Growth, suppression, death, and self-pruning of branches of Scots pine in southern and central Finland

Branch development of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) was studied in 19 thinning experiments in southern and central Finland. Data were collected from 229 trees on sites of different fertility with different stand density, age, and canopy position. Stem sections that included the thickest branch or knot of the whorl were sawn out from the whorls below the lowest living and dead whorl. The stem sections were dissected and the years of birth, suppression, death, and occlusion of the branches were determined. Diameter growth of the branches continued for a longer time in older trees. Branch growth was also prolonged by rapid radial growth of the stem. On average, branches died 7 years after their growth cessation. The number of years that branches stayed alive after growth cessation was independent of the tree or stand characteristics. After the death of a branch, more than 40 years elapsed before the branch was occluded. Large branch diameter and rapid radial growth of the stem increased the width of the loose knot zone in the stem. The results showed that there are limited possibilities of using delayed thinnings to reduce the knottiness of timber, and artificial pruning is needed to produce timber of high quality.