by Professor Gene Wengert
Q.
Would new growth Cypress be acceptable for outdoor use in making decks or furniture? If no, why? If yes, under what conditions?
A.
New growth (or more commonly, second growth) cypress does not have the natural decay resistance characteristics of old growth. So, second growth would not be the best choice for outdoor exposure. (There are several other species--western red cedar and Alaska yellow cedar--and treated southern pine that would be much better.) Why the difference between old and second growth? Nobody knows why the trees are different--or the trigger to make the second growth tree different--but there is no doubt that they are different.
Professor Gene Wengert is Extension Specialist in Wood Processing at the Department of Forestry, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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