When is the best time to fall live trees?

[bogydave]

I have a few live trees (white birch) that need to come down.
Most of them will be hollow or rotten in the middle, especially at the base, they're older trees.
Is now the best time to fall them? Now the sap/moisture is in the roots.
Will the wood be any dryer now than in the Spring when the sap starts running?
I could fall, split & stack now but if another time of the year will shorted the seasoning time I can wait.
If cut in the spring, the bark falls off when splitting, will this shorten seasoning time?

 

[JustWood]

NOW!
When the days get longer the sap gets stronger.

 

[smokinj]

NOW!
When the days get longer the sap gets stronger.

+1 less chance of the dreaded Barber chair on the softwoods for sure

 

[bogydave]

I had a top blow out of a tree last winter, in the spring the leaves sprouted.
So after a tree is down:
Will the leaves sprouting draw more moisture from the wood than cutting & splitting now?

I left it lay all summer, mater of fact still there, 4" at the butt.
may be time to make some wood for the cookout/picnic fire pit.
I guess in a pinch, even the 1" limbs can be tossed in the wood-stove.

 

[LLigetfa]

Will the leaves sprouting draw more moisture from the wood than cutting & splitting now?

No. Split it now.

 

[bogydave]

Seems unanimous:
I think you guys just want to see me work.
I guess there's just no easy way to get your own fire wood. WORK
Supposed to warm up in the 20s, Timber soon.

 

[Wood Duck]

My recommendation is that sooner is better, regardless of season. I think you get farther ahead by splitting and letting the wood season than you ever do by waiting for the sap to return to the roots, or for the leaves to fall, or whatever else the tree might be planning to do. I don't think it makes a huge difference when you cut. It still takes a while for the wood to season.

 

[bogydave]

Now the yard is frozen & I won't tear up any grass when the tree hits. Snow may cushion it some too.
You're right the sooner it starts drying, the sooner I can burn it.
Seems like everybody on this site is a "get-r-done" type. I like it.

 

[dave11]

According to Hoadley, trees do not all follow the conventional wisdom of declining moisture/sap in the Fall/Winter. In fact, he states some species increase their moisture levels when the leaves fall off. It is species-specific, but he doesn't address Birch one way or the other.

 

[Corey]

'bout a year before you need it is the best time to cut/split. With that said, I avoid extremely hot/cold weather, rain, various hunting seasons, etc. Other than those, it's a good time to cut.

 

[zzr7ky]

Now - Any changes in sap are ofset by having it cut sooner.

I do like cutting any live trees when there are no leaves because it is easier to see what is supporting the tree on the ground and it is also less weight to move the brush.

ATB,
Mike

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Definitely now.

We do almost 100% of our cutting from December 1 through March 1; sometimes well into March. Splitting is done here in the Spring but that is only because the splitter starts easier when it is not so cold. Therefore it is usually late March or early April when we split. Stacking is done immediately after splitting. Then the wood sits for a few years.

The first summer and fall it just sits in the wind and sun. Late fall it is covered on the top of the stacks only. We never cover the sides. We also like to leave our wood at least 3 years before burning it. It works well for us.

btw, cutting wood in winter also means you are less likely to disturb any bird nests and usually won't find too many coons in the trees then either. But one of the biggest is that there are no insects to slap then!

 

[Highbeam]

And no bees!! I like cutting when there are no leaves, makes for less slash to deal with. In the winter it is easier to see which limbs in the canopy belong to which trees so you can more effectively thin the forest.

 

[bogydave]

8" new snow today. Was busy with it. I did look the trees over & will need to tie & pull a couple of them.
(Road & mail boxes in the way) 2 are leaning pretty good. Cheaper to do it right the first time.
Still snowing, light fluffy dry snow. 12 °F , High temp so far.

 

[SWI Don]

If you cut trees during their growing season (spring, summer, fall) when they are leafed out, try to leave them be until the leaves have shriveled and fallen. The leaves will draw out a significant amount of moisture from the tree.

Am I telling you to cut your trees during the summer. No, you can if you want, but there are other factors that play more heavily for most of us. I cut mostly in the winter because that is when my buddies I cut with have time (farming makes your summers busy). The trees that I do drop and leave in the summer do seem to dry down faster than the winter cut ones.

Don

 

[Duetech]

There is less weight on the tree when the leaves are off. Less opportunity of foilage hiding large limbs that might cause a hang up and less stress for a barber chair. More ease in finding where you need to cut without having to climb into the fray to see. No or fewer bugs or snakes. But you still need to be careful as stuff hidden in the snow can cause problems and injury. There is a chance of frost bite but less chance of the saw overheating. Sweating too much can cause hypothermia though will generally be less discomforting than sweating in the summer. When you pas gas it takes longer for the fumes to exit the thicker clothing so your carbon foot print seems to be smaller. Mild exposure to the colder temps and vigorous exercise makes a nap real easy. So why wait???

 

[bogydave]

Finally got time to fall some trees. Warmed up to mid 30s °F .
You can see the centers just starting to rot. This is typical of Alaska birch, when it gets old, the tops die,
it rots in the middle, gets hollow then the wind blow it down.
These are just getting to that point, so it's time to thin them.
The smaller sprouts on the stumps will grow into new health trees. I'll thin them out to 2 or 3 & let them grow.
White birch. A few are red birch but I can't tell any difference in the wood, just bark color. & the one spruce in the picture is to come down too.
I have to split this, sooner rather than later, or it rots in the middle.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

When is the best time to fall live trees?

The answer to that question depends on the answer to the following questions

1) Are the trees yours?

If the answer is "no" proceed to question #2

2) Do you have explicit permission to fall this/these tree(s)?

If the answer is "no" proceed to question #3

3) Do you know when the owner of the trees is going on vacation?

If the answer is "no" proceed to question #4

4) Do you have the time to case the joint and establish a pattern of movement wherein you will know with a high degree of certainty that he won't be home for a couple hours?

If the answer is "no" just give up because you are clearly a non-hacker and lack the heart to be a true firewood acquisition machine.

 

[bogydave]

1 yes
but I did stay at a Holiday Inn 2 years ago

 

[Bigg_Redd]

1 yes
but I did stay at a Holiday Inn 2 years ago

If the tree(s) is/are yours knock it down at your leisure - the sooner the better.

 

[bogydave]

So far it is splitting fairly easy. Center is still frozen. (even the knot rounds split ).

 

[TreePapa]

That looks like purty birch. Doesn't birch split purty easy? Don't get much of it 'round here. The last time I scrounged some (a couple years ago), I think it was 6 inches, max.

Peace,

- Sequoia

 

[bogydave]

It splits fairly easily compared to spruce which is tough.
With the birch frozen it takes about 1/2- 3/4 swing , & usually only one swing & it splits. even the knots.
I was splitting the spruce I just cut down today & 4 full whacks before it started to split.
I split the 3 birch trees in about an hour, & in a hour with the one spruce tree I got 1/2 done & more tired.
It (the spruce) don't seem frozen as the maul is going in, stops, no movement.
The only nice thing about spruce is it about 1/3rd the weight.
Camera screwed up on the spruce pics,

 

[Vic99]

Love splitting white and gray birch. So easy and smells great.

 

[bogydave]

Here's the spruce I cut down. Camera messed up after it was on the ground.
Will finish splitting it tomorrow, maybe. tough to split, needs to be 10 below zero, then split it, maybe I'll wait.