December Newsletter

Howdy, friends, and happy new year!
 
Winter’s only just gotten started, so we’ll touch on a few seasonal reminders, before taking a look at the lumber market and some other content. For more info on winter tree tips, you can view the last newsletter here.
Rock salt can dehydrate and kill trees...so be careful when applying it to icy driveways.

The winter climate is not friendly to trees:
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• Water is scarce when temps get below freezing, which can lead to dehydration for trees
• Cold weather makes tree wood brittle, and prone to splitting and cracking
• Wind, rain and snow put a physical strain on weakened trees
• Trees are in hibernation mode, living on reserves, and are particularly vulnerable

Weak/damaged trees are dangerous to you, and your trees might need a little extra care to stay healthy through the winter. The point is, winter is a time to keep a close eye on trees and make sure they’re not becoming a liability.

Winter is a good time to prune trees

There are two main reasons for that:

• No leaves means better visibility

• Diseases and pests are less active in the winter, so freshly cut branches are less likely to be attacked

A note about lumber prices

Lumber prices remain high, which means that tree removal can be profitable for certain trees. You can read this article for info on selling your trees for money.

Trading Economics is a good resource for tracking the price of lumber futures. The report for late November/early December says:
“Lumber is expected to trade at 908.79 USD/1000 board feet by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate it to trade at 1139.19 in 12 months time.”

If you want to know more about what, exactly, lumber futures can tell you, we recommend this article.

Wildfire damage from 2021

We kept a casual eye on the wildfire scene through last summer and into the fall, but as of yet, there is little-to-nothing in the way of official numbers provided in regards to the damage done in 2021. This short article has surfaced, alleging that the damage is slightly less than in 2020.
 
In a weird way, this is good news, considering that 2021 was one of the hottest summers on record for WA State, and also considering that damage totals early on in the season appeared to be outpacing 2020
by a substantial margin.

Addressing important questions about stumps on the STC blog

5 ways to kill a stump
How long does it take a stump to decay?
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And that’s all we have for this month. Stay warm, stay safe, and stay tuned for more seasonal tips from the tree world.