fpyontek said:
The fact that you performed the cabling work Pro Bono does not relieve you from liability.
Fred, I agree with this. But without seeing the tree, none of us can say what should be done with it. I think siccing the law on the tree owner is a little extreme, unless it threatens public property.
Dark, please stop working for free unless it's a pure charity case and you get a tax deduction. You MUST use a disclaimer on every job you do. Educate the client on the benefits of weight reduction. If you had a camera you could show him pics of the failing hardware, and save 1000 words.
TOPPING NO, REDUCTION YES
Consider crown reduction when a big tree is declining, or the root system of a large-maturing tree is confined to a small soil space. Sometimes as little as a 3 to 6 foot reduction in height can add a great amount of stability to a large tree.. Before cutting any branches to reduce the size of the canopy, visualize the new canopy outline. Reduce the size of a tree with reduction cuts, shortening those branches which extend beyond the new, smaller canopy.
Proper canopy reduction makes the tree smaller but leaves no visible branch stubs. Allow sprouts to grow from the reduction cuts, then in the dormant season a few years later, remove the less desirable sprouts. Crown reduction may be as much an art as a science, but with the help of new resources it can be learned by any motivated arborist.
Dr. Ed Gilman’s recently revised Illustrated Guide to Pruning features an in-depth look at techniques to achieve crown reduction and every other goal for pruning a tree. The illustrations help the words come to life, as the reader is shown the principles described. The book is available through ISA or the publisher
www.thomsonlearning.com. It belongs with everyone who prunes trees and their supervisors.
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/pruning/
O and ASD, please stop shouting ok?