Thinning hardwood regeneration

Best Practices for Thinning hardwood regeneration

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I worked at $35.00 an hour, my gas-oil and time starts when I left the house and stopped when I close the tail gate on the property. 2 to 3 acres a day in a heavy stand of 1" to 6" dbh is a good average.

By the hour is always nice as you know what you are making and your costs will be covered. If you go by the acre there are a few variables to consider to determine your rate/area. Density (stems/acre) and height of the stand usually are the most important. The denser the stand the higher the rate and the taller the trees the higher the rate. Ground conditions such as terrain (steep slopes), windfalls etc. should also be considered. A good maximum rate around here is about $150/acre.

How tall are the trees? The only thing for me is when working with hardwood regen is avoiding the temptation to get in too early. If you get open it up too much too early will get more branching, (which isn't as big a deal if the end goal is a sugar bush) and opens it up more to wind damage. Its fine to go in a weed out your undesirable trees that you know will never make a crop tree, but its good to keep your options open since alot can happen to a young stand before it becomes truly established. I personally wait until its 7-8 meters before I start really doing a spacing/crop tree selection.

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