Thinning Pine Plantations: Why, When and How? by Ronald F. Billings, Texas Forest Service
According to professional foresters, young pine stands in East Texas should be thinned periodically to optimize growth rates and financial returns while minimizing risks from the southern pine beetle (SPB) and wildfires. Information provided in the Texas Forest Service (TFS)-sponsored pine thinning workshops recently held in East Texas may be of interest to landowners who were unable to attend.