goutal@decvax.UUCP (Kenneth G. "Kenn" Goutal) (11/05/84)
I bought my house some six years ago.
There is a lot of dead wood that I have to deal with for two reasons:
1. There were a lot of dead trees that had not been attended to
by the previous owner, which trees have fallen down or dropped branches;
2. There are several of a certain kind of tree on the property
that just plain generate a lot of dead branches.
I'm no expert, but I don't think this is a sign of disease in them,
just part of their growth pattern. In any case...
I have a lot of dead would around, some of it old,
and more coming down all the time.
I finally decided that what I needed to do was get a wood chipper
to grind up all this stuff into mulch or simply compact chips.
Problem: I called the local rental place (Taylor), and they discerned
what I wanted it for, and told me they wouldn't rent it to me
because old wood would *break* the blades faster than I could spit.
Or that if they *did* rent it to me, I'd have to pay for all the blades.
Sounds bogus to me. Seems like green would would pose a greater threat.
Besides, if chippers get destroyed trying to grind up old wood,
how other people (e.g. tree surgeons) dispose of old branches?
Doesn't seem realistic just to say "Don't let branches get old".
Comments?
-- Kenn (...decvax!)goutalkolling@decwrl.UUCP (Karen Kolling) (11/06/84)
If the dead trees aren't causing a problem other than neatness, you might consider leaving them alone. They provide homes for various birds, etc. that don't live in live trees.
2141smh@aluxe.UUCP (henning) (11/07/84)
**** **** From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA aluxe!2141smh > Problem: I called the local rental place (Taylor), and they discerned > what I wanted it for, and told me they wouldn't rent it to me > because old wood would *break* the blades faster than I could spit. > Sounds bogus to me. Seems like green would would pose a greater threat. I have a Sears wood chipper which will cut dry wood, but very slowly. It tends to act like stones in a mixer and just bounce around. If the blades are sharp, it will feed in green wood slightly, like it does when you see the big power line models that just slurp up the pieces and the mens hands and arms. Note, I said slightly. What I mean is that you can sense progress. With dry wood you have to force it in and that is not much fun.
goutal@decvax.UUCP (Kenneth G. "Kenn" Goutal) (11/07/84)
Unfortunately, the deadwood is more than a merely esthetic problem. There are branches, nay, whole trees that are about to come down on my woodshed and across other, barely surviving trees. The random branches (numerous) from our 'messy' trees (whatever they are) pose a problem for the mower. Some of the lawn has been let go wild, but some parts of it we must mow, and it can't hack those branches. Any more knowledge on wood chippers? -- Kenn
carolyn@uottawa.UUCP (Carolyn Pullman) (11/08/84)
I'm not sure I agree that dead trees provide shelter for birds
and small animals. Up here in the great white north (or at least
at my summer cottage which is even farther north) the winter really
can take its toll on trees. Dead trees can pose a very serious hazard.
Eventually dead trees fall down. They may take off a corner of your
house or fall on a power line which while cutting off power also poses
the threat of electrocution or of fire. Dead branches get blown down
in wind storms. They often don't look as big if they're caught up high
on other branches but beware they could be quite large.
How do you know if a tree is dead? No leaves at all. How do you
know if a tree is dying? Look way up!! Trees die from the top down.
If only the top half is dead it may take another 3 years before the
rest dies. Since there is no foliage on dead trees animals and birds
don't use them for their homes. At most they are inhabited by insects
and woodpeckers will come to eat them.
Last summer I paid about $250. to have 6 dead or almost dead trees
cut down by two professional woodcutters on the cottage property.
Don't try chopping them down yourself. These guys know how to do it
safely. They brought the trees down and then cut off all the branches
and then cut the trunks into rounds about a foot high so they could
be rolled away. I don't have a fireplace so I didn't get them to further
cut them but that probably would have only cost another $100 at the
most. I don't really recall the amount. Dead wood depending on the
variety can be quite acceptable as firewood. You wouldn't want to
store it inside because of buggies though. These woodcutters know
all kinds of things about trees and they give estimates.
These saws leave a great amount of wood chips all over the ground.
If they're from evergreens then you should probably put down lime to
balance the acidity. This is true for trying to grow anything close
to evergreens as well.
Carolyn