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Pollard too aggressive?


spandit
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Had the contractors round to cut underneath the powerlines on behalf of the network. I know as it's willow it should grow back again but not a very sympathetic reduction...

 

Before:

20190531_122954.thumb.jpg.d601d6cb13412c0519656fbddfd44486.jpg

 

After:

 

20190531_142259.thumb.jpg.9b92f92f3f35b9a16ac7932a167e0cd8.jpg

 

At least I can see the target at the end of my shooting range, now, but my camouflaged treebog is now fully exposed... :(

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2 hours ago, Treeation said:

Out of interest how would you have cut them yourself?

 

I'd cut a couple of them a year, in the winter, back to the pollard. They'd be 1-2" thick and I'd cut them into foot lengths which dry really quickly and make excellent barbecue and firepit fuel. My wife used to cut whips for toasting marshmallows at forest school and for other crafty things. My daughter was planning on building a den under some of them too.

 

Don't wish to stir up too much controversy, just found it a bit of a shock to see how stark the place looks - the ugly barn was almost completely hidden before (from a certain angle :D). I do understand the power company want their money's worth and I'm not intending on officially complaining - just having a bit of free whinge here!

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Well they're your trees and if you don't like what's happened whinge away!  I think both sides of the coin have been discussed now. 

Importantly the trees will be fine; you can deal with them yourself next time.

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46 minutes ago, spandit said:

 

I'd cut a couple of them a year, in the winter, back to the pollard. They'd be 1-2" thick and I'd cut them into foot lengths which dry really quickly and make excellent barbecue and firepit fuel. My wife used to cut whips for toasting marshmallows at forest school and for other crafty things. My daughter was planning on building a den under some of them too.

 

Don't wish to stir up too much controversy, just found it a bit of a shock to see how stark the place looks - the ugly barn was almost completely hidden before (from a certain angle :D). I do understand the power company want their money's worth and I'm not intending on officially complaining - just having a bit of free whinge here!

So, have you contacted the contractor and given them feedback? That woud be the way forward now explaining you wil do them at your own leisure next time.

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Just now, Treeation said:

So, have you contacted the contractor and given them feedback? That would be the way forward now explaining you will do them at your own leisure next time.

I haven't. They don't come every year so I'll have a chance to harvest some before next time and speak to them. Having a big summer party in 3 weeks - wish they could have waited until after then! Oh well, what's done is done and we're due a few days of rain next week

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Hola - I’m sorry if this sounds a bit harsh, but you really only have yourself to blame here. 

In that I assume you had some prior contact with the electricity board? At which point you would have had the opportunity to agree a pruning specification and access / timing of the works? Or did they just tip up on a random day and cut to a spec of their choosing? 

Also - you have already set the pollard and the pruning regime as back to bole every few years so there is little else arb wise that could be done. 

Finally - from the pics - the trees are a country mile away from the conductors and could easily have been left alone for another three growing seasons before they actually require cutting. 

I appreciate this isn’t all that sympathetic. Better luck next time they come. 

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23 hours ago, spandit said:

Had the contractors round to cut underneath the powerlines on behalf of the network. I know as it's willow it should grow back again but not a very sympathetic reduction...

 

Before:

20190531_122954.thumb.jpg.d601d6cb13412c0519656fbddfd44486.jpg

 

After:

 

20190531_142259.thumb.jpg.9b92f92f3f35b9a16ac7932a167e0cd8.jpg

 

At least I can see the target at the end of my shooting range, now, but my camouflaged treebog is now fully exposed... :(

This Is how it is supposed go in vegetation management on Utilities. You are approached by a surveyor to discuss the tree work. The surveyor will propose a re pollard, if you are happy with this you sign for the work, if not the surveyor will propose an alternative. The willow seems to be around 3m from the line already, a directional prune to gain a 5 or 6m clearance could have been suggested as an alternative. This would have been more acceptable to you and you sign for this work. It would also have been enough clearance to keep the electricity company happy until the next cutting cycle.

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We've just had some cutting done by SSE, well actually by a tree company contracted by them.  I think the issue is that they only want to come round every four years or so, so they're going to cut everything back so it won't need attention for four years.   Regarding cutting yourself, that depends how close to the wires it's ground.  SSE wouldn't want us to cut anything that's within 3m, whereas they are allowed to cut if it's over 0.8m.  So for me to cut it myself I need get in a lot earlier.

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I'd cut a couple of them a year, in the winter, back to the pollard. They'd be 1-2" thick and I'd cut them into foot lengths which dry really quickly and make excellent barbecue and firepit fuel. My wife used to cut whips for toasting marshmallows at forest school and for other crafty things. My daughter was planning on building a den under some of them too.
 
Don't wish to stir up too much controversy, just found it a bit of a shock to see how stark the place looks - the ugly barn was almost completely hidden before (from a certain angle :D). I do understand the power company want their money's worth and I'm not intending on officially complaining - just having a bit of free whinge here!

It's going to grow like crazy.
Get a local professional to cut them every couple of years.
[emoji106]
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On 02/06/2019 at 12:49, spandit said:

Yeah, I understand that. Still a pity, though.

 

I have managed them in the past - I created the pollards in the first place...

 

I agree they're not excited but it's not a very sympathetic job - like coming back from the barber with Grade 1 all over rather than just a trim! I guess aesthetics are not high on their priority

You created the Pollard Im afraid.  All the contractors were trying to do is achieve a result in the safest possible manner.  Repollarding them is the obvious thing to do.  Plus the safest.

 

If they hadn't been pollarded in the first place then I feel it would have been a shock and too harsh if you came back to that.

 

But they weren't maiden trees.

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