Palm Trees
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treeclimber165
Member A.K.A Skwerl
1. Bucket truck!
2. extension ladder, utilizing belt and lanyard.
3. Certain types of palms end up getting climbed with gaffs when no other method is available. I typically only gaff cabbage palms or washingtonians, and only after using my ladder for the first 30'.
2. extension ladder, utilizing belt and lanyard.
3. Certain types of palms end up getting climbed with gaffs when no other method is available. I typically only gaff cabbage palms or washingtonians, and only after using my ladder for the first 30'.
sonny
ArboristSite Guru
ditto that
Tim Walsh
ArboristSite Member
There are a variety of ways to climb them without using spikes. Not all the systems are as effiecient, but a lot nicer to the trees.
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
I rread somewhere of a guy who runs a bowine up and does an SRT footlock up. Uses web slings for foot rest. Ataches a trowline to the bowline, rappels down and pulls the bowline out with the throwline.
sonny
ArboristSite Guru
I will most likely get plenty of sh*% from this , but cant hurt palms w/ gaffs. They grow from the top. You can kill one with a pocket knife,But not gaffs.
monkeypuzzle
ArboristSite Guru
There are not many tall Palms here in N.F. so a ladder works fine.How sturdy are the taller ones?With not much of a root system and being top heavy I wouldn't feel very comfie climbing one,a tall one that is.
Tim Walsh
ArboristSite Member
Not true Sonny. Check this link out for some general information:
http://www.natlarb.com/downloads/PR_Correct Palm Pruning.pdf
TMW
Toddppm
Addicted to ArboristSite
Anyone ever used foot straps to climb palms? Kind of like webbing with a loop for each foot. I can't remember exactly what they looked like. Those bicycle climbers look like they would work pretty slick for palms, though they cost somewhere around $2500?
One of my Salvadorean guys used a section of rope about 20 ft. long one day made 2 sets of loops , you wrap the first section and step up , then throw the next set up as high as you can wrapping it around the trunk and step up into the next , a little tug on the rope loosens the first ones and just keep going like that. Kind of hard to explain I didn't have time to check it out too good when he was doing it, when he comes back in the spring I'll have to get him to show me again it was pretty cool, slow for work though. No I didn't let him work w/ that setup!
One of my Salvadorean guys used a section of rope about 20 ft. long one day made 2 sets of loops , you wrap the first section and step up , then throw the next set up as high as you can wrapping it around the trunk and step up into the next , a little tug on the rope loosens the first ones and just keep going like that. Kind of hard to explain I didn't have time to check it out too good when he was doing it, when he comes back in the spring I'll have to get him to show me again it was pretty cool, slow for work though. No I didn't let him work w/ that setup!
sonny
ArboristSite Guru
Tim, I respect their oppinion, As well as every ones also. But I have never seen a palm desased below the heart.Ive seen many holes & destruction but not desease. I am in agreement w/them on killing them with a knife. As they say shaving. We have always called it skinning.Anyway i have found out that So.Cal. trees just grow diffrent than anywhere else in the world.As we speak or as I miss spell & type, Alot of trees around hear are blooming with flowers.
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We 'Tri-age' Palms.
Sum, wee can ladder right up.
Sum, wee may use gaffs from the ladder up a few feet.
Sum, wee get a small bucket.
Sum, wee pass on!
Some wee use slings to stair up.
Some times wee use this 'etriers' (?); from mountain climbing books; only a lil'diffrent (of course!). Use stiff line (so the loops stay open!) and make a run of lineman's knots for stairs. Stand at top of ladder with lanyard on, usually spikes just in case. Choke a sling in as high as you can; hang the 'etriers'; walk-up to top of 'etriers'; lanyard still on. Pick up tail of 'etriers; hang it as high as possible; undo first choker, walk-up............ Works for a couple of rounds!
Rob Dawg taught me to put in something like a friction saver around palm stalk; that the rings don't quite reach around fully; lace line through this retrievable anchor to descend!
I can see where sum 'dead' could protect the head, and not to scar the stalk; but to my ex-peer-ience; dead loose tissue on the stalk base seems to harbour dampness, insects and fungus; just like any other dead material against a tree! Even more so in the more tropical regions that palms in-habitate. These can even get into homes etc. especially in shadier, damper places. Worst down'ere is these dang 'palmetto bugs'(kinda like a 1/2 ounce cockroach!); indeed sometimes you would think that they are the state bird! Very nasty; and love loose material on palms to frolic in!
Sum, wee can ladder right up.
Sum, wee may use gaffs from the ladder up a few feet.
Sum, wee get a small bucket.
Sum, wee pass on!
Some wee use slings to stair up.
Some times wee use this 'etriers' (?); from mountain climbing books; only a lil'diffrent (of course!). Use stiff line (so the loops stay open!) and make a run of lineman's knots for stairs. Stand at top of ladder with lanyard on, usually spikes just in case. Choke a sling in as high as you can; hang the 'etriers'; walk-up to top of 'etriers'; lanyard still on. Pick up tail of 'etriers; hang it as high as possible; undo first choker, walk-up............ Works for a couple of rounds!
Rob Dawg taught me to put in something like a friction saver around palm stalk; that the rings don't quite reach around fully; lace line through this retrievable anchor to descend!
I can see where sum 'dead' could protect the head, and not to scar the stalk; but to my ex-peer-ience; dead loose tissue on the stalk base seems to harbour dampness, insects and fungus; just like any other dead material against a tree! Even more so in the more tropical regions that palms in-habitate. These can even get into homes etc. especially in shadier, damper places. Worst down'ere is these dang 'palmetto bugs'(kinda like a 1/2 ounce cockroach!); indeed sometimes you would think that they are the state bird! Very nasty; and love loose material on palms to frolic in!
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X-man
ArboristSite Lurker
Guys,
I have had good luck on certain palms other than the washingtonians, setting a static line with pulley from the ground. The key here, is to get your throwline dead center in the crown and back down to the ground. Then attach a line rigged with a pulley and seperate climbline. Send the pulley up by pulling the static line. You can have your groundie tend your hitch as you pull yourself up the palm. I anchor the static line at the base with a endless loop and a Gri-Gri. I have done hundreds of palms like this, you can even set up two pulleys on the static line and make ascending even easier. This is just like running a floating false crotch in a tree. We only spike 'em if there is no other way.
Hope this helps,
X-man
I have had good luck on certain palms other than the washingtonians, setting a static line with pulley from the ground. The key here, is to get your throwline dead center in the crown and back down to the ground. Then attach a line rigged with a pulley and seperate climbline. Send the pulley up by pulling the static line. You can have your groundie tend your hitch as you pull yourself up the palm. I anchor the static line at the base with a endless loop and a Gri-Gri. I have done hundreds of palms like this, you can even set up two pulleys on the static line and make ascending even easier. This is just like running a floating false crotch in a tree. We only spike 'em if there is no other way.
Hope this helps,
X-man
sonny
ArboristSite Guru
welcome to this site X-Man
Rob Murphy
ArboristSite Operative
The only one's I've done here in Tassie (off any real size) are Phoenix cannarriensis and they have nasty spines, are full off grit, dirt and the odd rats nest. Thats why i use a buckety truck with an hydraulic extended saw, about the only time I would use one!!!
The fronds don't chip to well either..
The fronds don't chip to well either..
KevinM
ArboristSite Lurker
I totally agree with you Sonny and disagree with Tim Walsh as I have never seen a palm tree killed by using spikes. I have seen them killed by pruning too many fronds out of the cabbage though. The palms here have different shapes and different size of there trunks and thats because of the drought. Another thing Tim how do you know about palm trees up in New Hampshire ? lol
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
Patr of teh problem is that compartmentalization takes energy away from the plants other needs.
Practices that cause indescriminate wounding is just lazy. There are many other ways to go about the work.
Like I said, I never worked a plam, but that dont mean I never looked into it before.
You are mistaking limited anicdotal evidance with research based on scientific method. What makes your statement different then McBubbas about spiking ash and oak? Or the guy out west who clames that it actualy "envigorates the tree, look at all the new sprout growth."
Practices that cause indescriminate wounding is just lazy. There are many other ways to go about the work.
Like I said, I never worked a plam, but that dont mean I never looked into it before.
You are mistaking limited anicdotal evidance with research based on scientific method. What makes your statement different then McBubbas about spiking ash and oak? Or the guy out west who clames that it actualy "envigorates the tree, look at all the new sprout growth."
KevinM
ArboristSite Lurker
John I always love reading and most of the time agree with your posts but this time I have to disagree with you big time !!! lol Palm trees are part of the grass family and they grow just like a blade of grass does and you cannot hurt these plants by spiking them as it does not hurt them. The insides of a palm trunk look and feel and chip just like a piece of grass. They are a PIA to chip with a chipper and they are the only tree I have every seen stop up a Diamond Z tub grinder.
A lil'off to the side here..................... (who would suspect that from me?)................... my thing to chase for buisness in a slow winter is mistletoe.
Down here it is real easy to see in winter, and you can catch it before it berries out and is in contageious state. Sometimes, it is only green part of tree! Mostly though the trees are just thinner, and the boughs stick out pretty well.
Down here it is real easy to see in winter, and you can catch it before it berries out and is in contageious state. Sometimes, it is only green part of tree! Mostly though the trees are just thinner, and the boughs stick out pretty well.
