Dr. Woods is a national treasure. While so many preach fads and trends, Dr. Woods backs it up with science, experience and results. Your work is appreciated.
Another great episode. I knew most of this, but really appreciate the additional tips and your experiences. I always learn something new any time I watch your videos.
great video. I also think killing trees standing is the way to go. Easy and anywhere there are hurricanes or strong winds will drop the trees at that point, so super safe most days to walk the woods. Just stay out of it during 100 mile an hour winds. Funny when you hear other consultants say never do this as the deer are too smart and will stay away from that area as they don't want to get hit in the head with falling trees
Thank you for this information! Im in NC PA and want to terminate a pile of red maples. I have 2 questions: 1. Can I do this in the dead cold of winter? 2. Sap flow will start soon and its especially bad with maples. Will the sap flow wash away the chemicals?
Does the temperature have to be above a certain average for the herbicides to work? I live in Michigan, if I do this work in March it’s likely to still be below freezing on average, would the herbicides work still or do I need to wait for warmer weather?
Thank you for the great information Dr. Woods. I have a property in DE that was logged off before I bought it. It has sweet gum and tulip poplar all over and I’d like to start with removing those two species. When is the best time of year to do the girdle and spray with Harper’s cocktail?
Congratulations on owning land in a neat area! I just assisted two landowners on the Eastern Shore in Maryland. The Girdle and Squirt technique works year around as long as the temps are above freezing.
I would like to know your opinion on mulching to target smaller trees to decrease your trees per acre. To achieve sunlight to reach your forest floor and maximize your more valuable timber stand for wildlife and maybe use a prescribed fire the year after the mulching is done
Mulchers are heavy and vibrate when running. Therefore they compact the soil. This may be a problem if the residual trees have shallow roots. Most hardwoods that have been mulched at ground level sprout back - which is another concern. These are just tools and tradeoffs. Mulching almost always cost much more than using hand tools.
Thanks for sharing. Can this method (and/or hack and squirt) work also for pines or are they similar to cedars in which they don’t stump sprout? Thanks!
Okay...so I hear you, I'm tracking....however, LOL. Is Garlon 3A and triclopyr 3 the same thing? Is Element 3A the same thing? looking for the cheapest brand online as you said to do but darn confusing for me. Sorry. I found this at TSC Brushtox 32 oz. Brush Killer with Triclopyr Concentrate. Trying to see if that's good enough for Garlon 3a replacement. Thanks again, sir!
What’s the benefits of the girdle and spray over the hack and squirt method. Seems like it would take a bit longer across a complete stand of timber and require additional tools and ppe.
Sean - You are correct that girldle and spray does take longer. However, it works year round and hack and squirt works best when the species to be controlled has leaves that are fully formed and before they change colors.
When describing an unhuntable habitat you mentioned a "South Carolina Clear Cut". Is there something specific about South Carolina's clear cutting practices that creates bad habitat? I am interested because I feel like timber harvesting practices could be tweaked in a way that could benefit all parties while improving habitat... And I am very interested in your opinion.
David - I may not have communicated clearly. Recent clear cuts that are full of waist tall native grasses and forbs are great habitat for many species. A clearcut that full of sweetgum saplings, etc., is very low quality habitat.
Thank you for the fine content. I am a little leery of the herbicide applications. How much efficacy do I lose when using the double-girdle method? Thank you again.
Richard - this depends on the tree species and location, the further south the location, the more likely trees are to sprout without an herbicide application as part of the girdling process.
Dr. Woods, are there any species you would recommend planting for cover and feed after girdling that may provide better cover for deer than native forbs and grasses? I hunt a timber lot that doesn't have much to offer for whitetail bedding and want to do some TSI this spring
Matt - The seed bank is always much richer than I expect with a few fires and I never plant anything after TSI and prescribed fire. You can always try this and then add something. However, I would plant anything that's not native to your area. Remember - most native grasses and forbs won't show under a closed-canopy forest. They require sunshnie to likely fire to remove the leaf litter.
Randy - if the area is to be replanted with pines, the best practice is to use a herbicide. There will most likely be a LOT of sweetgum sprouts! I strongly recommend you get ahead of them sooner than later.
Here in Australia we also have alot of privet. Been getting very good results with 1:1.5 Glyphosphate/Water + 1g of Metsolfuron per litre Drilled and injected with 1" deep 1 " spacings. Now I'm trying girdling on the large ones with the same mix applied to the cut.
You mentioned that the multi-stem trees are inferior. If you cut all but one of them, is that one just as good as a single stem tree, or still inferior to one that was a single from the beginning?
@@showmetheheartland What are the pros/cons of an root system? Does that mean it's more susceptible to decay than a new root, or does that mean it does better because the roots are already established?
@@Joshua_Henderson The root system is a good thing if you want the remaining stem to live (after you select and cut off the weaker stem of a double trunk tree). The problem with doubles, which he doesn't really explain, is that the cut stem may not seal off/grow over before rot enters the remaining truck, which results in both a less valuable tree for timber, and one that will probably have a reduced life. A U-shaped split trunk is more likely to heal over better. The hard V split trunks don't do as well one you cut one side off.
Dr. Woods, for the 'Harper's Recipe', I've got the 50% Garlon, 40% Water and 10% Arsenal, but what concentration of the Garlon and Arsenal are those ratios based on? I have a 50/50 arenal. Should I double that to get to the 10%? I hope that makes sense. Thanks! Jay E.
Jay - not sure that makes sense to me. I use Garlon3A and Arsenal AC - both straight from the jug. I mix the Garlon3A and water and then add the Arsenal AC.
@@GrowingDeerTV My non-name brand Arsenal is a pre-mixed 50% solution. So I guess I need to double it to keep the mixture correct; that was all I was getting at. Thanks for getting back to me. Great video. Glad to see you doing well. God Bless! JE
Alan - an hour + -. Pending on which battery, etc. Girdling is only cutting through the bark, not teh harder interior of the trunk. It's light work and doesn't tax a saw.
Different bottles are labeled differently and have different capacities. The recipe is 50% Garlon 3A, 40% water, and 10% Arsenal AC or the generics of the herbicides.
Hack and squirt allows the herbicide to move freely through the living tissues at a faster rate, but as Grant said, that's only more effective during green periods.
I think battery powered for this would be better than gas.. I would only use gas for felling large trees.. but just girdling.. it makes so much more sense to use a battery operated saw! Great content love what you do Sir!
Thank you for the great information Dr. Woods. I have a property in DE that was logged off before I bought it. It has sweet gum and tulip poplar all over and I’d like to start with removing those two species. When is the best time of year to do the girdle and spray with Harper’s cocktail?
Dr. Woods is a national treasure. While so many preach fads and trends, Dr. Woods backs it up with science, experience and results. Your work is appreciated.
Thanks for the kind words!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and keep your videos coming please.
We just inherited 52 acres and I need to start implementing these improvements!
Thanks Grant. It’s amazing how well this little bit of work can improve a property. Great information.
Another great episode. I knew most of this, but really appreciate the additional tips and your experiences. I always learn something new any time I watch your videos.
I laughed pretty good starting at about 6:40 since I know this bothers Grant too
Awesome video Grant! Keep em coming 👍👍
great video. I also think killing trees standing is the way to go. Easy and anywhere there are hurricanes or strong winds will drop the trees at that point, so super safe most days to walk the woods. Just stay out of it during 100 mile an hour winds. Funny when you hear other consultants say never do this as the deer are too smart and will stay away from that area as they don't want to get hit in the head with falling trees
Are the trees treated with the herbicide safe to burn in a wood stove or campfire?
Girdling is easier and less time consuming but can I still do the hack and squirt method? Would prefer to not run a chainsaw
Thank you for this information! Im in NC PA and want to terminate a pile of red maples. I have 2 questions:
1. Can I do this in the dead cold of winter?
2. Sap flow will start soon and its especially bad with maples. Will the sap flow wash away the chemicals?
Sir I wished you could get to the people in charge of Chattahoochee national forest in the North GA mountains. It DESPERATELY needs serious TSI.
Amazing video! Answered many of my questions! Keep up the amazing work!
GOD Bless y’all!!!
Does the temperature have to be above a certain average for the herbicides to work? I live in Michigan, if I do this work in March it’s likely to still be below freezing on average, would the herbicides work still or do I need to wait for warmer weather?
Thank you for the great information Dr. Woods. I have a property in DE that was logged off before I bought it. It has sweet gum and tulip poplar all over and I’d like to start with removing those two species. When is the best time of year to do the girdle and spray with Harper’s cocktail?
Congratulations on owning land in a neat area! I just assisted two landowners on the Eastern Shore in Maryland. The Girdle and Squirt technique works year around as long as the temps are above freezing.
Great video
I would like to know your opinion on mulching to target smaller trees to decrease your trees per acre. To achieve sunlight to reach your forest floor and maximize your more valuable timber stand for wildlife and maybe use a prescribed fire the year after the mulching is done
Mulchers are heavy and vibrate when running. Therefore they compact the soil. This may be a problem if the residual trees have shallow roots. Most hardwoods that have been mulched at ground level sprout back - which is another concern. These are just tools and tradeoffs. Mulching almost always cost much more than using hand tools.
@@GrowingDeerTV thank you for your input and love watching and learning with your videos!!
Thanks for sharing. Can this method (and/or hack and squirt) work also for pines or are they similar to cedars in which they don’t stump sprout? Thanks!
Bryan - pines won't produce sprouts!
Okay...so I hear you, I'm tracking....however, LOL. Is Garlon 3A and triclopyr 3 the same thing? Is Element 3A the same thing? looking for the cheapest brand online as you said to do but darn confusing for me. Sorry. I found this at TSC Brushtox 32 oz. Brush Killer with Triclopyr Concentrate. Trying to see if that's good enough for Garlon 3a replacement. Thanks again, sir!
What’s the best way to get rid of Chinese Tallows?
What’s the benefits of the girdle and spray over the hack and squirt method. Seems like it would take a bit longer across a complete stand of timber and require additional tools and ppe.
Sean - You are correct that girldle and spray does take longer. However, it works year round and hack and squirt works best when the species to be controlled has leaves that are fully formed and before they change colors.
Thank you for that context. That makes sense and I wasn’t aware of the difference. Thank you for the response!
When describing an unhuntable habitat you mentioned a "South Carolina Clear Cut". Is there something specific about South Carolina's clear cutting practices that creates bad habitat? I am interested because I feel like timber harvesting practices could be tweaked in a way that could benefit all parties while improving habitat... And I am very interested in your opinion.
David - I may not have communicated clearly. Recent clear cuts that are full of waist tall native grasses and forbs are great habitat for many species. A clearcut that full of sweetgum saplings, etc., is very low quality habitat.
After you've girdled and sprayed, could you come back a year or 2 later and fell the standing deadwood? Just for the aesthetics of it.
Yes! Watch for limbs that might be ready to fall.
I love the root canal comparison he uses
Very informative video thanks
Thank you for the fine content. I am a little leery of the herbicide applications. How much efficacy do I lose when using the double-girdle method? Thank you again.
Richard - this depends on the tree species and location, the further south the location, the more likely trees are to sprout without an herbicide application as part of the girdling process.
Often the main stems don't even die when they are double girdled without herbicide.
Dr. Woods, are there any species you would recommend planting for cover and feed after girdling that may provide better cover for deer than native forbs and grasses? I hunt a timber lot that doesn't have much to offer for whitetail bedding and want to do some TSI this spring
Matt - The seed bank is always much richer than I expect with a few fires and I never plant anything after TSI and prescribed fire. You can always try this and then add something. However, I would plant anything that's not native to your area. Remember - most native grasses and forbs won't show under a closed-canopy forest. They require sunshnie to likely fire to remove the leaf litter.
Thanks, i'll take it one step at a time and see what comes up
Our property has been clearcut, South Georgia, when sweet hum sprouts come up whats the best way to rid those
Randy - if the area is to be replanted with pines, the best practice is to use a herbicide. There will most likely be a LOT of sweetgum sprouts! I strongly recommend you get ahead of them sooner than later.
Mr. Woods, I have a lot of Privet on my property. Would this be good for that as well, or is there something else you'd recommend?
Privet can be controlled with glyphosate - which lost less.
Here in Australia we also have alot of privet. Been getting very good results with 1:1.5 Glyphosphate/Water + 1g of Metsolfuron per litre Drilled and injected with 1" deep 1 " spacings.
Now I'm trying girdling on the large ones with the same mix applied to the cut.
You mentioned that the multi-stem trees are inferior. If you cut all but one of them, is that one just as good as a single stem tree, or still inferior to one that was a single from the beginning?
One stem or three, it's still a stump sprout on a what's likely a very old root system.
@@showmetheheartland What are the pros/cons of an root system? Does that mean it's more susceptible to decay than a new root, or does that mean it does better because the roots are already established?
@@Joshua_Henderson The root system is a good thing if you want the remaining stem to live (after you select and cut off the weaker stem of a double trunk tree). The problem with doubles, which he doesn't really explain, is that the cut stem may not seal off/grow over before rot enters the remaining truck, which results in both a less valuable tree for timber, and one that will probably have a reduced life. A U-shaped split trunk is more likely to heal over better. The hard V split trunks don't do as well one you cut one side off.
@@johnr6179 That makes a lot of sense. Thank you for the explanation.
Dr. Woods, for the 'Harper's Recipe', I've got the 50% Garlon, 40% Water and 10% Arsenal, but what concentration of the Garlon and Arsenal are those ratios based on? I have a 50/50 arenal. Should I double that to get to the 10%? I hope that makes sense. Thanks! Jay E.
Jay - not sure that makes sense to me. I use Garlon3A and Arsenal AC - both straight from the jug. I mix the Garlon3A and water and then add the Arsenal AC.
@@GrowingDeerTV My non-name brand Arsenal is a pre-mixed 50% solution. So I guess I need to double it to keep the mixture correct; that was all I was getting at. Thanks for getting back to me. Great video. Glad to see you doing well. God Bless! JE
Are these trees you killed worth any money if you had a logger come get them?
Can you tell me which generic chemical you buy for this mix?? The name brand is pretty $$$. Thank you. 😊
David - I purchase whichever generic cost less.
Excellent video. Thanks!
What’s the best way to terminate pine trees?
Pines don't resprout, so they can be terminated by cutting them.
How safe is this around mature oaks. I understand not spilling any on the ground but what about thinning oaks that have intertwined root systems?
Research showed 0.5% nontarget mortality when using the Harper cocktail.
Oaks rarely graft roots.
How long does your battery last on average doing this?
Alan - an hour + -. Pending on which battery, etc. Girdling is only cutting through the bark, not teh harder interior of the trunk. It's light work and doesn't tax a saw.
Any tips for getting dye off your hands? Haha
Measurements in a squirt bottle?
In ML
Different bottles are labeled differently and have different capacities. The recipe is 50% Garlon 3A, 40% water, and 10% Arsenal AC or the generics of the herbicides.
What do you guys do, anyone in the comments, when Japanese Stiltweed overgrows the native seedbank?
Why does hack and squirt work since it’s not disconnecting the cambium layer 360 around the tree?
Hack and Squirt works great once the sap is in the leaves (full leaf out) and before the leaves are changing colors.
Hack and squirt allows the herbicide to move freely through the living tissues at a faster rate, but as Grant said, that's only more effective during green periods.
Seems more profitable to just have a logger come and take all the big trees?
Great video!
it now being March 5th, do you think it is too late to girdle trees?
To girdle them and topkill no. To treat with herbicide yea depending on species. Maple, poplar, etc are already sending up sap.
Depends on there the property is located.
This guy is awesome.
Isn’t it a stemicide…. Herbicide is for plants
💪👊👍
poison mallet always worked faster.
Your videos are full of good info but promoting battery power equipment is a bad decision for lots of reasons hope u haven’t sold ur gas equipment
Gosh - it worked good for this mission. I have gas powered saws for other missions.
Momma said battery’s are the devil
I think battery powered for this would be better than gas.. I would only use gas for felling large trees.. but just girdling.. it makes so much more sense to use a battery operated saw! Great content love what you do Sir!
You've never used a quality electric chainsaw to do this work.
Thank you for the great information Dr. Woods. I have a property in DE that was logged off before I bought it. It has sweet gum and tulip poplar all over and I’d like to start with removing those two species. When is the best time of year to do the girdle and spray with Harper’s cocktail?
I was just in Maryland (eastern shore) assisting two landowners. Girdle and squirt can be used year-round.