Planting new trees when mature trees are blocking sunlight (grow, lightning, how to)

[bellmark]

Like the lumber industry, i'd like to start some tree regrowth in the wooded area of our property.

Anyone have suggestions on how to do this when the mature trees are over 70ft tall and create a canopy that blocks the sun?


Reason: There seem to be a too many dying or old trees. Mostally all the same height and size, so makes me think most in the same age group (there were a lot of farms in the area and I wonder if 80 yrs ago this was cultivated farmland and all the tress started at the same time). Also the trees on our lot arent as dense as neighboring acres. Maybe the prior owner had thinned it out.

[Pitt Chick]

Remove the dying trees.
Select trees that like some shade.

[jackmichigan]

Depending on where you live and the type of forest you have, just pick some shade-tolerant trees which are native to your area. For example, white pines and most oaks prefer open sun to get established; maples are much more shade tolerant (even though they'll take longer to grow under a dense canopy). But...you probably don't even need to plant trees. Nature does a pretty good job on its own and your more likely to retain species with local genotype. Keep non-native, invasive species from taking over your woods and natural regeneration should work out just fine.

[Hemlock140]

Our forests here have tall firs, cedars and Big Leaf Maples (with some understory trees beneath them such as Vine Maples). The volunteer seedlings from the big trees can manage without full sun up to a point. Some will manage due to the older trees falling in a windstorm or getting hit by lightning, but others will be stunted and often die. Because they grow so fast,
and can tolerate shade, the big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) will grow taller then the understory trees and shrubs in a couple of years and often survives to an old age even when crowded and shaded by evergreens.