THINNING PINE PLANTATIONS

A landowner initially plants too many trees with the idea that the trees will need to be thinned to maintain a healthy diameter growth. The first thinning occurs when the stand of trees is around 15-18 years old. The approximate income per acre with the first thinning is between $150-$200. This is the first of three cuttings on that particular stand of timber. The benefits of the first and second thinning is to remove trees that are overcrowded, diseased, forked, crooked, and trees with poor crowns. Thinning leaves space for the remaining trees to grow faster and larger.Thinning also encourages natural grasses, understory growth for wildlife, and legume seeds for birds. Hardwood growth, such as sweet gums, also begins growing which competes with the planted pines for water and nutrients. Herbicides or prescribe burning on a regular basis can keep the hardwood competition to a minimum. This helps maintain the openness of the understory which encourages wildlife habitat.

We recommend clear-cutting every fifth row and thinning two rows on each side. If the contractor clear-cuts every 3rd or 4th row, he is removing too many trees and not selecting the best ones to leave for the future. If the rows are not visible, the cutter/operator still needs to clear-cut paralleling rows every 50 feet apart and thinning the remaining stand on each side of the clear-cut corridor.
Constant checking is important to be sure the thinning is proceeding as in the above paragraph. Don’t forget to leave the best quality trees for future saw timber. Leaving 70 square feet of basal area produces a good stand of crop trees.Most thinning contracts are for twelve months which gives the logger time to perform a good job, have a market for the wood, and harvest the area when it is dry, so as not to cause ruts and soil compaction.The second thinning should be eight to ten years later when the crowns start closing and diameter growth slows. Both thinning need to be done correctly in order to maximize value of the final harvest