Cleaning Potential Final Crop Trees

ford2600

Hi all,

looking at buying extension hand saw for cleaning PFCT in ash stand and also spruce (once it has been thinned). The ash is 16 years ols and has been tended with very good quality trees remaining.

What height do I need to clean to? Came across a nice 1.7m-2.7m saw with very good quality saw. With that I could cut to circa 4m.

Do I need to go higher? Dealer also has saw with a max extension up to 6m but a practical use of probably 4m giving a max cut of circa 5.5m.

Thanks in advance for help:)

Rovi

The consensus at the various field days and discussions I've been at is that the ultimate hardwood final crop tree yields a 6 meter clean straight sawlog.

So, the advice has been to prune these trees to 6 meters.

I'd do it in a few stages though: hand saw/2 meters or so first time, 4 meters or so a few years later, 6 meters or so a few years later.
This is only my notion though, and is based on no science whatsoever

Oldtree

out of interest how do you reach 6 meters? I have a stihl polesaw and even though I am tall it would be a strech and murder on the arms to reach 6 meters up in the air. the pole saw is 3m 90cm long. Are there longer pole saws around for the job?

http://www.stihl.com/STIHL-power-tools-A-great-range/Chain-saws-saw-chains-guide-bars/0170/Pole-pruners.aspx

or is somthing like this Wolf 4m teloscopic pole pruners better?

http://www.tooled-up.com/ManSubCategory.asp?MID=WGA1&CID=3&SCID=332

up to 7 meters on this one

http://www.smart-gardening.co.uk/garden_hand_tools/telescopic_pole_pruners.php

ford2600

It's a hand saw. The one I was looking at is a silky saw with light but strong extendable section.
They're about 4ft in length and lock into each other, some what like sewer rods.

Silky gear not cheap, but quality Japanese steel. Have a Global kitchen knife, lovely gear;)

Only doing the best trees, so not a massive amount of work.

Oldtree wrote: »

out of interest how do you reach 6 meters? I have a stihl polesaw and even though I am tall it would be a strech and murder on the arms to reach 6 meters up in the air. the pole saw is 3m 90cm long. Are there longer pole saws around for the job?

http://www.stihl.com/STIHL-power-tools-A-great-range/Chain-saws-saw-chains-guide-bars/0170/Pole-pruners.aspx

or is somthing like this Wolf 4m teloscopic pole pruners better?

http://www.tooled-up.com/ManSubCategory.asp?MID=WGA1&CID=3&SCID=332

up to 7 meters on this one

http://www.smart-gardening.co.uk/garden_hand_tools/telescopic_pole_pruners.php

Yi Harr

Teagasc have a fairly comprehensive pdf on Tending and Thinning of Broadleaves.

There's some info in it on high pruning and formative shaping of ash.

ford2600

Thanks for that, pruning is the one thing I've ignored. The document you linked I've referenced I've read many times but ignored pruning section.
It's short, but has all the info and photos required. Thanks again.
Now to pick the right saw!;)

Yi Harr wrote: »

Teagasc have a fairly comprehensive pdf on Tending and Thinning of Broadleaves.

There's some info in it on high pruning and formative shaping of ash.