Pollard question

[darkstar]

Pollard head

The best actual pollard head trees i saw were in the basque region of spain . I saw 4 foot dbh sycamores that were only 25 feet tall with perhaps 3 heads. Once i actually saw a crew performing the work . They were using a tri-pod ladder and a back hoe and one tiny rope [string] . Oh well they got the job done .Recently in charlelston S.C. i saw some trees that were almost pollard headed.
Its for sure those tiny strees in spain and most of europe do not allow for any canopy but the pollarded trees perform the function of giving tons of shade anyway.
Most excellant topic. Dark

 

[Nickrosis]

They were using a tri-pod ladder and a back hoe and one tiny rope [string] .

Trying to imagine that...

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Rolla I've heard the opposite; there are pollards on your island that are several hundred years old. Check the Ancient Tree Forum.

One could argue that they are the ones to survive the treatment.

IMO it is only those that have the ability to treat the tree on a cycical basis, too often the maintinance falls off.

I'd like to see pollarding done more in the states. With buckets the mtc cost would not be all that high.

So would I. Though I would disagree with some of the tight guidlines espouced on this thread.

Though I few years ago I read a thread on the ISA board where on a CA Uni campus (Berkly?)some of the pollarded gingko were having limb failure. My assumption as I learned more was that due to the cyclical treatment the assimilates went only to production of sprout material, not any buildup of mass at the fulcrum of the moment of bend. (I understand what I'm trying to say, but am not sure if I use the right terms).

So in the long term, if we pollard a tree with long lever arms and treat it in an annual cycle, we will have large heads that the branches cannot support. So maybe 2 year cycles or annual thinning cycles as suggested by KimCoder a few years ago may be needed for maintaining long limbed specimines over several generations.

 

[Nickrosis]

Though I would disagree with some of the tight guidlines espouced on this thread.

So maybe 2 year cycles or annual thinning cycles as suggested by KimCoder a few years ago may be needed for maintaining long limbed specimines over several generations.

That sounds like a tight guideline! What do you mean? And you do make sense about the head-branch size concern. At the same time, though, the limbs are far lighter than if they had years and years of growth of them...there's just no comparison. Maybe we could find the study before WAA.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

At the same time, though, the limbs are far lighter than if they had years and years of growth of them...there's just no comparison.

I don't think it is so much the weigh comparisons as that the limb on a regularly pollarded tree just cannot develop the reaction wood that a tree that would develop normally.

The trees in mentioned are some 60-70 years old if I remember right.

As for what I mean, I've seen pollards that were not on an annual cycle, but that were trimmed every 3-4 years.

What Coder has suggested, or spoken of anothers suggestion is that the head be thinned annually instead of stripped, so that there is allways 2-3 years of growth on the head. I've not seen or heard of anyone actually trying this too.


on another note, I've seen small side tables with toppes made of ancient pollard veneers, 1/8 inch applications. Very beautiful wood, and very expensive.

 

[Nickrosis]

What Coder has suggested, or spoken of anothers suggestion is that the head be thinned annually instead of stripped, so that there is allways 2-3 years of growth on the head. I've not seen or heard of anyone actually trying this too.

That would be interesting. Me neither.

Let me know if you find the study, it'd be interesting.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

That would be interesting. Me neither.

Let me know if you find the study, it'd be interesting.

I did some searches and all I could find were foot notes and ref. to Coder.

One that came up frequently was JoA Aug96.

 

[Mr_Brushcutter]

Pollarding is quite a common managment technique round here. Our stree trees are mostly London Plane and Sycamore so they get done every 3 years. I think the the pollard cycles are normally 3,5 or 7 years. Traditionally pollards were like copice but above the hight of grazing animals. Normally used for generating fire wood or building materials. I've found that a getting people to understand that it can take upto 5 years to restore an ancient pollard to its glory there quite suprised.

Theres quite a good book produced by some UK government department called "veteren and Ancient tree management" very good picked up some good tips from that. The AA also do a leaflet on it as well.

I've recently read a paper in the journal of environmental managment looking at hedgerow management i was quite supprised that Hazel responded quite well to pollarding in some cases better than copice.

Oh another intersting form of tree managment that you see in Europe not so much in the UK is Shreds where you limb the tree just leaving the spur with a few leaders at the top. Have you seen any Shreds your way Rolla?