Allegany/Cattaraugus
Home Grounds & Gardens
Home Grounds & Gardens
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Allegany/Cattaraugus Home Grounds & Gardens |
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Forest
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Forest |
Frequently Asked Questions Look in the links above for a specific topic or scan the questions below. Questions are arranged by date so you may want to jump down to the month when you are experiencing trouble. Follow the links within the answers for a complete description of the insect/disease cycle and discussion on causes and control. Q. 1/13 I am going to be planting conifers to start a tree farm in Rushford. I was wondering if there is any help available in picking the location, type and time of planting. I have a catalog from the NYS dept of Environmental Conservation that pointed out you could help. I have about 30 acres of old pasture land and 70 of wooded land. I would like help in using the land to produce tree and help the environment. A. First you need to think about your objectives for this "tree farm" - Christmas trees, timber plantation, wildlife cover. The more specific you are, the easier it will be to determine what you should plant. One resource to help is the Master Forest Owner's Program (pdf). These are trained volunteers that are available to come visit your land and help you define your objectives. Next, make an assessment of the soil characteristics. Dig test holes to determine soil drainage, texture and pH. Learn more about site assessment from Cornell's Urban Horticulture Institute (pdf). Liability Q. 4/8 Do you have any information on the subject of landowner liability? I would appreciate it if you could forward me any documents on this subject or direct me to the appropriate web site. Our area is trying to start an off road vehicle trail across private properties and the landowners are understandably concerned with this before they give their consent. Thank you. A. This link leads to an article on Landowner Liability. Evergreens dying Q. 4/28 I have 20 Balsam fir trees planted as a wind break / screen. They were planted approximately 13 yrs. ago. and are about 15 to 20 feet high. Planted on sandy loam about 6 feet apart. We live on a private road (so there is no road salt near them). Suddenly one has died off and another has started to. The trees on either side of the dead one seem to be healthy and show new growth. A. It could just be that the dying tree is being crowded out by the trees on either side of it. Six foot spacing is not very close for balsam fir at that age, however, growing on a sandy loam, during a dry year, could cause moisture streets. Some trees could die out as others compete for sun and water. While competition can cause the initial stress there may be insect or disease pressure that push the tree over the edge. Look for distortions or discoloration on the needles and cankers on the branches. These are indications of insects or diseases. Once you identify the cause we can recommend a treatment. Also look for damage to the trunk or root color. Rodents may have girdled the trunk over the winter. Finally, if the trees are under stress from competition from one another, you can mulch beneath them to conserve moisture, water during dry times in summer and fall, and lightly fertilize in spring. Spring pruning may also help to keep branches from rubbing and shading out other trees. More on Unidentified Stress Problems. Lightening Strike  Q. 6/23 I was recently walking through my woods and found something I thought was very unusual. A large cherry tree had a strip of bark peeled off from the top of the tree to the bottom. Can you offer any explanation of what would cause this? I only found it on one tree. The peeled bark looks exactly the same width all the way down. A. Sounds like a lightning strike. If the tree was wet from rain when the lightning hit, the current would run along the outside of the tree and do the type of damage that you describe. If the lightning hit while the tree was still dry, the current would travel through interior of the tree and do more damage (sometimes causing the tree to explode). Lightning tends to go for the most valuable tree in the woodlot;) Leaf galls Q. 6/26 I have noticed that a few of the white ash trees in my woods have lost all of their leaves.The trees are 6-8 inches in diameter with one about 12 inches and seems to be sporadic.Just today, I found a small ash with wilting leaves and upon inspection there were small pods wrapped up in the leaves. These pods were about an inch long, a pencil diameter and very hard. I took three pods off and opened them up. I found them full of very small grubs about an eighth of a inch long. Looking at them under a magnifying glass they had a thin brown strip running along the length on top. Could these little grubs be my problem or whatever laid them? A. The gall on the leaf of your ash is called the Ash midrib gall and is caused by a small fly-like insect called a midge. These galls do not harm the tree. The decline of your ash my be caused by a disease called ash yellows. This disease affects ash under stress. Ash is an intermediate shade intolerant species which means that they can grow well as saplings in shade but as they mature, they will die if not in full sun. To save the trees or regenerate Ash, first identify crop trees. A crop tree would be one that has favorable characteristics that coincide with your woodlot goals. In the case of ash, the goal may be timber production or wildlife food source. For wildlife, select female trees. Ash are dioecious - trees are either male or female. You can look now for flowers or the beginnings of the small seeds called samaras. Remove all other trees (that do not satisfy other objects) around the ash that have crowns touching or within 6'. Invasive plants Q. 8/2 A vine is taking over and strangling the trees over 1/4 acre. It has orange berries all along the stem. A. This sounds like Oriental Bittersweet, Celastrus orbiculatus. Cut plants 6" from the ground and treat freshly cut stumps with Triclopyr (Ortho Brush B-Gone) in late summer. Pull seedlings and bag or burn berries. See how to control other invasive plants below.
Forestry Help Q. 8/30 I am looking at doing some timber harvesting at a property I have in Allegheny Co. I am looking for someone who can give an unbiased assessment of the woodlots harvest potential, and was told you could be of assistance. A. First, try contacting a Master Forest Owner (MFO) in your area. MFOs are experienced and highly motivated volunteers that are available statewide, ready to assist neighbor forest owners with the information needed to start managing their forests. All MFOs are graduates of a 4-day training program, where they learn about sawtimber and wildlife management, forest economics, and ecology. One of them should be able to come to your property and give you an idea of it's merchantability. Peter Smallidge, New York State Extension Forester, adds the following. "For those forest owners who need assistance from a private sector forester, the NYS-DEC has recently revised its Cooperating Forester program. The list includes both consulting and industrial foresters. The list is a "list" not a "certification". The forest owner will want to interview several foresters to find the one that best suits their situation. I would suggest forest owners also read my article on "Working with Foresters". Growing Ginseng 9/18 Q. Can you tell me how to grow ginseng in my country and which type is best suited for me to grow. I live in Lahore a city of Pakistan. The temperature ranges from 20 degree centigrade to 40 degree centigrade. Moreover it has four seasons summer winter spring and autumn. Which season is best to grow. I wanted to grow it at my home can u tell me how to prepare the site for the plantation and can it also grown in pots. Hope you will entertain my question. A. Ginseng needs a cold period for the seeds to become ready to germinate and for the roots to break dormancy. This means you would need winter temperatures below 7 degrees C, for three months. However, I would encourage you to try a different approach. Plant ginseng roots is spring and allow them to grow until fall. When the leaves begin to turn yellow, dig up the roots, place them in a bag of slightly moistened peat moss, and place the in a refrigerator for three months. Plant again in spring and repeat this procedure until ready for use. (When planting in colder regions, plant the seed or roots in fall.) You will not be able to produce "wild" ginseng in this manner, but you will be able to harvest the leaves for herbal tea, produce seeds for further planting, and produce roots for use after 3 -6 years. This being said, there is much more to ginseng production. Ginseng is a very particular plant that is even hard to grow here in the wild. In the meantime, follow these links for more information Car and planting of ginseng root and seed, Growing American Ginseng Stumpage Price Report Q. 10/4 Is there a list of log prices published that I could view on the Internet? A. NY Department of Environmental Conservation's stumpage report can be viewed on-line or you can get a copy sent to you. Contact - Sloane Crawford, Bureau of Private Land Services, 50 Wolf Road, Room 424, Albany, NY 12233-4253, (518) 457-7370. For a list of prices from the Mill go to the Sawlog Bulletin. The stumpage report can also be found at Cornell's Department of Natural Resources. Posting Property Q. What are the legal requirements for posting my property? A. According to Environmental Conservation Law in New York State, the following guidelines apply.
 Chainsaw
SafetyThe chain saw has the potential to be the most lethal power tool that a home owner can own. Before picking one up, be sure that you have protective clothing and that you are familiar with safe operating procedures. You should at least wear protective chaps (leg coverings) and head, eye and ear protection. Most chainsaw helmets are fitted with mesh face shields for eye protection and ear muffs for ear protection. This one piece of equipment protects the most important part of your body, your head. Be sure that your chain saw is in proper working condition each time you begin work. Make the following checks;
Find more on chainsaw safety at OHSA's web page for logging safety. NOTE:Acrobat Reader is needed to view pdf documents, available free from Adobe:  |
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Forestry Links A Forest Landowner's Guide to Internet Resources Forest Land Best Management Practices Audubon's Wildlife and Forestry in NY Manual Community Forestry Community Forestry Funding National Urban and Community Forestry Council Pests and Tree Health Cornell's Exotic Insect Pests Page Caterpillars of Eastern Forests Forest and Tree Health Publications Conservation Build Nest Boxes for Wild Birds Rare, threatened & endangered plants Agroforestry Sugar Maple Research and Extension Gas Leasing PDF New York State Stumpage Report Forestry Resources Certified Foresters - Society of American Foresters. Find Foresters by state. Measuring Trees - Learn how to measure trees. Make your own biltmore stick based on the length of your arm. |
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