Southern Yellow Pine Growth?

[knuckledragger]

There is alot of Southern Yellow Pine on the land we just bought (Ozark mountains in Arkansas), and someday I would like to use some of it to build a log cabin. Alot of it is pretty good sized, but a good bit of it is around 6" in diameter at the trunk. Does anyone know how long it would take for this type of pine to grow to about 12-15" in diameter at the trunk? I have been told that pine grows pretty fast, but no one has ever put that in tangible terms for me (I am not sure anyone can, but I figured I would at least ask.)

[Jolly]

Like politics, all pine is local.

There are different species, long leaf, loblolly, etc. And different rates of growth depending on climate, soil, etc.

I'd start with your local county extension agent, and if he doesn't know, a decent forester from one of the local timber companies surely does.

[Ramblin Wreck]

If it is the slash pine that is prevalent in Georgia now (long leaf once ruled here), it will grow very fast in wet years. Thinning might help the bigger trees grow faster, but on average, slash pine (often called yellow pine) trees can be marketable in twenty years. I cut some 20 year old (give or take a year) trees in 1998-99 and made 2"x10"'s out of them. It's not the stoutest lumber by any stretch, but so far, my floor system has no sags or squeaks (after 7 years of use).

[RosewoodfarmVA]

For using to build a cabin, alot depends on how you intend to build it... squared logs(requiring larger logs), or round poles. Keep in mind that for building projects, the faster a tree has grown the weaker and more dimensionally unstable it is. In other words, you would be better off using a 50yo tree than a 30yo tree of the same diameter. It will twist and bow less. Less shrinkage as it dries too.

As to the amount of growth, this is mostly dependent on light supply, but also on soil quality and fertility. The more light a tree gets (meaning farther apart) the faster it grows. That's why here in VA pines are usually thinned out about 15-20 years old, leaving "crop trees," the best in the batch, to continue growing at about a 15 foot spacing. Now this gives a tremendous growth in the butt cut of a log, but also causes the trees to get narrow more quickly as you go up the log because it's growth is changed from up to out due to the additional light. If you want a log that is 40 feet long but is almost the same diameter at the top end, you want those trees close together so they are forced to grow up instead of out. It takes longer, but you have a better quality tree, and the rings will be closer together, making a stronger tree. Around here it takes about 30 years to get a good sawlog (20" or better at butt) with proper thinning procedures, but it takes about twice that for "poles" (smaller diameter, say 12", but very tall and straight) because of a more natural, close spaced stand. So you want to decide what your goals are for the trees, and then thin or leave them alone depending on your plans for them.

Leaving them alone, you'll probably have good round log cabin building logs, 12" average diameter, in about 10-15 years. If you want to square your logs, like the old log houses were built, you'll need larger logs, so you should thin them and leave only the best, then you'll have good large logs in about 15-20 years.

[Old Vet]

Call the Arklansas Forestry to answer your question. I doubt that it is yellow pine but I may be suprised. I worked at the Forestry Comision Nusery in North Little Rock. The only pine that we grew is Loblilogy and Shourt Leaf pine. It is one or the other probily. The Forestry Comision that will come out will tell you what it is. And will give the maturity date on what you have.