crown reduction?

[jd 1]

I find crown reduction hard to do for a few reasons:

1. making an appropriate cut with pole pruner.
2. making the mistake of taking too much out when I don't use the pruner.
3. making the tree look bad.
4. it is a total pain without a bucket truck.

I think it would be interesting to see some before and after pictures of what others have done-good and bad. Also to hear how others go about climbing and reducing would be great.

 

[SteveBullman]

solutions to your questions in order asked...

1. dont use a pole pruner
2. you're taking too much out because it probably seems too much of an effort to climb out that little bit further
3. get a good groundsman who has an eye for shape. if necessary get him to OK every piece before you cut it. you'll getan eye for shape eventually...maybe
4. Its not a pain, it just seems a little bit too much effort(see point 2) stick with it.

hope this helps!

 

[treeseer]

Gotta tie in high, gotta use redirects to get into position to make good cuts.

Practice with pole tool makes perfect.

Buckets do make it easier, but good climbing makes everything possible.

" Proper reduction pruning reduces size while more-or-less maintaining a tree's form and minimizes regrowth. Sometimes the entire canopy of a tree must be reduced in height or spread... Portions of the canopy, such as individual limbs, can be reduced in order to balance the canopy or to reduce likelihood of breakage on limbs with defects such as cracks and included bark or those that have grown to become too long.

Reduction is best accomplished by cutting limbs back to their point of origin or back to a lateral branch capable of sustaining the remaining limb and assuming apical dominance of the limb. When a branch is cut back to a lateral, no more than one-fourth of its foliage should be removed. " from:

http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/pruning/

 

[PRUNER 1]

we used to do a hell of a lot of full crown reductions, on a daily basis at glendale northeast. you soon get an eye for it when you are doing them all the time. dont forget to have a good loook at the tree from all angles before climbing and try to memorise the shape before you start. then try and make sure you prune out the same length material as much as possible. try to imagine looking at the tree from the ground as your doin it and picture what it looks like. if your doin it for shape just think you take a foot off the top, you take a foot off the sides!

 

[treeseer]

we used to do a hell of a lot of full crown reductions, on a daily basis at glendale northeast.

Why were they reducing so many of their trees?

 

[jd 1]

I am already quite familiar with all the "rules of thumb" regarding reduction pruning. There are lots of diagrams out there, but very few photos that demonstrate what people view as proper reduction pruning.
I really would like to see some photos if anyone has any of their work or link to a good website with pictures on it.
Thanks again

 

[treeseer]

I really would like to see some photos if anyone has any of their work or link to a good website with pictures on it.
Thanks again

Gilman's site has many photos of before during and after reduction pruning. They show very clearly what it's all about; look at Structural, Reduction, and esp the powerpoints. Also his book on pruning: a must-have imo, walks the reader through and has good diagrams. I've started a few threads here with pictures, but they're not as good.

A common misconception is that reduction pruning = crown reduction. It's one cut at a time, no cut without a good reason. I can't think of the last time I reduced a whole tree. Only the limbs that have defects or are growing heavy-ended and exposed to wind need to be shortened.

Here, open-grown silver maples and pecans are the only sp that I regularly give overall, light reductions to. I get nervous when I read, "a hell of a lot of full crown reductions, on a daily basis at glendale northeast." Sounds like right plant/wrong place, or a missed opportunity to try a growth regulator.

 

[NickfromWI]

we used to do a hell of a lot of full crown reductions, on a daily basis at glendale northeast. you soon get an eye for it when you are doing them all the time. dont forget to have a good loook at the tree from all angles before climbing and try to memorise the shape before you start. then try and make sure you prune out the same length material as much as possible. try to imagine looking at the tree from the ground as your doin it and picture what it looks like. if your doin it for shape just think you take a foot off the top, you take a foot off the sides!

Guy- this is the type of pruning you do when you're pruning for lollipop shape to make the customer happy. I see it ALLLLLLLLLL the time here in LA. It's good for the company owners because they require retrimming every 1 or 2 years.



love
nick

 

[PRUNER 1]

treeseer, the area was of high clay content, problems with subsidence, so they reduced them on a rotation of about 3-5years instead of felling.
nickfromwi, does that answer your rather ignorant reply? i pride myself on my ability and standards, i do not appreciate a knocking for my great efforts. why not ask why the trees were pruned in the first place before engaging the talk button?:censored: