Ask the Tree Doctor - pruning times; pecan wood; wilderness areas; royal paulownia - Brief Article

American Forests, Spring, 2002

Don't know when to prune? Curious about lobed leaves? Have no fear--the Tree Doctor is here.

Q: Is it better to prune maple trees in the Bangor, Maine, area in the spring or fall?

Jim MacDonald, via e-mail

A: Pruning is best done when growth is stopped. Generally that's after the first frost in the autumn and until the sap starts to rise in the early spring, but from late summer on is OK. Dormant season pruning gives the wound time to dry and seal itself against decay-causing organisms. Pruning cuts are best left without a coating of tar or other material. For complete information on proper pruning procedures and practices check out materials by Dr. Alex Shigo. They should be available in your local library.

Q: I have a huge pecan tree in my yard in northern California that produces so many blossoms and nuts each year that it has become a nuisance. Is there is a market for this wood? It would be nice to know that the tree went into something that would endure, instead of being used as firewood.

Edward McKiver, via e-mail

A: Pecan, and the rest of the hickory family, makes handsome furniture. It is hard and durable, has good grain patterns, and mills and finishes nicely. Besides that, firewood adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, while furniture or other products will act as a carbon sink for years and years.

Many sawmills will not take yard trees because they could contain embedded metal from nails, barbed wire, old horseshoes, or gate hinges. But do ask; many modern sawmills have metal detectors to screen logs.

As for potential users, try locating a local woodworkers club or guild. Your local forester with the California Division of Forestry might have a list of local sawmills or know of specialty wood products producers. If there are any cabinetmakers near you, you might ask where they get the wood they use. They might be able to suggest potential local sawmills.

Q: I have thought of starting my own life out in the forest and building a log cabin suitable for only my needs. Could I do that without paying anything to the government (as was done during the time of western exploration)? I'd like to know how it felt to develop on my own, using trees from the forest and replanting for each one I took down.

Dan Howard, via e-mail

A: Your idea of pioneering sounds attractive, but you would be trespassing on someone's property and subject to arrest. The "old West" just isn't what it used to bel Somebody owns everything now, and there are no longer any American lands open for entry and settlement. Some things we have to just do vicariously, and pioneering is one of them. Of course, you can hike wilderness areas and try to live off the land, but the game that once populated the West is gone, and the hunting of what is left is highly regulated, if allowed at all. We are now cautioned to "leave nothing but our footprints," when using wilderness areas. My advice is to enjoy reading some of the great stories of the mountain men and other early pioneers, and try to imagine yourself in their shoes. It is a different world, and there are new challenges worthy of your attention.

Q: I want to plant a royal paulownia or princess tree (Powlonia tomentasa) in my front yard in North Beach, MD. Where can I get one? The local nurseries don't carry them.

Blake Harper, via e-mail

A: Not all nurseries handle the royal paulownia, but one that does is Mellinger's Inc., 2310 W. South Range Rd., North Limo, OH 44452-973 1. Call to check on current availability (330/549-9861) or email mellgarden@aol.com. The Cooperative Extension Service office for your county will be able to supply you with a booklet regarding the culture of royal paulownia.

E-mail questions for the Tree Doctor to mrobbins@amfor.org or write: Tree Doctor/Pubs, AMERICAN FORESTS, P0 Box 2000, Washington, DC 20013.