topping

[Ekka]

I think it was in a Shigo book.

Here's bit of a good read

http://warnell.forestry.uga.edu/service/library/index.php3?docID=151&docHistory[]=2

And yes, until that shoot has leaves and is photosynthesizing it is just tax on the system.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Cheers JP.

Removing shoots annually would speed compartmentalization of cuts though wouldn't it?

Gilman at U. FLA has done work that proves the assumption that the closer to dynamic mass a wound is, the better it will compatmentalize.

As for the plants ROI, so to speek, my understanding is that as long as the shoot is succulant, it'd production goes primarily to expantion.

On the topic of duration of cycle, it is usually an economic concideration, i.e. the practitioner works with the clients budget.

My Mom's church has a mulberry I've been working on for 5-6 years that would be cut down if I were not doing it gratis, since they have no budget for any work whatsoever.

 

[treeseer]

jps I just visited a weeping mulberry in the 5600 block of washington bd that i used to play under in the 1950's. It's still there and doing fine, with no apparent mtc in all that time.

re topping/reduction, it all depends--species-age-cut location (node or internode) etc etc. gilman's hurricane booklet has many references to the need to make heading cuts to avoid removing extra mass from damaged trees.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

jps I just visited a weeping mulberry in the 5600 block of washington bd that i used to play under in the 1950's. It's still there and doing fine, with no apparent mtc in all that time.

And you did not tell me you were in the area?!?

Or was this in ChicogoLand?

 

[treeseer]

yes beertown, just west of washington park; very briefly in area to see summerfest after chicago conference.

gilman showed some slides of redwoods in california. topped by storms centuries ago, unpruned, but still growing strong.

i showed some slides of 6" diameter damaged white oaks cut back to small laterals--good closure after 3 years--and same sized cuts made back to branch origin--no closure after 3 years. bottom line--heading to nodes or small laterals is better than removing the whole branch.

Then on the other end of the scale are the silver maples and poplars...in a way i can't wait for Chris or another storm to hit--I'll try to get on it like stink on spit, just to work with different species and situations.

 

[Jim1NZ]

Cheers guys, i really appreciate things worth reading on this site!

 

[Ekka]

i showed some slides of 6" diameter damaged white oaks cut back to small laterals--good closure after 3 years--and same sized cuts made back to branch origin--no closure after 3 years. bottom line--heading to nodes or small laterals is better than removing the whole branch.

Out of interest, what was the lateral % dia as compared to main branch? Did you do any where the 1/3 rule was broken to like 1/5 etc ... coz that may still be better than going to collar??? Just interested.

Also, why do you think the same size wound back at the trunk didn't seal over compared to the reduction cut to a lateral?

So, is this the way you begin a pollard?

 

[Jim1NZ]

Yea thats a good question Ekka, so how far should/can you head back a lateral branch before it should be removed?

 

[frashdog]

Cheers guys, i really appreciate things worth reading on this site!

I second that!



I so wish I could find a source (book maybe) that can aid in caring for trees by specific tree. General rules of thumb have proven (to me) not to be golden from tree to tree. Sure some rules hold true, but not all. Maybe a book per tree? With planting, pruning, fertilizing, over all care techniques best suited to that tree. The kind of book one should get when they go buy a puppy. When I trained my dogs, I got a book specific to each breed to better understand the subtle and gross differences to better my handling techniques. A simple dog training book may work, but not to the level a specific one does.
On the other hand, I could just keep asking questions on this forum for ever. The more I learn, the more I wonder. Love it!

 

[treeseer]

Out of interest, what was the lateral % dia as compared to main branch?

1:1

Did you do any where the 1/3 rule was broken to like 1/5 etc ... coz that may still be better than going to collar??? Just interested.

Cutting to places where there USED to be laterals is enough sometinmes.


Also, why do you think the same size wound back at the trunk didn't seal over compared to the reduction cut to a lateral?

branch Protection Zone is notoriously weak at such a spot; no collar at codominants. I'll try to post pics of that here later. For more you shoulda been at the conference. Did you hear that in 2011 ISA will be in Brissy???

"
I so wish I could find a source (book maybe) that can aid in caring for trees by specific tree."

frashdog, there The Pruning of Trees...by George E. Brown, that does this. A bit dated, and written in the UK, but that's his format and I've learned a bit from it.

You can also join plantamnesty.org and get a lot of species-specific info.

 

[frashdog]

frashdog, there The Pruning of Trees...by George E. Brown, that does this. A bit dated, and written in the UK, but that's his format and I've learned a bit from it.

You can also join plantamnesty.org and get a lot of species-specific info.

thank you

 

[Bermie]

"
I so wish I could find a source (book maybe) that can aid in caring for trees by specific tree."

frashdog, there The Pruning of Trees...by George E. Brown, that does this. A bit dated, and written in the UK, but that's his format and I've learned a bit from it.

You can also join plantamnesty.org and get a lot of species-specific info.

I have a copy, this book is in its second edition, revised and enlarged by Tony Kirkham in 2004.
Its full title is 'The Pruning of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers' by George E Brown, second edition revised and enlarged by Tony Kirkham.

Well worth it!

 

[Ekka]

Hey, I found this pic of a nice first year pollard.

Do you reckon it'll be a good one?

 

[woodchux]

At least you cut most of em' back to laterals, ha.

 

[clearance]

Speaking of topping, I topped a whole whack of cedars and hemlocks that were blocking a beautiful view of the ocean. Windows were not an option, would have had to wait about 20 years for that to happen, so it was a topping show, some of the smaller trees had been topped before. Made the people very happy, they fed me lunch twice. Should those people have lived without a view, why? You want an omellete, break a few eggs. Thats a nasty pic, Ekka, I saw a big fir that had been topped, basically cut in half, they hadn't even cleaned up the cut, you could see the shards of where the holding wood busted, oh, well, at least I made the cuts slant away from view.

 

[Ekka]

Yeah, if you look closely at the top of the stump you can see the step where they felled a piece out, they didn't bother flushing off this one either.

For sure the view people on hillsides etc they love a good ole whacking of the tree tops.

I know one job we did we took out trees for the 2 neighbours downhill and one side ways adjacent. The guy at the top of the hill paid for the lot coz that view probably whacked another $100K onto the value of the land.

 

[Jim1NZ]

I just want to say one thing bout topping for views, and im sure others would have plenty to say about it and none of which would be very constructive.

Why cant people get off their ass and walk the ten steps or what ever it takes to see the view. I dont understand the need to see all the view from your kitchen window!

 

[Jim1NZ]

Hahaha thats a shocka Ekka!

 

[frashdog]

Why cant people get off their ass and walk the ten steps or what ever it takes to see the view. I dont understand the need to see all the view from your kitchen window!

Then you simply don't understand money. Money gets the view. The view makes the property worth more money. If you won't do it for money some one else will. Some one someday may just offer you enough money to make you think twice about your morals.

Most common conflict of morals I see is getting paid to cut perfectly safe and healthy trees down that you would not cut if they were yours.

 

[squisher]

leave the hack jobs to the hacks