First Thinning |
Genetic improve loblolly pine planted in an old field, before first thinning. The trees are 13 years old. |
Thinning speeds up the inevitable natural process, while enabling the land owner to cash in on the trees that would eventually end up on the forest floor |
Stand immediately after thinning |
Fifth-row thinning |
Same stand first spring after thinning. The greenery is excellent wildlife food, which was not present before the thinning |
One year after thinning (age 14) resulted in a increase in growth, better quality/quantity wildlife food, and more wildlife cover |
Is Your Timber Ready for Thinning? If you have a stand of timber which is too dense (number on stems per acre) and are not thinning it, your lack of management is the worst possible action. The condition of your trees and the timing of the first thinning are more important than selling pulpwood (the lowest value forest product) at a peak market price. A proper select cut thinning will increase tree growth, resulting in more trees growing into chip-n-saw (worth 3 - 4 times that of pulpwood). This action more than offsets the net profit of selling pulpwood at a price below market peak.
If certain criterion for your stand is meet, your stand is ready to thin. Due to the current oversupply of pulpwood, experts are predicting pulpwood prices to be flat over the next several years. Your goal should be to promote tree growth into chip-n-saw as soon as possible, and not grow trees for pulpwood. There are several things you should consider before thinning, such as: 1) general health of the stand, 2) growth rate per year, 3) pruning height, 4) tree density, and 5) total height. With an over stocked stand the growth rates decrease as the crown size decreases, due to natural pruning. Slow growth makes a tree susceptible to insect attack. Studies have shown that slash pine will stagnate in growth if not thinned at the right time, even after a select cut thin, and never regain their growth potential. Your forest needs to be growing as vigorous as possible to avoid a natural thinning of your stand, i.e., insect attacks or natural mortality. The first thinning requires good planning and a skilled logging contractor. The result of this We can determine if now is the best time for you to thin by taking some measurements and developing a detailed report, AT NO CHARGE OR OBLIGATION.
Real Estate Thinning
If you are interested in selling your timberland property, which is currently well stocked, you may be better off to thin before you sell. Generally a tract of land will sell for the same amount, and sometimes higher, after a thin. This is due to the fact that the thinned tract is more visible, park-like, and accessible. People will not buy property if they cannot easily walk over it and see the lay of the land. See the before and after pictures below.
Before Thin
After Thin
The price you receive from the first thin has very little affect on the long term rate of return, so base your timing on biological growth versus market price.
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A 15 year-old stand |
Same stand pictured above after select-cut harvesting |
