Growth rings! Pic

JayinNY · Dec 9, 2015

I was cutting up some dead ash with my daughter
today, there's been so much of it in the 15 years iv
owed this house and land, so I was showing her the
growth rings, I know you count them to tell the age
of the tree, but I couldent remember about the
distance of the rings, was it close rings ment a dry
year, and far apart rings ment a wet year with alot of
growth? Here's a little piece I cut so she could load
it into the trailer. Been an easy heating year so far
this year, were 20* above avarage this December.

Andy Martin · Dec 9, 2015

Yep, good growing conditions makes for wider rings. Did you count back and show her how big the tree was when she was born? And maybe when you were born.

JayinNY · Dec 9, 2015

No, this tree was to small for me! Lol, and I don't
know how long it's been dead.

Greg1959 · Dec 9, 2015

If you cut the log at a 45 degree angle, it makes the growth rings easier to see (more pronounced) and count.

IA Roy · Dec 9, 2015

The top photo looks like a rooster or some exotic bird head

JayinNY · Dec 9, 2015

Yes it does, and the second pic looks like a moose. It's strange what's inside of trees when you cut them down.

2x4 · Dec 10, 2015

good eye!

RM-MN · Dec 10, 2015

Growth rings can tell you quite a bit about the tree's history but you can't just look at them and say that this year was wet and this one was dry because of the width of the rings. There are other factors that influence the growth rings. Notice that they are wider on one side than the other? Do you suppose that means that one side had drier weather? Maybe the weather was warmer one summer and the tree grew faster because of that. Maybe it was held back by another tree shading it and one summer the leaves on the bigger tree were eaten by bugs. Sometimes a bigger tree will be blown down and then the smaller one will grow much faster for a while until it gets more competition.

JF in MI · Dec 10, 2015

I was going to say; If he keeps slicing he might come up with Elvis

Leroy · Dec 10, 2015

Is the light and dark rings counted as a pair for one year or is each seperate light and dark counted as a year?

Stephen Newell · Dec 10, 2015

You count them as a pair or only count the light or dark rings. In spring when the tree is growing faster the rings tend to be whiter because the cells are bigger. In the later months the growth of the tree slows down and the cells get smaller so the color of the ring tends to be darker.

IaGary · Dec 10, 2015

Anyone else count.

I get about 62.

Gary

Blackhole49 · Dec 10, 2015

Here's an idea on what to do with the slabs. These are apple.

rrlund · Dec 10, 2015

Looks like it grew in a windy place. Blew all the growth to one side.

Dieselrider · Dec 10, 2015

Those look nice! I get the paper towel holders but, what are the ones in the fore ground for? Thanks for sharing.

steve terplak · Dec 10, 2015

Funny, I was just counting the rings on a piece of ash this morning too.

I replied to your question about high cliff on a previous post.

Going to Macffaddens?

Blackhole49 · Dec 10, 2015

Napkin holders.

Bill(Wis) · Dec 10, 2015

The glaciers in Switzerland have been melting back in recent years due to "global warming" or "climate change", whatever. A movement began in Switzerland to sue the United States for causing this because it was damaging their precious ski business when, OOPS, they found old pine forests beneath the glaciers. Some of those trees had over 400 growth rings. They also found old silver mines where the miners had stacked their hand tools anticipating returning to the mines in the spring. Which never came. At least not for them.

JayinNY · Dec 10, 2015

Yes I will be there!

tom stalker · Dec 10, 2015

Just up the road from me

Andy Martin · Dec 10, 2015

(quoted from post at 05:09:47 12/10/15) Growth rings can tell you quite a bit about the tree's history but you can't just look at them and say that this year was wet and this one was dry because of the width of the rings. There are other factors that influence the growth rings. Notice that they are wider on one side than the other? Do you suppose that means that one side had drier weather? Maybe the weather was warmer one summer and the tree grew faster because of that. Maybe it was held back by another tree shading it and one summer the leaves on the bigger tree were eaten by bugs. Sometimes a bigger tree will be blown down and then the smaller one will grow much faster for a while until it gets more competition.

Thanks for that input. I noticed this tree must have been in an understory for about 28 years, notice how all the small rings are very small and circular then suddenly it got light and started growing. I've seen lots of trees that grew very fast when young then slowed when older.

Leroy · Dec 10, 2015

Thanks, that answers a question I have always wondered.

Growth rings! Pic

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