Pollards, the forgotten art-discussion

[Eddy_t]

Sorry to derail but just googled willow tit and wow you really need your eye in to tell the difference from marsh tit

 

Yeah, apparently both are present on site, my friend manages the reserve, and he's a twitcher he wanted to manage it more for the bird's habitat, where as I was more interested in the techniques, and was happy to help so I could test my theories, seems a large amount of knowledge has been lost over the years, also had a go at another local reserve at trying to recreate 'bundle' beeches, but haven't had time to go back and examine those in about 5 years, so will try to visit in summer and will report back on my findings

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Been back past the willow I pollarded last year and Christ they have grown about 8 foot on most of them. and snow on ground again.

[ATTACH]111437[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]111438[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]111439[/ATTACH]

 

thats a great follow up post, thanks for sharing.

 

8ft is serious regrowth even for a willow!

[Eddy_t]

thats a great follow up post, thanks for sharing.

 

8ft is serious regrowth even for a willow!

 

To be fair trees under management seem to have grown a hell of a lot last year, the bullace I did a few weeks back had put on 8-10 foot of growth

 

This is it half done and the difference between where it's grown to and where it was to be reduced back to was startling, I never knew they could grow that much!

Almost forgot, this is one years growth!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

To be fair trees under management seem to have grown a hell of a lot last year, the bullace I did a few weeks back had put on 8-10 foot of growth

 

This is it half done and the difference between where it's grown to and where it was to be reduced back to was startling, I never knew they could grow that much!

Almost forgot, this is one years growth!

 

was a very wet year, everything grew like billy o to be fair, drought would have halved it probably:thumbup1:

[woody paul]

thats a great follow up post, thanks for sharing.

 

8ft is serious regrowth even for a willow!

 

Along side river may explain the growth.

[Eddy_t]

Finally progress at the golf club I work at, a tree was to be felled before I identified it, now to be pollarded

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

just the next road down from out yard in Chesham there is a street lined with sycamore and horse chestnut pollards, all have been done cyclically for many years and have fine heads. I've been watching one Horse chestnut that has large scale bark damage to the lower stem and fruited Polyporus squamosus early last year. It is now showing severe bark death at the heads with Trametes versicolour having a feast.

 

The last shot is of a sycamore in same line riddled with scale insects (white fluff) Pollarding is stressful in short cycles, and in urban pavements exponentially so. A major factor in the decline of these particular trees, poor rooting/growing conditions AND regular 2-3 year cyclic total (no sap risers) defoliation.

 

 

 

 

[breffni]

What would you do differently to those trees tony? Longer cycle? Leave some growth?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

What would you do differently to those trees tony? Longer cycle? Leave some growth?

 

both, might even consider lifting some tarmac to replace with something porus and give the roots a feed.

 

I would leave these trees unpruned for at least 5 years maybe 8 if poss.

 

though cheaper to fell and replace, chestnuts dont fair well under such regimes

[breffni]

Replace with what? Planes?