I specced pollarding for these 2 years ago. Second cutting at these points was a little rougher than I would have liked, but I expect it will do well, and look better in the winter as the years go on. Thoughts?
Pollarding Bradfords
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mattfr12
The Bulldog
hat racks, i like them. 
The decay that follows should really help them grow and prosper.
seriously tho you really think thats a good idea for those trees i mean they are whacked. when we do reductions it is nothing like that, make 30-40% of the canopy but we always leave foliage.
from experience a tree can only take a beating like that so many times sooner or later its the death stroke, i usually inject them with phospo jet after something like that to help with the stress involved in toping a tree like that.
101 i see you creeping down at the bottom of the page what are your thoughts on these beautifly shaped and pollarded brad fords.
The decay that follows should really help them grow and prosper.seriously tho you really think thats a good idea for those trees i mean they are whacked. when we do reductions it is nothing like that, make 30-40% of the canopy but we always leave foliage.
from experience a tree can only take a beating like that so many times sooner or later its the death stroke, i usually inject them with phospo jet after something like that to help with the stress involved in toping a tree like that.
101 i see you creeping down at the bottom of the page what are your thoughts on these beautifly shaped and pollarded brad fords.
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treeclimber101
UNCLE BUCK
Well you hit them right in time for Halloween , I can see the sign now haunted hayride down the path of the skeletons hands 
:msp_w00t:
:msp_w00t:
treeclimber101
UNCLE BUCK
I think they are 10 cuts away from the flush cuthat racks, i like them.
seriously tho you really think thats a good idea for those trees i mean they are whacked. when we do reductions it is nothing like that, make 30-40% of the canopy but we always leave foliage.
from experience a tree can only take a beating like that so many times sooner or later its the death stroke, i usually inject them with phospo jet after something like that to help with the stress involved in toping a tree like that.
101 i see you creeping down at the bottom of the page what are your thoughts on these beautifly shaped and pollarded brad fords.
Slvrmple72
Addicted to ArboristSite
Second best thing I have seen to do with Brads, first being to run'em thru the chipper.....
treeclimber101
UNCLE BUCK
Second best thing I have seen to do with Brads, first being to run'em thru the chipper.....
I am full on Bradford hater myself , the only good ones are packed in my chip box
I think they are fine. Hideous now, they will get better.
I have seen oversized bradfords cut all the way back to a 5' tall stump. I was horrified! Years later, they actually look pretty decent. They are already much larger than they would have been if they were re-plants, and they are being pruned now to keep them the right size.
It's still a bit painful to contemplate doing that myself. One of my customers saw those trees, and I barely talked them out of doing the same thing to their overgrown bradfords. Come to think of it, we trimmed one of those huge bradfords just a little bit last week. It was looking great, and it never got "pollarded".
I have seen oversized bradfords cut all the way back to a 5' tall stump. I was horrified! Years later, they actually look pretty decent. They are already much larger than they would have been if they were re-plants, and they are being pruned now to keep them the right size.
It's still a bit painful to contemplate doing that myself. One of my customers saw those trees, and I barely talked them out of doing the same thing to their overgrown bradfords. Come to think of it, we trimmed one of those huge bradfords just a little bit last week. It was looking great, and it never got "pollarded".
ch woodchuck
ArboristSite Operative
Ugly for sure!Well...I see you have a central leader and the branching is tapered off lower to the sides for a crown shape.Some of those cuts are pretty funky,and all those small cuts are gonna sprout like there's no tomorrow....mucho maintenace thru the growing season,and all them sprouts will look like hell!I assume you're going to go for the classic pollard look?
We've got got several native sycamores that we pollard once a yr.Not like that though...
I would have taken the branching down below all those small cuts,and reduced the number of heads,easier to maintain,less sprouting...Hard to kill fruit trees..hardy suckers!
PS..What's the wire fencing for?Keep out the rhinos......?
We've got got several native sycamores that we pollard once a yr.Not like that though...
I would have taken the branching down below all those small cuts,and reduced the number of heads,easier to maintain,less sprouting...Hard to kill fruit trees..hardy suckers!
PS..What's the wire fencing for?Keep out the rhinos......?
treeclimber101
UNCLE BUCK
Is someone punking us :msp_tongue:
DelDan I agree, but they look fine in leaf, and in time may form good knobs for winter interest...
" all those small cuts are gonna sprout like there's no tomorrow"
this is what is desired.
"mucho maintenace thru the growing season"
Actually, zero.
"and all them sprouts will look like hell!"
They look quite good; i'll try to find a pic of them in leaf. These are bradfords, not red oaks, so stop freakin out and think outside that old box willya?
uttahere2:
" all those small cuts are gonna sprout like there's no tomorrow"
this is what is desired.
"mucho maintenace thru the growing season"
Actually, zero.
"and all them sprouts will look like hell!"
They look quite good; i'll try to find a pic of them in leaf. These are bradfords, not red oaks, so stop freakin out and think outside that old box willya?
uttahere2:
treeclimber101
UNCLE BUCK
Well if your happy were happy for ya . :msp_rolleyes:
It looks like hell now but next season they will form a nice canopy again. You cannot hurt a Bradford pear. I've never really seen decay become an issue with this type of pruning on a Bradford. I always try to inform my clients there are better trees out there and in our area they are considered a invasive species. In the end, its the clients call.
ch woodchuck
ArboristSite Operative
Sounds like a difference of opinion,As to what is meant by pollarding.''Generally'' the upper top is where the growth activity takes place..Not on the lower trunk and branching..Google pollarded tree pics.
''stop freakin out and think outside that old box willya?''..A bit touchy there bro?...You asked?If you don't like what I said..so it goes...That's my opinion...cheers
''stop freakin out and think outside that old box willya?''..A bit touchy there bro?...You asked?If you don't like what I said..so it goes...That's my opinion...cheers
"I think we all know that it is very unlikely that follow up pollarding is done and what we are looking at is a topping.
Yes in too many cases pollards lapse. Owners here have scheduled contractors to return every August (timing minimizes sprouting btw)
"I think the money would be better spent on removals"
Do the math; that does not add up.
" and replacement with better trees for the location. Even pines like in the background would be better than a row of trees that needed money spent on them every year."
Book em Danno--you gonna plant loblollies 6' from a driveway? Brilliant. We are not talking about a lot of money; all ground work, powersticksaws. Do the math. :biggrin:
And no pollards are not just like waht is on googlepics. they do have low branches too; it depends.
Yes in too many cases pollards lapse. Owners here have scheduled contractors to return every August (timing minimizes sprouting btw)
"I think the money would be better spent on removals"
Do the math; that does not add up.
" and replacement with better trees for the location. Even pines like in the background would be better than a row of trees that needed money spent on them every year."
Book em Danno--you gonna plant loblollies 6' from a driveway? Brilliant. We are not talking about a lot of money; all ground work, powersticksaws. Do the math. :biggrin:
And no pollards are not just like waht is on googlepics. they do have low branches too; it depends.
formationrx
ArboristSite Guru
...
#### man those look like ####... matt is right its better to leave the foliage... shape the outside and ball it off... sometimes i make the bottom half vase shaped... then remove some crossing in the middle and balance it out with some light pruning...
#### man those look like ####... matt is right its better to leave the foliage... shape the outside and ball it off... sometimes i make the bottom half vase shaped... then remove some crossing in the middle and balance it out with some light pruning...
2treeornot2tree
Dont cry, just do it
At least with no leaves they shouldn't split and blow over in the wind
ch woodchuck
ArboristSite Operative
''And no, pollards are not just like waht is on googlepics. they do have low branches too; it depends'........'Depends on what?
Look...I personally like pollards(We do pollard sycamores)This is not a personal attack on your integrity,just trying to understand your methodology,and what they're going to look like in the future..real simple.
Devil is in the details..I like details...others don't...
And that wire fence?Keep out the rhinos....?
.Joke..levity.Taking it a bit serious bro,lighten up.
Look...I personally like pollards(We do pollard sycamores)This is not a personal attack on your integrity,just trying to understand your methodology,and what they're going to look like in the future..real simple.
Devil is in the details..I like details...others don't...
And that wire fence?Keep out the rhinos....?
.Joke..levity.Taking it a bit serious bro,lighten up."what we are looking at is a topping"
Bite your tongue. :msp_w00t: Says who?
Not according to ANSI A300--reduction cuts made to buds to promote health and structure is proper pruning. Size of cut is key and for that species those are not big cuts.
Bite your tongue. :msp_w00t: Says who?
Not according to ANSI A300--reduction cuts made to buds to promote health and structure is proper pruning. Size of cut is key and for that species those are not big cuts.
treeclimber101
UNCLE BUCK
I think the property owner should rename the drive along of em too witches fingers alley , I mean they just look horrible and coming from the guy who said I was wrong for being a driveby tree spotter , what do you think 90 percent of the guys who aren't in the ANSI "know" would say ? Looks like edward scissorhands graduated to a chainsaw !
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