“Don’t Cut It Down,” Easy Way Utahns Can Find Out Their Tree’s Age Using Math

When trees get old they need different care than when they are young. You may also want to know how long a tree has been around if it is aging out. Cutting down the tree and counting the rings will give you the answer, but here is any easier method. 

Measurement and Math Will Give You a Good Idea of a Tree’s Age 

I have a poplar that is not doing well. Limbs keep dying and I don’t know if it will make it. Getting an idea of its age can help me understand if I should keep trying to save it or move on. Here’s how to get the age of a tree without cutting into it. 

Take a tape measure and put it around the trunk about chest high. When you know the circumference, you take that number and figure out the diameter by dividing it by pi or 3.14. So, if the circumference is 22 inches, you divide by 3.14 and get a 7-inch diameter.  

Every Kind of Tree Grows at a Certain Rate 

Now you need the growth rate for the kind of tree it is. You can find this information with an easy search on the internet. Poplars have a growth rate of 3 to 5 years. Multiplying the diameter by the growth rate, I know my tree is 21 to 35 years old. 

Hybrid poplar trees like the one in my yard only live to be 30-50 years old. This information is super helpful. I could stress about it and check how much water it is getting and try to nourish the roots and still end up with a dry stump. 

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Or with this simple method I could find out how old the tree is. My tree is just entering the stage where it is beginning to decline. No wonder limbs are dying. It looks like it might be time to take it out and plant something new.