Anyone ever tried pollarding?

[Tree Dr.]

Grafting top working

Trees which naturaly mature to a smaller stature can "safely" be hacked back to almost nothing and actually benefit. Anyone ever seen an orchard of outdated standard size apples chopped and topworked to a bettter variety?
Sometimes its ok to break the "rules" when you know the consequences.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Those roots are gowing to be so invigorated! Hardscape damage.
Jeff

 

[Greenstar]

Just as a few have said, this is not pollarding. Pollarding has to start much earlier in the trees life when branches are smaller in diameter so the tree can effectively compartmentalize over the cut. Also, the trees are cut back to nodes or other branch unions. Then every year the branches are cut cack to the previous year's swollen branch collar.
It is an artform in and of itself if diligently maintained properly.

Yes, these are hacked, however, I did see this exact thing done to Bradford pears about this same size two years ago here in Boston in front of a high profile Volvo dealership on North Beacon St. in Brighton, and the trees very surprisingly have come back! A whole long line of them too!!
I as well would be curious to see how they look this year, but last year they were so full of foliage from water-sprouting the first year you couldn't even see the way they were hacked at all. They looked fine, but like very compact trees.
I would never do this myself, although in hindsight I do remember them looking pretty good.

I think it would be interesting for us to start posting more pictures of properly pollarded trees now in this thread. I know of a few locations where there are some and they look very good every year. They always seem to be done to crabapples around here. haha

 

[jefflovstrom]

They came back great. Great. How? Like I said, Watch the hardscape. Roots have a say in this!
Jeff

 

[pdqdl]

J...this exact thing done to Bradford pears about this same size two years ago here in Boston in front of a high profile Volvo dealership on North Beacon St. in Brighton, and the trees very surprisingly have come back! A whole long line of them too!!
...

Yep. that is how the ones in KC turned out too. Our stumps were probably 15"-18" diameter. The trees were easily 25' tall and overwhelming the space they were in. They had previously been hacked where they blocked the street, the sidewalk, or rubbed on the building, so they were not exactly lovely trees to begin with.

 

[tomtrees58]

NICE TOM TREES

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

so they were not exactly lovely trees to begin with.

These are always nice to experiment with; though, as said above, I would not call it a pollard unless there was a specific cycle for cutting back to the same spot.

They always seem to be done to crabapples around here.

These are usually "roundover" trims, not pollards. A good annual roundover is more like Japanese Cloud Pruning that either topping or a pollard.

 

[outofmytree]

Read my signature.....

 

[Scottscape]

If you read shigos pruning book, he seems to recognize pollarding as a fair tree practice but then in pithy points he calls it tree mutilation? He knows a hell of alot more than me but to me it looks pretty much like topping.

Shigo brings out great facts but I think some of the things he writes he contradicts himself.

Pithy points is a fun book though you can get some good laughs

 

[outofmytree]

Shigos point regarding pollarding was obvious to me. Whenever some clown with a chainsaw rapes 1/2 the growth of a tree they call it pollarding in an attempt to claim some kind of legitimacy. I am on side with JPS and Bermie etc... what is shown here, cannot be dignified by calling it pruning of any sort. It is simple tree butchery. Topping of the worst kind.

This is a common practise where people crusade to save a tree where the correct decision, in my opinion, would be to remove it entirely and plant a more appropriate specimen. I rather suspect this is indeed political pruning designed to fail............

:rant:

 

[treevet]

If you read shigos pruning book, he seems to recognize pollarding as a fair tree practice but then in pithy points he calls it tree mutilation? He knows a hell of alot more than me but to me it looks pretty much like topping.

Shigo brings out great facts but I think some of the things he writes he contradicts himself.

Pithy points is a fun book though you can get some good laughs

Please give examples where he contradicts himself in any book I have them all (and videos and cd's) and much more of his writings than can be bought or downloaded. I have spent countless hours in his presence. He certainly was capable of being wrong but, when he felt he was, it was not a contradiction but rather a correction in a statement based on his research.

What you are referring to in Pithy Points is likely "improper" pollarding as tree mutilation. He had respect for proper pollarding started early and consistent treatments without damaging the pollard head.

 

[Rftreeman]

What? Ya'll don't like my crown reduction on them bradfords?

 

[Scottscape]

Please give examples where he contradicts himself in any book I have them all (and videos and cd's) and much more of his writings than can be bought or downloaded. I have spent countless hours in his presence. He certainly was capable of being wrong but, when he felt he was, it was not a contradiction but rather a correction in a statement based on his research.

What you are referring to in Pithy Points is likely "improper" pollarding as tree mutilation. He had respect for proper pollarding started early and consistent treatments without damaging the pollard head.

Im referring to shigos statement as it is in "outofmytree" user signature. "Tree mutilation is often called pollarding" Dr Alex Shigo

How can you have respect for pollarding in general and then make a statement as that? Maybe I am misunderstanding him but thats just the way I read it.

 

[treemandan]

I scene it discussed never saw it in practice until now. To me that looks a little extreme and ugly. At that point why not remove and replant a new tree.

The wonders of a properly pollarded tree are astounding. Its good work. It also controls the size of the tree in a manner condusive with the tree can live with. Not many care to abide with the expense of yearly choppings nor understand it nor have a good specimen to start with.

 

[treevet]

Im referring to shigos statement as it is in "outofmytree" user signature. "Tree mutilation is often called pollarding" Dr Alex Shigo

How can you have respect for pollarding in general and then make a statement as that? Maybe I am misunderstanding him but thats just the way I read it.

Indiscriminate internodal injurious cut backs on trees also known as topping as a treatment to trees by misinformed and uncaring tree cutters often call their deeds pollarding (Shigo doesn't call their work that, they do).

You can find a whole thread of them that take pride in this on a forum called "Treehouse".

 

[pdqdl]

I have never seen a properly pollarded tree in the midwest. I don't remember seeing one anywhere else, either, for that matter.

The customers around here don't ever want to spend the money for butchering a tree every year. They prefer to do it once every five to ten years, (or as needed ) and they are proud to call it topping.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The wonders of a properly pollarded tree are astounding. Its good work. It also controls the size of the tree in a manner condusive with the tree can live with. Not many care to abide with the expense of yearly choppings nor understand it nor have a good specimen to start with.

I think this is the reason why we do not ahve very many pictures to show. I kept a mulberry at my parents church for several years, but they kvetched about how fast it grew every spring, and I moved too far a way.....

I have a few starters in my yard, maybe i can post sequences with them here.

 

[treemandan]

I have never seen a properly pollarded tree in the midwest. I don't remember seeing one anywhere else, either, for that matter.

The customers around here don't ever want to spend the money for butchering a tree every year. They prefer to do it once every five to ten years, (or as needed ) and they are proud to call it topping.

Dam skippy

 

[jefflovstrom]

Could we be talking about a "class 4" prune. Sounds like this is bouncing back and forth. What do you guys say?
Jeff

 

[Scottscape]

Indiscriminate internodal injurious cut backs on trees also known as topping as a treatment to trees by misinformed and uncaring tree cutters often call their deeds pollarding (Shigo doesn't call their work that, they do).

You can find a whole thread of them that take pride in this on a forum called "Treehouse".

Was looking for the thread, can't seem to find anything but users wanting advice to build a treehouse. Whats the link? Thanks -Scott