Arboristing

[slowp]

I bought some nice loppers to tackle the old growth Himalayan Blackberries. Blackberries aren't much fun to lop. They always draw blood no matter how careful you are. But, there was the deer willow. I cut a Weeping Willow down a few years ago and it sprouted. The deer and I had an agreement, they'd munch on the willow and leave other stuff alone.
Well, I think the willow became less tender and munching on other things began. So, the loppers were willing me to lop. I took about 95% of the crown off.

Here's how I pruned it. I are arborist now. :smile2:

View attachment 215290

 

[rwoods]

Better one than I am. Ron

 

[Gologit]

You mean you didn't take six chainsaws, three axes, two splitting mauls and several blue wedges to do that job? Good thing you didn't post this in the Firewood section. That's what those guys would have done. :msp_biggrin:

 

[madhatte]

Oh noes! Now it will coppice! Whatever shall we do?

 

[slowp]

Oh noes! Now it will coppice! Whatever shall we do?

Perhaps we shall let another twig grow up and shape (also coppice?) it into something interesting. But what shall it be? A twisted tree?

Bring me a shrubbery!

 

[Hank Chinaski]

but where's your chicken wire and cement?

 

[Steve NW WI]

You mean you didn't take six chainsaws, three axes, two splitting mauls and several blue wedges to do that job? Good thing you didn't post this in the Firewood section. That's what those guys would have done. :msp_biggrin:

Hey now, I only take 2 saws, a farm tractor, a couple hundred feet of rope, strap, and chain, a hydraulic splitter, and multiple colors of wedges (but no blue). Is that why my firewood noodles taste funny?



Seriously, a box elder stump in the yard gets the same treatment as Slowp's willow every couple years. Otherwise it gets tall enough to interfere with the satellite reception. Someday, a stump grinder rental is in order.

 

[Gologit]

Hey now, I only take 2 saws, a farm tractor, a couple hundred feet of rope, strap, and chain, a hydraulic splitter, and multiple colors of wedges (but no blue). Is that why my firewood noodles taste funny?

Only 2 saws? From some of the pictures I've seen in the Firewood threads you need at least seven or eight...plus all that other stuff you mentioned. Don't forget to bring enough tools to completely rebuild everything. And full-on PPE including wrist chaps and one of those Roger Ramjet forestry helmets. And a film crew to document the whole thing.

And your lunch. Don't forget your lunch. :msp_biggrin:

 

[Driver625]

Wrist chaps? Crap, that's what I forgot. Wonder if I can get some overnighted.

 

[madhatte]

"Wrist Chaps"? Mneh. Them's Gauntlets.

 

[slowp]

"Wrist Chaps"? Mneh. Them's Gauntlets.

Well, there you go! You can throw down the gauntlet and get into more trouble. Now go and bring me a shrubbery.

 

[bitzer]

Hey now, I only take 2 saws, a farm tractor, a couple hundred feet of rope, strap, and chain, a hydraulic splitter, and multiple colors of wedges (but no blue). Is that why my firewood noodles taste funny?



Seriously, a box elder stump in the yard gets the same treatment as Slowp's willow every couple years. Otherwise it gets tall enough to interfere with the satellite reception. Someday, a stump grinder rental is in order.

There is some poison that I used to kill whole fence lines of boxelders with. I can't recall the name because it was always refered to as "blue ####." I got it from a local implement. I will have to see if I have some laying around. Works like a charm. If you don't pull em or kill them about a hundred more come back in its place.

 

[Humptulips]

Well, there you go! You can throw down the gauntlet and get into more trouble. Now go and bring me a shrubbery.

O Knights of Nee, you are just and fair, and we will return
with a shrubbery.

 

[Steve NW WI]

There is some poison that I used to kill whole fence lines of boxelders with. I can't recall the name because it was always refered to as "blue ####." I got it from a local implement. I will have to see if I have some laying around. Works like a charm. If you don't pull em or kill them about a hundred more come back in its place.

Plain old Tordon works well, but it isn't blue. Maybe it was dyed to mark the treated stumps? I just have been planning on grinding this one, and me and a neighbor are gonna split the cost of a grinder for a weekend, but we can never seem to come up with the same weekend. I'll probably just rent one myself this spring and be done with it. I'm getting tired of mowing around a dozen stumps of varying sizes in the yard.

Bob, if I'd remembered lunch, I wouldn't have been eating the oak noodles!

 

[bitzer]

Plain old Tordon works well, but it isn't blue. Maybe it was dyed to mark the treated stumps? I just have been planning on grinding this one, and me and a neighbor are gonna split the cost of a grinder for a weekend, but we can never seem to come up with the same weekend. I'll probably just rent one myself this spring and be done with it. I'm getting tired of mowing around a dozen stumps of varying sizes in the yard.

Bob, if I'd remembered lunch, I wouldn't have been eating the oak noodles!

Thats it, Tordon RTU. The stuff I bought was always blue though. I accidently spilled a bunch on my hands one day. I felt very wierd for several hours afterward. If I had been a little younger and a little dumber I may have enjoyed it more.

 

[slowp]

If I'm going to have a stump farm, I want it to be an organic stump farm. It is tempting to nuke the blackberries with something potent though. But maybe I'll just control them and eat them.

 

[Gologit]

If I'm going to have a stump farm, I want it to be an organic stump farm. It is tempting to nuke the blackberries with something potent though. But maybe I'll just control them and eat them.

That's probably for the best. I don't know of anything that will completely wipe out blackberries except a good fire.. Sometimes all you can do is just slow them down a little.

 

[floyd]

Horses or goats. Had to build 200' of fence 1x after my horse cleaned out the blackberries. 200'x200'. took him about a month. They did not come back as long as he was in the pasture.

 

[slowp]

Horses or goats. Had to build 200' of fence 1x after my horse cleaned out the blackberries. 200'x200'. took him about a month. They did not come back as long as he was in the pasture.

Whoda thunk horses. On our place in E. Warshington, my dad would fence the horses in along the creek to clean out the willows and riparian vegetation so the water would go through faster when it flooded. Yup, not kosher to think that way today. The horses did the job.

 

[Gologit]

Horses or goats. Had to build 200' of fence 1x after my horse cleaned out the blackberries. 200'x200'. took him about a month. They did not come back as long as he was in the pasture.

GOATS! It would also give the Used Dog somebody to play with. Great idea, Floyd.