Pollards, the forgotten art-discussion

[David Humphries]

This Quercus robur was yesterdays job, its amazing this tree hadnt failed completley at the fork given the total decay in the upper regions of the union. The crack forming down the stem is clear, and the tree is actively compensating for it increasing incremental growth at the cracks point. Clearly the basal flare is indicating a degree of decay also, i suspect laeti is the stem decay as opposed to Fistulina, it is a brown rot, and shows no sign of buckling on the outer wall which i would associate with Fistulina, laeti causes a very different limb failure scenario also whch is sometimes almost undetectable in the failed unions, as apposed to those limb failures associated with F. hepatica which are much more brown rotted at the core before failure of limbs occurs.

 

It would have been so easy to justify felling of this veteran tree, so VERY easy, and I doubt many of you would have left this tree standing, or even considered it. So before you all start banging on about topping/regrowth/bad practice blah blah, consider the habitat this tree represents, and that this tree is going to be there long after we are gone.

 

Everyone was a winner in this scenario, peoples got LOTS of firewood, the client got lots of light and a smaller tree, the poeple using the alley beside the property are safer, the locals still get to enjoy a leafy suburb and the flora and fauna associated with veteran trees has an opportunity to survive.

 

 

 

Very nice piece of work Tony

 

 

bet the clients were pleased you guys could offer the save solution.

 

 

What fungal associations would you read into this tree then ?

 

 

 

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[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Very nice piece of work Tony

 

 

bet the clients were pleased you guys could offer the save solution.

 

 

What fungal associations would you read into this tree then ?

 

 

 

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thanks Monkey:thumbup1:

 

there was absolutley no definate (only very subtle clues) give aways with this tree, but im guessing australe in the root, laeti in the stem.

 

which is why I would dearly love to brace this tree with a three rod system as apposed to a cobra etc. rarely do I condone artificial (other than pruning) methods of amending strucural defects, but rod braces could eventualy become part of the tree and essential in this extreme case.

[MattyF]

Re visited this old ash pollard we worked on about 3 years ago tree was starting to split so 40% reduction seems ok so far!! Also the same site was this field maple , there is records of this in 1600's as being bang on the ditch border line for part of forest that stretched to London,would love to age these tree's!

The split!

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Field maple on old ditch boundary all coming off one old stump it seems...

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[Simon.Valente]

I love pollarding... not too keen on bollarding. The first is arbor art, the second a arbor crime...

 

I've attached a few photo because I couldn't get it together to apste them... enjoy

 

Simon

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I love pollarding... not too keen on bollarding. The first is arbor art, the second a arbor crime...

 

I've attached a few photo because I couldn't get it together to apste them... enjoy

 

Simon

 

Hello Simon, thanks for sharing I am guessing youre from Czechoslovakia?

 

Nice images.

 

Are you a working arb/consultant or just an interest?

 

and what do you term bollarding?

[sean freeman]

and what do you term bollarding?

 

Ha ha I thought I'd coined that one:biggrin:...great minds and fools eh?

[RobArb]

something to do with the boll per chance?

[alex_m]

Just got back from a holiday in the west country.

I saw this and instantly thought of you, hamy! ( )

It's at the bottom of the hill leading upto West Kennet Long Barrow ancient burial chamber, nr Avebury

It was completely hollow in the trunk, with several holes coming off it.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

:lol:Nice one Alex, though the flame haired lady is a distraction!

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Re visited this old ash pollard we worked on about 3 years ago tree was starting to split so 40% reduction seems ok so far!! Also the same site was this field maple , there is records of this in 1600's as being bang on the ditch border line for part of forest that stretched to London,would love to age these tree's!

The split!

http://

 

 

Has your groundsman been holding the Ash tree up for the last three years? There are easier solutions you know.