Beginner Questions

Great advice, Randy... I'd add that with DVD/tape you watch them several times, especially Bill's DVD... As you learn, progress and get experience, different parts of the videos make sense or are understandable.. where the first time you watch them, you're just looking for the "how do I do it" part and not really noticing the technique, tool position, etc...

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

You're definitely not too far north for box elder, aka "Manitoba Maple." As the common name implies, box elder (acer negundo) grows quite a bit farther north than you are, and, like other maple species, is noted for its resistance to cold.. Other than for shade, though, it's not a commercially valuable tree, so people don't really go out of their way to plant them or harvest them.

Show Acer negundo as an indicator species for zone 2b. This is not, however, the full story. Where competition exists, A negundo is much less common. Here, though we're zone 3 or thereabouts, it grows only near the lakes, where the temperature is moderated by the water.

George,

Zone 3!? Do people actually live that far North??

TomNie

Perhaps I just haven't gotten lucky yet- I've been looking for boxelder for a while, and nothing. The turnings I've seen from it look great, with nice contrasting red and white. The field guide I've got says they like lowland areas near water, but no luck so far, and I've hiked around a whole bunch of sawmps and ponds out in the forest. I'll keep looking, though.

They're a very common tree here in Saskatoon, and throughout the Canadian Prairies.

I got some lovely burl a couple of years ago from a fellow a couple of blocks over who took one out to build a garage. I still have a lot of it.

Samples:

That one went to the family I got the burl from.

These went to my mom, and my dad and his wife.

Try Zone 1 and we're all surviving. Maby not the happiest come Jan & Feb, but Thats About To Change. Lotus land here we come (Canadian Version).

Hi Prometheus

We have lots of box elder up here in south-west Ontario, it's looked upon as a weed tree, not my favorite wood, usually there is no red streaking in them, it seems only damage to the tree will trigger the red coloration, a lot of the trees do have some burl or figure in the wood though. As for you looking for the trees in the forest, I would say that's the wrong place, they don't seem to do well in the competition of a forest, around here you will find them mostly in corners of peoples back yard, fence rows, open waste places etc. So maybe if you look at some different places you might find some, or ask some of the highway crews or county road department people, they would know if there is some around I would think

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Prometheus wrote: > SNIP

Yep, where there's still a picking of peas for today, and it's August. Of course, tomatoes are a different matter.

Ah... if that's the case, perhaps it's not worth looking for it specifically. I figured the red was something akin to the nice double-grained (for lack of a better term) bits in Birch and Beech. Here, in Wisconsin (at least where I'm at) Maples are the weed tree, though the ones that survive the lawn mowers and grow to a respectable size are still appreciated by most.

Good tip, I'll keep that in mind. I just mainly use the forest with my deadfall permit, and keep visiting the trees I like after each storm to see if they've been struck down. Getting on to people's backyards and fencerows seems like either a good way to make friends, or to get punched in the eye. Not knowing how any given person might react to the idea of a stranger cutting down a tree makes me just kind of avoid it, though I've made exceptions when there is a tree that is obviously blocking a driveway or road. Sometimes people appreciate that kind of help.

That's a good idea. I'll also check the public hunting grounds- IIRC, the phesant fields have a couple of narrow rows of tree cover.

We have an abundance of box elder here. It is truly a weed tree. I hate it. It grows in the cracks in the pavement, behind the shop, next to the house. But, if you like I can try to send you some seeds when the come up again. But, my recommendation is to just stick with regular maple.

I chopped some of it up at my parents' new house and of the 3 - 14" trees, only one had red in it right below the fork. Other than that, it was just plain, boring and soft.

Plus, the Box Elder beetles suck. lots.

We have been clearing the box elder to make way for their black locusts to grow. Gotta love selective culling.

They do, however, have an oak on the back corner that is probably 6 feet in diameter. Huge ass tree. Just amazing. And they have some large elm trees (2+ feet) at the street line. One is dead and barkless. I am waiting just a little while longer to cut that one down. When I do, I will let you guys know and offer some of you guys near here.