# Sweet chestnut tree Pollard



## Reg (Sep 29, 2008)

This job had been on the cards for a year but had been postponed several times. An old sweet chestnut, had the main leader blown out at about 50 feet a year ago leaving the next tallest stems totally exposed with a 30 degree lean while supporting a substantial mass of foliage in its upper 3rd. 

The collapsed leader (which has since thrown out new growth everywhere), upon inspection was riddled with heart rot and was the most recent of several parts of this tree to collapse in so many years. The base of the tree suggests that it was perhaps coppiced as a youngster. 

Anyway, the risk of the new leader meeting the same fate as the old now seemed quite high, so it was decided to severely shorten it so to establish a more compact crown. Bracing might have been an option but with every chance that the timber was as degraded as the other’s which was later confirmed throughout the cutting operation….and now with only a low guying point available, it just didn’t seem logical.

I would now expect the tree to throw out masses of shoots, of which will be periodically thinned every 5 years or so until a more naturally spaced crown is re-established. Yes we can expect the stems to hollow out from here onwards, but for a tree of that age with now minimal lever-arm, this is not a great concern.

I get a job like this one perhaps once every 3 years. Normally, pruning strategies of whatever kind are limited up-to 30% of the foliage mass….however, sometimes it’s just not that black and white.

I’m not looking for a debate on pollarding, topping or whatever you want to call it. I was just there to do the climbing and carry out the work safely. 

The old guy who owns this estate is now 85, has over a thousand acres of woodlands, gardens and plantations which now has a diverse mix of trees, young, old, healthy, declining, dead, diseased….just a beautifully balanced environment all round. 

Re: The actual tree work – Great weather, thankfully. It was a wobbly one due to the decay so I kept the loads to a minimum and what was manageable for the guys to pull clear of the shrubs underneath. A couple of oversights (swearing....sorry) with the editing but I was rushing towards the end and couldn’t bare to watch it through a final time. About 25 minutes to watch all 3. Thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph4RGlZ9riY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3pkfnuTdN4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmIh1JNYQoA


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