Slashing up an old Oak

[gibbon]

This is an LA tree and our spec was to reduce it by 5m. I really didn't want to go for a traditional prune as I felt it would end up looking rather topped.

 

We went for a coronet/destructive prune. I've been doing alot of this type for the last 5 or 6 years on Estates but I've havent been brave enough to do it to high profile council owned trees.

 

We had some fairly positive feedback from the public who seemed to get the idea and said they liked the "natural look". What do you guys think?

[nepia]

I'm with the public. Looks far more in keeping in that setting than a carefully trimmed, symmetrical and hence probably unnatural creation. Very nice; good one.

[alex_m]

i like it alot!

the crown didn't start off like a perfect semi circle so you did the right thing.

[johnty]

Mat you have made a right mess of that:001_tongue: look at your final cuts they are bad Lol:001_tt2:

[David Humphries]

I think the Spec for this tree in this situation, is spot on.

 

Very nice work imo.

 

 

Any fractures in there, or just coros?

 

 

Ivy staying on as habitat?

Will this not compromise future inspection?

 

 

.

Edited November 21, 2009 by Monkey-D

[Ben]

Top job, I wish some of my contractors could turn work out like that.

[gibbon]

I think the Spec for this tree in this situation, is spot on.

 

Very nice work imo.

 

 

Any fractures in there, or just coros?

 

 

Ivy staying on as habitat?

Will this not compromise future inspection?

 

 

.

 

All coronet cuts as I didn't have the time to set up a winch to rip any off. Its a bigger tree than it looks in the photos and some of the limbs at the back are right over the road and lv. We only had half a day shut down. I would have liked to have had more time on these cuts buth this job really didn't allow it

 

As for cuts I tend to bore through to create a hazard beam type cut then release it if it is a lateral large limb. Just a normal slash up on smaller stuff and large uprights.

 

We were asked to sever the Ivy for inspection. We always clear it from ground level to 1.5m so the stem can be examined before the rest dies off.

[David Humphries]

We were asked to sever the Ivy for inspection. We always clear it from ground level to 1.5m so the stem can be examined before the rest dies off.

 

 

Not a criticism Mat, but the potential of having weak structural inclusions at the main unions could still be obscured.

 

Or is the cover less dense than it appears.

 

Just interested, as am trying to build up a profile in my mind of how much habitat to leave on trunks, particularly roadside.

Guess that depends entirely on what any given site has around it.

 

 

Cheers

 

David

[tommer9]

Very nice work Matt. That is an approach to pruning i have neither sen nor considered, and i think it honestly looks fantastic! Top marks mate, for what its worth coming from a humble tree butcher LOL:thumbup1:

[gibbon]

Not a criticism Mat, but the potential of having weak structural inclusions at the main unions could still be obscured.

 

Or is the cover less dense than it appears.

 

Just interested, as am trying to build up a profile in my mind of how much habitat to leave on trunks, particularly roadside.

Guess that depends entirely on what any given site has around it.

 

 

Cheers

 

David

 

Piont taken David, although following what was a major weight reduction the likely hood of limb failure must have been reduced.

 

This was an LA job. I suspect it was took 3 months from the time it was inspected to issuing the work order to me doing the job. These park trees are likely to be inspected every 6 or 12 months so by the time the Ivy dies off it will be inspection time again.

 

Sometimes away from the road we have severed a percentage of the larger Ivy stems but generally all ivy is severed on roadside trees. In this case there is dense Ivy on other trees in the park so there is still habitat there.

 

I've not paid too much attention to timing of Ivy severing but I guess it could be important particulary for nesting birds as they would be less mobile than bats.