Good lumber from "Ys"?
Can quality wood come from branch locations? July 11, 2000
Q.
What constitutes a branch? I have a maple tree and some alders that I am going to start cutting. They have "Ys" about 50 feet up. Is the wood from the "Y" good to mill up, or is it reaction wood like in a branch?
It most likely will be "crotch" wood. This is wood that results from the merging of the two branches as they grow in width. Pretty, but harder to season than straight grain.
If they are vertical or nearly so, you should be fine. Reaction wood will be evident from the off-center pith.
