel the tree poses a risk to you or property nearby.

That said I've cut many a tree with a rotted center. In this scenario I use a shallow notch with a steep face cut . If the tree is rotting in the center don't make your felling notch a deep cut. If the tree is rotting from the center then your strongest wood is on the outside. Which is how most trees decay from the heart wood outward.

Shallow face cut. If the center is totally rotted you don't need much of a center bore cut. The rot takes care of that for you .

Get some pictures and I'm sure many folks will chime in with pin point advice.

 

[English BoB]

If in doubt leave it alone................safety first.

bob

 

[Diabel]

I am no expert here. Beech that I have on my lot will rot standing and will not be good for firewood by the time it falls.
Also, as mentioned already, 18" beech should be solid right to the core (if it's still alive that is).

 

[bfitz3]

Some pictures...

With the rain, discoloration near the crack was obscured. Took a few more chunks out. The crack runs along the right side if the discoloration. If the location where I checked the crack is at 12 o'clock, on the tree, the two alleys where I could easily drop this are at 1 and 3 o'clock. The foliage is asymmetrical and centered along the slight lean at 2 o'clock. I'd need to drop this at most 30 degrees away from where it wants to drop... Easy! Total height of crack, about 5 feet. Trunk diameter, probably closer to 16" after closer measurement. If this weren't split, it feels like a crazy simple job. With the split... I've never dealt with one, so I don't know.

The tree is showing some buds, but I can't see it living past this summer based on its state last fall. I'd love to get this before it's dead, but as I and others have hinted, I don't want to risk my life over it. Birds and bugs need homes and there are many trees in the woods.

 

[Dobish]

we dropped this one the other day... had a 45º turn from where it was leaning, and had to avoid the house and power lines....

we ended up dropping it about 2 feet above the timber at the bottom.

 

[BringinHeat]

we dropped this one the other day... had a 45º turn from where it was leaning, and had to avoid the house and power lines....
View attachment 178345
we ended up dropping it about 2 feet above the timber at the bottom.

Wow that's a scary one.

 

[Dobish]

Wow that's a scary one.

yeah it was. we ended up limbing it off as best we could with the pole pruner, then tied a rope to it to pull, and another anchored to the truck in case it wanted to go backwards. we ended up pulling it with 2 of us, and it went perfectly! (then the saw died as i was bucking it up)

 

[Rustyreel]

Some pictures...

With the rain, discoloration near the crack was obscured. Took a few more chunks out. The crack runs along the right side if the discoloration. If the location where I checked the crack is at 12 o'clock, on the tree, the two alleys where I could easily drop this are at 1 and 3 o'clock. The foliage is asymmetrical and centered along the slight lean at 2 o'clock. I'd need to drop this at most 30 degrees away from where it wants to drop... Easy! Total height of crack, about 5 feet. Trunk diameter, probably closer to 16" after closer measurement. If this weren't split, it feels like a crazy simple job. With the split... I've never dealt with one, so I don't know.

The tree is showing some buds, but I can't see it living past this summer based on its state last fall. I'd love to get this before it's dead, but as I and others have hinted, I don't want to risk my life over it. Birds and bugs need homes and there are many trees in the woods.

I've cut a lot a beech now that the beech bark disease and I personally think you have nothing to worry about if cut right. It doesn't appear to have that much rot near the crack. Even though it's budding you'll have to use it or lose it. I live in the Upper Peninsula and we can't cut it fast enough. So much has been left to rot.
Good Luck
3-

 

[bfitz3]

I'm decreasingly worried about the crack and will likely take a whack at it.

As for beech bark disease... Before I purchased this place, all the timber logs were taken, and then easy firewood trees. They left a lot of big beech, which are all on the way out. There is no way I can use it all... The state of the woods is sad on several fronts. God forbid the maples get something.

 

[bfitz3]

I took it down today. Pretty much like clockwork!

In the pics, there is a twig on the stump that aligns with the radial crack. It came to within an inch or two of the center, then propagated tangentially (saw dust filled crescent.) Note the baby-barber-chairing on the far side of the hinge behind the crack. The portion on the log side of the cut was quite long. If the crack had been parallel to the hinge, I would have left the tree standing which would have been fortunate; my guess is it would have been ugly.

 

[CenterTree]

There ya go.