growing conditions for good bow wood?

[willie]

Thanks for all the observations. It seems that density is a better indicator of strength than ring count, and there is always that preference for minimal branches.

I live in kind of a desert also, the far north where all the hardwoods are diffuse porous.

In diffuse-porous hardwoods, the situation is rather unclear.....So how to pimp density through growth conditions, I don't know...

my question exactly.....

Eric,

I also prefer species growing at the northern extent of their ranges as this seems to make for very thin early growth rings, and better growth ring structure overall.

Do the better bows come from trees that have smaller canopies, that as Joachim suggested, might not have the unwanted thicker early growth rings?  Do you think that elevation can substitute for latitude when looking for trees at the extent of their range?

Crooketarrow,
 you have compared the conditions that I want to look at more closely, but I cannot tell which you prefer for your bows? Do you like the wider ringed stuff?

Blackhawk
what is your preference for diffuse porous woods?

[wapiti1997]

Trees that have larger canopies will have thicker growth rings, for example an osage in a forest that has it's crown open enough to spread will have great growth rings.  If it is shaded and under more dominant trees it will have very tight growth rings.  A trees leaves are like solar panels, if they don't have many leaves they simply can't grow fast and make wood.

As someone mentioned, a tree out in the open will have many limbs and knots, a forest grown tree will be straight and tall, but to have good growth rates and thick rings it must be competing for sunlight.