Critique this pruning job

[cjnspecial]

These are 3 southern live oaks(Quercus virginiana) that were pruned last week by a local tree company and I'd like your opinion on how good of a job they did. To me, it looks like the climber didn't go far enough out on the limbs and remove the excess/downward growth except for a few that were in reach from the roof/ground. I can snap a few more pics if needed.

 

[ATH]

They are a little dark to see real well - certainly can't see where the cuts were made. Also, which trees are which? Some are obvious...but others I am not sure if one picture is the same tree as another image or if it is a new tree.

What did the client ask for? If the request was to get it away from the roof, then, yes I agree they should have cut more off (esp. pics 1/2). Pic 3 (is that tree also #4?) the tree is a little on the big side for 'training', but I'd still be trying to get a better dominate leader defined on that one and get rid of some of that mess in the middle. But maybe it was worse, and they already did some of that. Maybe that is now what the client was able to pay for??? Otherwise I don't see that they did anything that is going to harm the trees, so perhaps this is all the client wanted???

I am hesitant to judge a job like this without having seen the tree ahead of time or without knowing what was agreed upon. For example, I visited a new client this past week that had some storm damage a couple of years ago on 11 larger silver maple. The trees could use some other work in addition to the storm clean-up. I gave them a proposal for a fairly comprehensive pruning. That was too much for them, but they recognize they need to get the hangers out of the trees before they start coming down on their own. Once I am done with that, most (including myself) would look at the trees and think "there is still work to be done on those trees"...but that would put the job 30% over budget...so we will do what they are willing to pay for now. The trees will be better off, the yard will be safer, but not all will be as good as it could be.

Topping or lion's tailing are a different story. Even if a client asks for that, it is a bad practice for the health and long-term structure of the tree.

 

[treeseer]

Cannot say without knowing the job's objective, and the state of the forks.

 

[jomoco]

The tree in question looks great to me, as well as consistent with that species downward growth characteristics.

But his neighbor's topped tree in the background?

Yikes!

jomoco

 

[cjnspecial]

The tree service was hired to prune the trees and asked that they be shaped up and get rid of any excess/unneeded growth, that's all. If you look at pictures 2 and 4, you can see tons of excess growth. I'm no arborist or tree expert but it looks like they did prune the excess growth out to a point(15 feet maybe on the larger tree) and didn't prune past that. To be honest, the trees look half done to me but wasn't sure what the experts had to say. I appreciate all the opinions

 

[Chris Francis]

I don't think I understand excess growth. New growth? Secondary branches? Don't lionstail or lift them. That just increases the length of the lever arm and removes foliage that dampen loading. Some directional pruning away from the structure(s) would be beneficial. Structural pruning is key in young live oaks; you don't have to get down to one leader, but eliminate the tight angles of attachment and prevent bark inclusions.

 

[Tammy Moody]

The tree service was hired to prune the trees and asked that they be shaped up and get rid of any excess

 

[Chris Francis]

Again, excess/unneeded growth... So vague. I would argue that trees need as much foliage as possible to make photosynthate.

 

[ATH]

Again, excess/unneeded growth... So vague. I would argue that trees need as much foliage as possible to make photosynthate.

This. If you could ask the tree, it would tell you there is no excess/uneeded growth...it put it all there for a reason.

 

[treeseer]

" they be shaped up and get rid of any excess/unneeded growth, that's all."

that's not enough to define a job. How can a client prove this was not done, or a contractor prove it was?

If the climber gutted the inside and left the outside alone, that is called liontailing, and it's bad.
You might say they left too much; I wonder if they cut too much.
Those are some bushy looking oaks--overfertilised?

 

[Chris Francis]

With all that bushy growth along the stems, my guess is the tree is responding to the last dose of lions-tailing.