If yall don't mind I would like a little input on the most effective way and maybe a plan of taking out about 50 acres worth of small loblolly pines and sweet gums growing in a large tract of previously thinned loblolly pines. The thinned loblolly's are 20-25 years old. We back burned approx. 60 acres on Saturday through similar terrain as described above, burn went great, fire was fairly big and moved slow and even. However, However because it was a dormant season fire will it kill the sweet gums and small loblolly's growing under the canopy? The lobloyy's were anywhere from 1 ft. to 5 ft tall and a small diameter with the sweetgums being a similar size diameter but maybe a little taller.

My questions is, when I burn the other 50 acres of almost identical terrain but in an area that hasn't been burned in probably 6-7 years, If I burn in late march to early april will it be more successful in killing these immature trees in the undergrowth. We have very good fire breaks in place, but there is a lot of fuel in this particular area and I'm worried that even with a back burn it may get too hot and intense with a growing season burn. Any advice would be great!!

pics from Saturday

I'd bet that fire was hot enough to kill them from the looks.

Looks like a good fire. You probably did a number on those small loblolly. The sweetgums will be knocked back to the ground but most will resprout this spring. Pushing the fire back into the early growing season will help reduce the gum but will never eliminate it.

Just from the pics, that fire was probably doing most of what you want. If you haven't paid for them to be planted, loblolly are hard to kill with fire. If they cost you money to plant they can be killed by showing them a bic lighter! I do think you will like the results better with a April/may burn. Gums take MUCH more damage once they sprout buds and small leaves and you have good fuels. Just take it slow. Gum in the pic are just irritated and will sprout 3 stems for each one they have now.

thanks yall for the feedback, Gobbler, I am going to try to burn the other 50-70 acres in April and compare the two burns next year. Only concern I have is the impact on any turkey nests that I might burn in the process. Everybody has told me that they will likely renest and that the benefits far outweigh any negatives that come with the mid to late spring burn. What are your thoughts on this?

That is my thoughts on this

The growing season burn (spring burn) will give you a much better kill on sweetgums. Unfortunately it will most likely have the same results on your loblolly. Whatever is still living can be killed with a garlon herbicide spray in late summer. That will give you the best results. Im fact, if you can wait until late august/early september when the pine candles are gone, you can do a number on all the underbrush with a garlon/arsenal/glyphosate herbicide mix. 1% of each.

Plus kill every wildlife friendly legume forb and grass in the process. Selective herbicides are meant to be selective ! JMHO

Sweetgums and cockroaches are somehow genetically connected...and nuclear reactor-microwave fire will get em both!