Pollards, the forgotten art-discussion

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

great thanks, has anybody asked that yet?

 

I've got approx. 10 beech to pollard, see pics. (Lawnmower for scale). Most of them fork between 2ft and 5ft from the ground. It's quite an unusual stand. I proposed to cut them at around 6 to 8ft, leaving one or more of the lower thin branches intact until re-growth was established (1 year?).

 

Comments?

 

Sorry about the blurry pics, it's getting dark out there.

 

 

 

I reckon given the age and size of stems if you mulch them a bit well in advance and make sure there is light getting to them all round they would flush no problems.

[corylus]

pollarding certainly for fodder to provide for cattle in hard winters or hay shortages would have been done during the winters harshest times.

 

We used to have a fair few elm pollards in Swaledale (sadly all gone now) and the reason speculated was as Hammy said above. BUT this has always confused me. There arent any leaves on in winter (obviously) so any elm cut for fodder must have been done in summer, and they wouldnt know whether it was going to be a hard winter or not . So presumably if the fodder thesis is correct the elms must have been cut every year??

Edited November 1, 2011 by corylus

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

We used to have a fair few elm pollards in Swaledale (sadly all gone now) and the reason speculated was as Hammy said above. BUT this has always confused me. There arent any leaves on in winter (obviously) so any elm cut for fodder must have been done in summer, and they wouldnt know whether it was going to be a hard winter or not . So presumably if the fodder thesis is correct the elms must have been cut every year??

 

The shoots of a pollard remain good fodder throughout the winter, Holly was particularly good, hence the hedgrows being layered, these would have had their re growth taken in winter and left where it fell for the cattle in hard times. Remember winters are not what they used to be.

 

and the leaves where not important.

[corylus]

The shoots of a pollard remain good fodder throughout the winter, Holly was particularly good, hence the hedgrows being layered, these would have had their re growth taken in winter and left where it fell for the cattle in hard times. Remember winters are not what they used to be.

 

and the leaves where not important.

 

Yes and no.

 

'Greenhew' is a Cumbrian term for the privilege of cutting pollards for leaf fodder (Denyer 1991). Evelyn mentions drying elm leaves for cattle. BUT greenhew can also refer to the lopping of branches for feeding deer in winter (Towards a history of wood pasture in Swaledale, Fleming 1997 in Landscape History magazine)

 

Spot on about holly though.

FROM HOLLY AS A FODDER IN ENGLAND MARTIN SPRAY.docx

Edited November 2, 2011 by corylus

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

A few members are talking about annoying branches when working in the canopy and ive been thinking about this today, especially as I reworked an URBAN pollard.

 

Its got me into thinking about the differences in technique, and mentality.

 

With reductions it is all about what you leave in, but pollards its all about what you take out.

 

on reductions we want to avoid triggering the epicormic response, but in a pollard we want to encourage it. In a reduction we are avoiding removing ANY growth from the interior, but with a pollard were taking a great deal out of the interior and leaving just enough leads on the limb to keep a vascular connection to roots and opening the canopy enough to encourage sprouting whilst also leaving enough to avoid sun scald on a tree that has become accustomed to dense canopy shading.

 

so rule of thumb-

 

reduction work outside in and only reduce the projections.

 

pollards work from the inner to the outer leaving just enough growth to create sap flow and partial shade on thin barked species.

[armybloke]

so rule of thumb-

 

reduction work outside in and only reduce the projections.

 

pollards work from the inner to the outer leaving just enough growth to create sap flow and partial shade on thin barked species.

 

That is a good analogy and it works for me. I was trying to explain what a reduction v pollard was the other day as he thought they were the same thing. I will write this down and use it in future I think - ta for that

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

so rule of thumb-

 

reduction work outside in and only reduce the projections.

 

pollards work from the inner to the outer leaving just enough growth to create sap flow and partial shade on thin barked species.

 

That is a good analogy and it works for me. I was trying to explain what a reduction v pollard was the other day as he thought they were the same thing. I will write this down and use it in future I think - ta for that

 

Its hard to get wording right for such explanations, when you do something by instinct you never really have to justify or explain how and what the differences are. Im glad it was usefull.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

a few from a recent trip to epping forest, a very special place that offers the student so many opportunities for observational learning that it is an essential place to visit. Epping offers the very best oportunities to witness the life cycles and ecologies of beech, and also oaks to a lesser degree.

 

 

 

 

 

[john p]

willow pollard from today,wanted it felled but we persuaded them to retain it.

[Pedroski]

We're just about to do a 100+ foot Poplar. Initially it was to be felled due to concerns of owner of neighbouring property. The tree leans and is made very one-sided by a couple of almighty limbs in direction of house, but not actually anywhere near it. But I met with the Forestry Commission guy and the client and we have persuaded the client to keep the tree. The FC said ok to pollard. But a proper pollard on a mature Poplar..... isn't that going to lead to further problems? I was surprised the FC bloke said to pollard, rather than side prune the large limbs and drop-crotch others to reduce and balance. Or have I misunderstood what he meant by pollard?