Discussion Board

creosote testing

andy — Thur, 12 Nov 2009 16:36:00 GMT

I purchased some reclaimed timbers. 8x14 Some type of eastern white pine. Some doug fir.

The surface of the east white pines are a bit burnt. Not a lot just a bit and it quickly pressured washed off. Since I was going to saw off an 1 or 2 on each side I figured it would be ok.

The surface of the wood does not look like its treated with Creosote nor did they smell at all. So I did not give it a second thought. However once I started sawing them I noticed a smell like Creosote or turpentine? The guy I was sawing with said he thought they smelled like utility poles as well.

I called the guy I got them from and he said what I was smelling was pine pitch. He said bring back what I did not want and he would replace them with something else.

I have dealt with him quite a bit and he has always been honest and I trust his judgment but Im not sure he is correct? The smell does seem to fade but Im not really comfortable giving these to somebody for fireplace mantels or using in my own home.

I know some southern long leaf pines produce turpentine? I think right? Im just not sure what to do?

Anybody experienced something like this or what?

Also is there a test I could get to tell me if there was coal tar creosote in them?

thanks

Building with Whole Trees

Bernadine Joselyn — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:47:31 GMT

Check out the article in Thursday, Nov 5 New York Times "Home" section on Whole Tree Architecture and Construction, a company in Stoddard Wisconsin, owned by artchitect Roal Gindersen and his partner Amelia Baxter. They design and build whole tree structures from on-site trees and among other things also manage a community forest project modeled after community-supported agriculture. I'm interested in meeting folks who are doing this kind of work in Minnesota. Got any ideas?

white paint for winter

kent scheer — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:59:32 GMT

I'm ready to paint the trunks on young fruit trees to prevent sunscald. I'd like to know if anyone has 5 years or more of experience with any specific brand of interior latex for this use. I want to be very careful to avoid any paint containing fungicide, mildew retardant, or any potentially toxic additive at all.

So, I'm looking for specific brand recommendations which have stood the test of time, without harming trees in any way.

red maple

pbergstrom — Thur, 01 Oct 2009 14:13:46 GMT

I have a red maple tree appox. 10 -12 years old. Every year it has been so full with leaves and I would not see any wood/branches. It was usually one of the last trees to loose its leaves in the fall.

This summer I noticed less denseness with leaves - I could see the branches and it has dropped leaves earlier this fall.

I have noticed a line/crack on the south side of the trunk running from the lowest branch to the base. It isn't a deep or wide crack and quite straight.

Is there something I can do for this tree? I would hate to loose the tree.

There are plants/annuals around the base of the tree and this tree gets more water than other trees on my property.

It is fairly close to a blue spruce - I probably planted them to close when they were small.

Cost-sharing for tree planting and wildlife habitat improvement

Jim — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:47:17 GMT

Hi my name is Jim and I own 160 acres in Aitkin county mostly wooded but there is a beaver dam and swamp on the back side of it. I would be interested in planting trees and a possible duck pond is there any cost share programs for that? Is there a website I can look at for managing my property?

Jim

new green acres law

Don J — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:30:13 GMT

I've heard that the legislature again changed the Green Acres law.
Where can I find out what the changes are?

Dying birches in St. Louis County

Teddy — Thur, 10 Sep 2009 16:28:16 GMT

I have seen so many birch trees dying in the St. Louis Cty area, starts with defoliation at the top and eventually the entire tree dies. Is this bronze birch borer? And, is it at epidemic proportions? If not birch borer, can you tell me what it is so I can read more about it?

Thanks for any help...Teddy

Plant Identification

Dave — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:29:44 GMT

This plant is growing in my primarily oak woods in Ottertail, County.
It is approximately 3.5 feet high with purple berry clusters. Does anyone have an idea what it is??? TIA

Red Fuzzy Things on Oak

Kathryn Fernholz — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:16:56 GMT

What can people tell me about these fuzzy red and white things on the underside of oak leaves? What are they, how are they treated and what harm are they doing to the tree? Thanks, Katie

2009 acorn crop

Eli Sagor — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:07:01 GMT

I just got a question about this year's acorn crop. It seems like a bumper crop in South-Central Minnesota, at least the areas I (and the questioner) have visited recently. What are others seeing? It's a bit early yet, but let us know what you see in your area.

Acorn production is highly variable, with huge production years occuring every 5-8 years depending on species, climate, and site conditions, and other factors.
-eli

Eli Sagor
University of Minnesota Extension

clumps of leaves falling from oak tree

k fisher — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:07:16 GMT

We have a mature oak in our yard, I believe is a red oak. After the last storm we have a lawn full of bunches of leaves 4-10 in groups that have fallen off the tree along. The leaves are still green but have small brown round to oval lumps on some of the leaves.
Any suggestions on what is wrong would be appreciated
Thanks

Suckers growing from cottonwood tree

pat — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:07:50 GMT

I have a cottonwood tree that I had to take down because it was making a mess in my neighbors yard. It's right on the property line and since I have taken it down the suckers that were sprouting from the root's of the tree have gotten much worse... we have been mowing and pulling them almost daily. I had my yard marked for utitly and cablelines and had someone come out to remove the stump but they said it was too close to the cablelines and some ran underground aganst the tree stump. So I didn't have them grind it out... How can I stop the suckers from growing?

estimating the age of trees by their radius

Judith Ann Trolander — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:11:20 GMT

A DNR forester said that a bur oak takes twelve years to add an inch of growth to its diameter. I would like to be able to estimate the age of other trees on my central MN property without drilling a core sample. Could you tell me how many years it takes for the following species to add an inch of diameter growth: red oak, white oak, sugar maple, hackberry, black walnut, basswood, and cottonwood? A MN State Forest Nursery Oder form uses six categories for growth rate: slow, slow/moderate, moderate, mderate/fast, fast, and very fast. Is it possible to translate those terms into how many years different species will take to put on an inch of diameter growth? What reference source has this growth rate in inches of diameter information, not just the maximum life expectancy of different species?

Liability insurance

Greg — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:50:00 GMT

Hi,
I'm starting to think that having some liability insurance on my property is a good idea. Anyone gone this route? I noticed an article about it in the latest Mn Forestry Assoc newsletter. And I've also seen it advertised in the National Woodland Owners magazine. Any info would be helpful.

Pine tree pruning...

Ed — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 20:30:21 GMT

Please Help

Our situation is that in our condominium complex, there are pine trees near several parking areas that this year have dripped an excessive amount of sap on some cars.

A few residents are going crazy about that, and one even convinced the manager of the complex to have two pine trees totally cleared of branches on the sides from which the branches hung over his parking space. Others are asking for branches to be cut in the same manner because they are getting new cars and don't want the sap to drip on their new vehicles.

A group of us is against doing such things to our pine trees. I'm not sure what kind they are, but these are quite tall, and quite large (they have been big at least 20 years), and could be as old as 100 based on the stump of one recently taken down. These pines of ours, if I have observed them correctly, have long needles that turn brown and fall off twice a year.

In general, because I know you cannot see our trees (although I can send photos of the mature intact and decimated trees), can you give an opinion as to this treatment of our trees?