Branch

A branch is a part of the growth habit of the tree. He joins the stem with its branches and leaves. Considered Pflanzenmorphologisch, the branch is simply a stronger branch. The distinction between branch and branch factory is only in the use of wood usual - or called the branch, as well as the traces left by the subsidiary plant in the wood, branch wood or " branch ".

• 2.1 Astreinheit and knots
• 2.2 knotholes, knotholes

The branch on the tree: Living Branch and Aststumpf

Life and Limb are located at the upper tree completion, the crown. Amongst them is the trunk with his Totastzone and Aststümpfen. Notwithstanding this die at a Zopftrocknis also branches in the upper crown area from the trunk or branches arise from water veins ( Klebästen ).

Cancels a branch from the trunk, the tree tried to boil this wound. Depending on the form is referred to as bumps, knots ( knots ', cf stick and stick wood), ribbons, roses, whiskers or seals. These reduce the quality of the wood almost always.

Aststärken

The forestry differs Aststärken following:

• Feinast: diameter less than three inches
• Schwachast: Diameter is between three and five centimeters
• Grobast: Diameter is between five and ten centimeters
• Stronglimb: diameter is about ten centimeters

One speaks - depending on the tree species - even of roundwood for the coarse and heavy branches and brushwood for fine and weak branches, generally less than 7 cm thickness. The tops as a whole is whether stem elongation during softwood, or branched branch wood, summarized under the term Zopfholz.

The road in the woods

The material referred wood branch as a growth feature the heartwood of a branch that leads to the core of the tree, and therefore remains in all zones of the cut wood. Depending on the location and arrangement of branches usually lead to a reduction in wood quality because they interfere with the grain, and so reduce the physical capacity of the timber.

Astreinheit and knots

Astreinheit is generally a sign of quality for construction wood. The corresponding piece of wood is free ( pure) of branches, but especially knotholes, and is for example used for lumber, furniture, doors or windows. Wood with many branches called knotty (or branching), which is a defect. Carpenter wood or veneer, especially in interesting grained woods without tendency to failure branches, but is an exception: For example, the stone pine with the typical black branches, or a bird's eye maple wood in great demand.

• To achieve Astreinheit, the trees are planted very close ( the Association ). Then grow rapidly in the height ( shoot ) and form a short Zopfstück and hardly branches on the central stem. Such wood is of the highest quality and is used as a peeling wood for the manufacture of veneers or in instrument.
• In particularly beautiful straight conifers lower, mostly barren branches are removed. In the wood that accrues after this so-called Pruning the trunk, the Äststümpfe be überwallt quickly and cleanly and are not in heavy timber on the surface.

Deciduous trees lose their branches usually by themselves, so that there usually there is no Pruning. An exception is the oak, whose Totäste many years remain on the tree, and the regional plays an important role as a timber.

In order to avoid holes in a board, knot holes to be drilled in the control during production and replaced with a Astlochdübel.

Loose knots, knotholes

A knothole occurs when an in- a plank road from the rest of the wood tissue loosens and falls out. Thus one speaks also of a Ausfallast. Reasons for separation from the rest of the wood are:

• Branch wood contains much more lignin. This makes it harder, more brittle, and shrinks more during the drying process.
• The fibers do not run parallel to the fibers in the trunk.

Whether a branch fails, depends both on the type of wood (so- tends more to it than the fir, spruce, pine but barely), on the other hand, if the Aststumpf was überwallt fast or dead wood is far remained on the trunk.