What is special about Sitka spruce?

Although all spruces have sharp needles, those of the Sitka Spruce are the sharpest and most rigid of any tree in the northwest. Aboriginal people believed it could protect them from evil thoughts, and the Ditidaht utilized its powers in ceremonies to protect the dancers.

How fast does Sitka spruce grow?

Top Growth Rates The Sitka spruce dwarfs its cousins in maximum attainable height and rate of growth. During its 500-year life, a Sitka spruce will reach between 160 and 220 feet, with 60-inches-per-year growth rate until it reaches maturity.

Is Sitka spruce good?

Uses of Sitka spruce Sitka spruce is an important timber species in the UK, accounting for around 50% of commercial plantations. The wood is versatile and has lots of uses: small trees are particularly useful for making paper, while mature trees are used to make boats and ships, pallets and packing boxes.

What is the lifespan of a Sitka spruce tree?

700 to 800 years
Sitka spruce is a large tree that grows to a height of 70 metres and a diameter of two metres when mature with an estimated lifespan of 700 to 800 years. The largest known Sitka spruce in BC is 95 metres tall and five metres across. The bark is very thin, brown or purplish-grey, and breaks up into small scales.

How expensive is Sitka spruce?

Description

Desc/Grade	Thickness/Size	Cost
Vertical Grain, Clear	1″ – 2″ Spar Grade	$22.00

How much is Sitka spruce worth?

“Sitka Spruce, fully mature, well-stocked and managed, is making over €35,000 and up to €40,000 per hectare. Even poorly performing plantations are producing timber worth €22,000 per hectare.”

How far apart should Sitka spruce be planted?

12 feet apart
Starting with one Western red cedar and one Sitka spruce P+1 seedling per hole, we planted the plantation near Kapowsin in Pierced County in 2014. The holes were spaced 12 feet apart, giving about 600 trees in 300 holes per acre.

Is Sitka spruce expensive?

Pricing/Availability: Construction grade spruce is cheap and easy to find. However, old growth and/or quartersawn clear pieces—free from knots—can be more expensive. Quartersawn billets of instrument-grade Sitka Spruce can easily exceed the cost of most all domestic hardwoods in terms of per board-foot cost.

Is Sitka spruce stiff?

Sitka tends to be very stiff.

Is Sitka spruce hardwood or softwood?

Softwood
Sitka Spruce | The Wood Database – Lumber Identification (Softwood)

What kind of soil does Sitka spruce like?

It grows best on soils of poor or medium nutrient status with good moisture status and will tolerate drained peats and gleys. Sensitive to heather check on very poor soils, where it should be grown in mixture with pine or larch.

What is the hardiest spruce tree?

Norway Spruce (Picea abies) Most forms are hardy in zone 3 and they will grow all the way through zone 7, and even in zone 8 in the north-west, so they are a good choice for most gardens. This tree is not particularly drought resistant, and it’s not a good choice if you have dry soil and hot, dry summers.

What’s the difference between spruce and Sitka spruce?

Spruce trees are coniferous evergreens with needles attached singly to their branches in a spiral fashion. They’re large, often growing upwards of 60-230 feet. Generally, you’ll find spruce trees in different parts of North America….Adirondack Spruce vs. Sitka Spruce.

	Red Spruce	Sitka Spruce
Crushing strength	4,870 lb/sq.in	5,550 lb/sq.in

Is spruce better than mahogany?

Mahogany guitars sound smoother and warmer compared to spruce top guitars which sound brighter and more crisp. This is because mahogany produces more bass and mid-range emphasis compared to spruce which has more treble emphasis.

Is there money to be made in forestry?

Historically, forestry has achieved between 5 and 7 per cent per annum above inflation, he says. Equity markets generally give a higher long-term return “but they’re far more volatile. Forestry will give you a very steady long-term rate of return with very low volatility.”

Do Sitka spruce have deep roots?

The root system of Sitka spruce is shallow and platelike with long lateral roots with few branchings. On deep well-drained soils the root system may reach depths of 6.5 feet (2 m), especially on alluvial soils. Root grafting often occurs between roots of the same tree and adjacent trees [22,24].

How tall is a Sitka spruce?

It is by far the largest species of spruce and the fifth-largest conifer in the world (behind giant sequoia, coast redwood, kauri, and western red cedar ), and the third-tallest conifer species (after coast redwood and coast Douglas fir ). The Sitka spruce is one of the few species documented to exceed 90 m (300 ft) in height.

Are Sitka spruce billets expensive?

However, old growth and/or quartersawn clear pieces—free from knots—can be more expensive. Quartersawn billets of instrument-grade Sitka Spruce can easily exceed the cost of most all domestic hardwoods in terms of per board-foot cost.

What are the pros and cons of Sitka spruce?

It looks great. It’s often a nice colour. And never forget, whilst the ears are important, the eyes come first when it comes to buying guitars. If it doesn’t get past the eyes it will never get as far as the ears. And Sitka spruce often looks great. Strength. Sitka spruce is strong. It’s one of the strongest spruces there is apparently.

Should Sitka spruce be removed from Norway?

Efforts to remove this species have been initiated in Norway as the Sitka spruce dominates the native ecology with few native species managing to compete or thrive in its shadow. ^ Vadla, Kjell. “Sitkagran – utbredelse, egenskaper og anvendelse” [Sitka spruce – propagation, properties and uses].