Proper pine/woods mgt

[DTLMG]

50:year ago my parents got what seemed like hundreds of trees from the county to plant. Seems like my sisters and me spent weeks planting those dam trees. We didn’t do a very good job planting them in a straight line. Fasts forward to today I am cleaning out the dead trees scrub brush etc. the pines are red and white pine. They are now about 60 feet tall. Some are bout 15-20” in diameter, others are only like 8” in diameter but straight as an arrow. The small pines would make some decorative fencing -not sure how long it would last though

What is the preferred way to clean this mess up? Do I cut out all the small 8” pines and scrub brush? Do I create rows by cutting out trees no matter what the sizes are? What bout the small hardwood trees that are growing within the pines now? (Walnut) ( cherry) There are some dead ash trees growing within as well thy have died due to the EAB

Thanks

 

[ATH]

Where are you? Around here (NW Ohio) I'd bet on the small ones being the Red pine and big being White pine...but further north that would change.

How many acres? If it's getting more than 5-10 acres probably look to have a Forester out.

Good chance the small trees are either not a good fit for the site or they are suppressed so probably a good place to start is thinning those out. (Called a thinning from below).

Hardwoods: what do you want for the long term. Walnut and Cherry are not bad trees to grow if you want to sell logs (or, rather, let your children and grandchildren sell logs). But if this is a windbreak or you want winter cover for wildlife and the hardwood taking over in the long-term is not appealing, then consider removing them now. Don't worry about dead stuff on the ground...it's not hurting anything.

 

[DTLMG]

Where are you? Around here (NW Ohio) I'd bet on the small ones being the Red pine and big being White pine...but further north that would change.

How many acres? If it's getting more than 5-10 acres probably look to have a Forester out.

Good chance the small trees are either not a good fit for the site or they are suppressed so probably a good place to start is thinning those out. (Called a thinning from below).

Hardwoods: what do you want for the long term. Walnut and Cherry are not bad trees to grow if you want to sell logs (or, rather, let your children and grandchildren sell logs). But if this is a windbreak or you want winter cover for wildlife and the hardwood taking over in the long-term is not appealing, then consider removing them now. Don't worry about dead stuff on the ground...it's not hurting anything.

Thanks! It’s only about an acre, your correct. The small ones are red pines, the big ones white pines. And it’s main intent was windbreak . My gene pool ends with me… so…. Lol. I am in Wisconsin