Long-term effects of hail damage on radiata pine.  G. Minko.  January 1980.  9 pp. (unpubl.)

SUMMARY

On 20 October 1940, 510 ha of 4 to 13 year-old Pinus radiata in the Ovens Plantation in north-eastern Victoria was damaged by a severe hail storm. When clearfelling began 20 years later it was found that the logs from the hail-damaged trees had defects.

Severe timber degrade was found in trees with open and occluded scars on the limbs and tree trunk or with death of the original tree top. Hail imprints on the bark often indicated separation of wood between growth rings; and there are other forms of degrade : cankers on the tree trunks, faulty knots, and accumulations of resin which caused staining when softened during seasoning. New defects sometimes appeared after milling also. Sawn timber recovery from damaged logs was about 50% of that normally obtained from undamaged logs.

Also published:

Minko, G. (1979)  Long-term effects of hail damage on radiata pine.  Aust. For. 42 (3): 158-71.