Understory Tree Management

[aimfirst]

Hi All. After being in my woods(southeast IA) recenlty on stand, I realized how many undesireable trees I have in the understory. It is getting pretty thick and doesn't offer much in the way of shooting alleys at all. I have looked on the IA State tree identification website to try and find what type of tree is growing, and I've narrowed it down to small elms(I wouild have doubted they would be elms, but they fit the description), hornbeam or ironwood (my best guess). They must be trees that like shade and I'd say they are from 1-3 inch in diameter with some of them growing in split or sometimes 3 trunk "sprouts". I have cut a few of these in years past when trimming for deerstands and notice some really sprout up and become a mess whereas they were a single tree before. Any advise on clearing these out? cut and spray technique? I'm not trying to create a park setting by any means, but these don't seem to produce any kind of value to wildlife and are something that may take over. My plan was to cut and spray with Tordon RTU this winter, but I didn't want to make a bigger mess for the future.

FYI http://www.exnet.iastate.edu/Pages/tree/

Thanks!

 

[HorseDoctor]

Tordon RTU on the stumps works great, but I would wait until spring as I'm not sure it will penetrate to the roots as well in the winter when the trees are dormant. Or, as a last resort, you could always read the Tordon label and see what it says there.

 

[letemgrow]

You are better off doing tordon now, or in winter. Come spring, they will be sending sap up and it is not a good time to treat stumps with anything.

Also, you can look up garlon 4, or remedy ultra (same thing). Mix one gallon per 3 gallons of diesel, spray the bottoms of the trees to the point of run-off and never lift a saw, ax, etc to kill them. The diesel acts as the carrier to get the herbicide where it needs to be...inside the bark. Works fantastic on trees say 8" or smaller in DBH and can be used anytime of the year.

Read the label after you identify which tree you have for sure (my guess is ironwood).

 

[aimfirst]

Thanks much for the replies, I will try out the diesel option. I mixed diesel and some crossbow a friend had leftover on some honey locusts in a fence line and it seemed to kill them hard a few years ago. Do you use a typical hand pump sprayer with the diesel or do the cheap hand sprayers not hold up to the diesel?

 

[letemgrow]

Thanks much for the replies, I will try out the diesel option. I mixed diesel and some crossbow a friend had leftover on some honey locusts in a fence line and it seemed to kill them hard a few years ago. Do you use a typical hand pump sprayer with the diesel or do the cheap hand sprayers not hold up to the diesel?

Make sure whatever you use is Viton seals...diesel wont eat through those seals like some of the others.

I like to use a 4 gallon backpack sprayer when I am doing that type of work...

 

[bwese]

Not trying to hijack your thread but perhaps this could be a future question of yours or something you might want to have happen to your ironwood stand area(I'm trying to figure out this myself).

I hinged a load of ironwood and they have sprouted up really thick giving my timber a very dense thick look as opposed to the open park look understory. Is this a bad thing. I have other areas that are set up well for browse but I have this one area that is very thick with a trail through it. Advice or opinions are appreciated from anyone.

 

[letemgrow]

Not trying to hijack your thread but perhaps this could be a future question of yours or something you might want to have happen to your ironwood stand area(I'm trying to figure out this myself).

I hinged a load of ironwood and they have sprouted up really thick giving my timber a very dense thick look as opposed to the open park look understory. Is this a bad thing. I have other areas that are set up well for browse but I have this one area that is very thick with a trail through it. Advice or opinions are appreciated from anyone.

Are deer browsing the ironwood sprouts?

If not, I would kill them in favor of something deer will browse. Maybe plant some beneficial shrubs that like the understory instead? (if it does not get much sunlight).