Dead Birch Tree (Widow Maker) Falling Down - Need Suggestions

[gtaus]

Last night we got a little wind and rain. Not much, but this morning when I went outside, I discovered that my old Widow Maker Dead, Rotted, Birch tree had partially fallen down...

That's about 20 feet of dead tree on the ground. You can see the remainder of the Birch tree still standing about 15 feet tall. This has been a pain in the butt tree because I knew it was all rotted. What you can't see is how badly twisted the tree trunk was when fully standing about 30-40 foot tall.

That tree has been shedding branches for years. If you look at the basketball hoop and backboard, you can see that a branch fell down on it a few years ago and did some damage. I have been cleaning up after that tree for a good 10 years.

For the last ~5 years, I have been trying to figure out how to take down that dead tree without killing myself. The trunk was twisted and the branches up high were not even. I had a hard time knowing which way the tree would fall if I cut it down. As many trees as I have cut down over the years, you get a good idea where the tree wants to fall naturally. But the twisted trunk and offset branches had me second, and third, guessing myself. Add to that I knew the wood was rotted, and those are the worse trees to cut down because you never know how that will affect where it ends up falling. For my skill level, it was a dangerous tree.

Thanks to Mother Nature, more than half the tree is now on the ground. I think the remaining tree trunk will be safer to take down. To give you an idea, that base of the Birch tree is about 2 feet across. When it was 35-40 feet tall, that was just too much rotted wood above me that I had little confidence as to which way it would fall if I cut it down. It's much safer now, but still that base of the tree is all rotted out - so I'm concerned it still could end up falling the wrong way coming down.

Here is a closeup of the rotted wood. As big as those pieces are, they have almost no weight compared to a healthy tree. Well, enough weight to kill you if it fell down on your head, but mostly it is rotted out. I looked it up online and read that this rotted wood can be as much as 70-80% lighter than a healthy tree. I believe that. Still, that remaining 20-30% of weight is enough to kill you if it falls on you!

I am trying to decide what to do with all this rotted wood. Option 1) toss it into the chicken run and let the chickens peck out any ants or termites that are still in the wood. I think the chickens would be happy to explore that rotted wood for insects to eat. The wood can later be covered and composted in the run. It's almost shredded wood in its current state. I think it would make good compost with all my grass clippings and leaves in the run. Option 2) use it in a hügelkultur raised bed. Rotted wood is always good in a hügelkultur raised bed and I do that a lot. However, I am wondering if there are still ants and/or termites in the wood and if that would infest my raised bed? Option 3) use the wood to burn out the stump of the tree when I cut down the remaining trunk. I will have to burn out that trunk at some point, but the wood is so rotted that I don't know how well it would serve as burning wood. Burning would be my last option, but it's also the option that requires the least amount of work.

If anyone else has had to deal with a rotted tree trunk and knows how to safely take it down, please let me know. I would also be interested in what others would recommend doing with this rotted wood. I listed my options, in order, of what I think I will do, but I'm open to other suggestions as well. Thanks for any responses.

 

[cavemanrich]

Nice to hear from you again. I do read your posts on the gardening thread, when you post there.
This is how I would handle this. Not sure you have what it takes.
I have strong ropes, and Nylon straps. My straps, are 27 feet long. truck/trailer tiedown equipment. Here is what I'm talking about.

So loop around tree loosely, let say 5 feet up. Then have someone hold loose end, while you slide loop up tree with a stick/board/pole. Try to get as high as reasonably possible. If you feel safe using ladder, that is also option.
So now you have a good length that you can attach to your vehicle, and and try to break tree trunk some more.
If it does not break from pulling force, then do a partial cut where you see as a safe spot. Then pull again.
I tried to explain as best, and I think you get my idea here.
If not, ask some more questions.

Now to the use of the wood. If you stack into a pile, the termites, if any will die off in short time, if the wood dries out. Termites need to get into ground every-so-often to get moisture. Ants do not. so they will live longer in your logs. Consider it as firewood. Easiest option.



WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[gtaus]

So loop around tree loosely, let say 5 feet up. Then have someone hold loose end, while you slide loop up tree with a stick/board/pole. Try to get as high as reasonably possible. If you feel safe using ladder, that is also option.
So now you have a good length that you can attach to your vehicle, and and try to break tree trunk some more.
If it does not break from pulling force, then do a partial cut where you see as a safe spot. Then pull again.
I tried to explain as best, and I think you get my idea here.
If not, ask some more questions.

Yeah, that's a good idea. I have tow straps that I used to pull down a hanging widow maker earlier this spring. That should work fine. Since the wood is so rotted, it might break off easily. Thanks for that suggestion. Probably a lot safer to pull it down than using the chainsaw and hoping it does not fall back on me.

I hate cutting down rotted and/or hollow trees. You just never know where they will break and fall.

Now to the use of the wood. If you stack into a pile, the termites, if any will die off in short time, if the wood dries out. Termites need to get into ground every-so-often to get moisture. Ants do not. so they will live longer in your logs.

It's been raining for the past few days, so I have not looked too closely at the wood. It could be that the ants/termites have already gone because the tree was so bad.

Consider it as firewood. Easiest option.

You may be right. If I don't use it as firewood, I would have to haul in other wood to burn out the stump. Probably best just to burn it there on the stump and reduce my work hauling good wood there for the job.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Sally PB]

So loop around tree loosely, let say 5 feet up. Then have someone hold loose end, while you slide loop up tree with a stick/board/pole. Try to get as high as reasonably possible. If you feel safe using ladder, that is also option.

When hubby has to bring down a leaner, or something that MUST fall a certain way, he does this. If the tree is big enough or needs more pull, he attaches it to the Jeep and uses that to pull it over. If he can't get the Jeep in the right place, he runs the pulling rope around another tree to redirect the force.

Even a car can exert enough force to pull over a tree. He uses the Jeep because these trees are out in 4-wheel territory.

 

[saysfaa]

Push it down? I discovered this method by accident taking out weed trees. Um, "accident" meaning, I didn't expect the tree to fall when I pushed on it while I was trying to hitch it up to pull the stump out.... not "accident" meaning anyone or anything was hurt.

The first tree was very small but since then, I've used the concept on some pretty big trees. I do it by hand but you could use a tractor with a loader to reach higher.

It doesn't put a twisted/lopsided tree where I want but it always falls away from me.

Edit to add, some trees will kick back sometimes. That might not be the right term for it but the cut end of the trunk ends up on the other side of the stump than the rest of the tree. For anyone trying to get trees down.

 

[lagrange chicks]

As a retired logger, if you are not experienced in cutting trees and are not sure where it will fall get help from someone who is experienced. In the thousands of trees I have felled I never cut one that I did not know where it was going to fall. Its called directional felling, it all starts with the notch you put in the tree on which way you want it to go. Then you may need to use wedges to help it go that direction. But you are right dead/ rotted trees are unpredictable on what they might do. Be careful.

 

[The Yardbird Life]

Been there, done that as a 30+ year Certified Arborist & Tree Care firm owner. As lagrange mentioned, it'll be unpredictable to an extent. In the photo, I can see how the center of mass is to the right and maybe slightly away from the backboard. That could easily vary depending on the view, however.

You can be assured the pith of that trunk where you need to place a felling cut is going to be all punky and soft. There will be no holding wood to rely on for much directional felling.

How good are you with a chainsaw? Serious question.

If you are capable of accurately notching the face cut and have the base cut come out horizontal and your corners meet without overcutting ON THE FIRST TRY, get a bullrope, a line capable of sustaining a heavy pull and get it well up in the upper top third of the trunk, the higher the better and have your pulling source at least 3 times the distance as the tree is high. DON'T SKIMP ON THIS REQUIREMENT. Slowly and careful not to pull it over, put it under tension (Several people, come-along, truck) and make your face cut pointed at your crew in the direction of center of mass. Don't face cut deeper than a third the diameter in this case. Make your back cut perfectly horizontal to the face cut, about 2" higher than the base of your face cut. Slowly come in staying exactly perpendicular to the direction of pull and your base cut all while it's under tension. It will release well before you'd expect probably. Drop your saw and go!

If ANY of this sounds like it might be a bit tough, call a tree guy. For me, that would be a 10 minute job to have it on the ground safely. It's really not complicated. The question is do you have a line that is capable of tension without breaking? Saw skills? A means to get that bullrope up high? That strap depicted above is NOT long enough to be safe. Remember, every knot you put in a line depletes its strength at least 50%. The equipment counts in this game.

Most importantly, have a GOOD cameraman video the entire process. The money you make on the Youtube video could possibly pay for any hospital costs! Be Safe!