Turkey Tracks: Taking the Sail Out of It

Turkey Tracks:  January 9, 2011

Taking the Sail Out of It

 

We have this huge white pine directly back of our house.  This picture does not do its height  or the steepness of the hill justice.

 

Here it is, looming over the back of the house.  As Tom Jackson, our resident expert said, ” it’sthe biggest boy in the woods so there’s nothing to stop it.”  Note the “sail” at the top of the pine–all the green lollipop growth at the very top. 

 

 

You can see the growth pattern of the pine–which is very typical of Maine woods, which are in many places, like around our house, new woods filling in where the land was clear-cut.  The first growth from cleared woods is all quick-growing trees for the most part:  ash, birch, beech, “prollies” (poplars), and white pine.  We do have some hardwood oak and sugar maples and a few old-growth conifers, like hemlocks.  The white pines grow very quickly, and as they are surrounded by quick-growing trees, they all develop “sail” tops and lose the green on their mid to bottom branches.  Thus, this white pine was scary because white pines have shallow roots, topple over easily in high winds or rain-soaked ground.  This situation is worsened by its location on a steep hill slanting toward our house.  

This tree gives me nightmares.  It’s big enough to cleave the house if it came down our direction.

So, the tree experts came, and their solution was to take out most of the “sail.”  They also trimmed up the dead branches.  They say it’s healthy all the way to the top, and with the sail trimmed out, unlikely to fall on the house.

You can see how big the tree is in this picture:

 

I hope they’re right!