# Harvesting live burl?



## Rmartin (Mar 1, 2009)

OK, first of all, it's snowing in Georgia!

Now, this tree is mocking me, it's mocking me I tell ya! I believe it's a Red Mulberry, although it's kinda big, so it might be a Black Mulberry.  Every winter it looks deader than dead, and every spring it blooms. It's right outside my shop, and I just want to cut it down for the burl around the base. It's a good 5 to 7 feet around at the base, with burl areas 5 feet up all around.

My question is: Is it possible to remove a small section of the burl without damaging the tree?


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## Manny (Mar 1, 2009)

I've seen live trees with burls removed from them. It's possible dunno how.


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## Rmartin (Mar 1, 2009)

keithkarl2007 said:


> heck that ain't a burl, this is a burl :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin: my 8 year old nephew sitting on top



Does your burl mock you like mine does?

Is it wrong to pray for the death of a tree?


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## fernhills (Mar 1, 2009)

Wow,,


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## spiritwoodturner (Mar 1, 2009)

We have burls in Colorado too, on our Gamble Oaks. They're huge, about as big as an acorn...

Those are cool.

Dale


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## markgum (Mar 1, 2009)

dang, my chain saw is dull....


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## low_48 (Mar 1, 2009)

You can just take a slice off the burl. You have to cut all away around the tree to kill it. You are inviting the chance for insect damage or disease. Trees are similar to us, cut the skin and it can get sick. I hate taking live trees, but a mulberry is not a valuable species. Heck if you cut them off, they will grow several more from the stump.


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## Darley (Mar 2, 2009)

you can harvest the burl in 3 or 4 time to let the tree to recover, cut 1 side of the burl then put tree patty or some liquide tar, I would say do it twice a year 1 just before spring and 1 before fall.


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## DurocShark (Mar 2, 2009)

spiritwoodturner said:


> We have burls in Colorado too, on our Gamble Oaks. They're huge, about as big as an acorn...
> 
> Those are cool.
> 
> Dale



I've been out attacking my maples with a screwdriver hoping to grow a burl.


:tongue:


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## Darley (Mar 2, 2009)

DurocShark said:


> I've been out attacking my maples with a screwdriver hoping to grow a burl.
> 
> 
> :tongue:



You’re a murderer​:biggrin: 
what kind of person are you for stubbing a maple tree with screwdriver:biggrin::biggrin:


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## DurocShark (Mar 2, 2009)

Well, in 20 years, MY maples MIGHT have some burls. What will YOU have?

And I didn't really. I doubt my efforts would result in anything other than scarred maple.


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## Rmartin (Mar 2, 2009)

Thanks for the replies. I really like the ones that say I can cut off a piece without killing the tree. This way, I can cut off a piece, if it happens to die, well, I can blame it on bad net info and promise never to do it again as I'm chopping up the rest.


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## jskeen (Mar 2, 2009)

In all seriousness, burl is usually caused by some sort of problem with the tree.  Removing it in and of itself is not detrimental to the tree.  The cambium layer just under healthy bark is the tree's circulatory system, and removing a burl, or part of one, doesn't necessarily cause too much harm because the tree is already suffering from impared circulation in that area.  However breaching the bark of a tree is a very good way to introduce parasites and or bad microrganisms to the tree.   If the tree is valuable or you hope to live long enough to harvest more burl from the area, be sure to coat it with some sort of durable sealant as somebody mentioned earlier.  Tar is the standard treatment, but anything is better than nothing.  

Just remember that the burl wood usually is external to the straight grain of the trunk, so don't cut too deep, you will damage the tree structurally without gaining any more figured wood.


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## workinforwood (Mar 3, 2009)

I agree with all who say you can operate on the tree.  And you should tar it up too afterwards just like a good doctor.  I wouldn't expect the burl to so grow back in a year..probably take longer than that to grow back.  You will stunt the tree's growth for at least a few months just by doing the sugery as the tree will be putting all it's energy toward scabbing it's wound.


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## MorganGrafixx (Mar 3, 2009)

Rmartin said:


> Does your burl mock you like mine does?
> 
> Is it wrong to pray for the death of a tree?





DurocShark said:


> I've been out attacking my maples with a screwdriver hoping to grow a burl.
> 
> 
> :tongue:




If my "specialized" Marine Corps training works against intelligent humans, it can work on a stationary arboreal species. My services are available for pen kits and a piece of the aforementioned burl in question. And I think its best if details aren't divulged...the less you know the better. You want it to look like an "accident"? Or are we talking blood...er...sap-bath? Either way...I been getting itchy since I came back from Afghanistan.:biggrin:

Seriously though...you can harvest any part of a tree without killing it. Paraffin wax over the cut part should protect it from further damage until it starts to heal itself. Or for professional advice, go to any Pike's Family Nursery, Lowe's, Wal-Mart or Home Depot Lawn/Garden department and ask some of those guys. Don't think that because they work in the lawn/garden dept. of Wal-Mart they don't know what they are talking about. Some of the older ladies that work back there have more horticultural knoledge than I ever will. 

By the way...I'm in Georgia too....that snow was freaky wasn't it. I had flakes the size of silver dollars comming down for almost 4 hours. Only 2 days before it was almost 70 degrees outside too. Crazy!


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## wolftat (Mar 3, 2009)

Take the burl and use the rest as firewood.


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## Jim Smith (Mar 4, 2009)

I may be in the minority, but I would recommend that you do not harvest the burl from that tree.  You can buy burl blanks all day long from both exotic and domestic trees.  There is a dollar value to having a mature tree on your property, and some would say that what you have is an attractive tree with character.  That being said, it is worth a lot more to you as a tree than as pen blanks.  Just one man's opinion.

Jim Smith


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## Rmartin (Mar 4, 2009)

Jim Smith said:


> I may be in the minority, but I would recommend that you do not harvest the burl from that tree.  You can buy burl blanks all day long from both exotic and domestic trees.  There is a dollar value to having a mature tree on your property, and some would say that what you have is an attractive tree with character.  That being said, it is worth a lot more to you as a tree than as pen blanks.  Just one man's opinion.
> 
> Jim Smith



All kidding aside, I will not harm the tree. I have many wonderful trees on my property, but this isn't one of them, yet, as long as it's growing and flowering, it stays.


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