Lopped, topped or dropped??

[Pete E]

Hi I have a mature Common Lime at the bottom of the garden. Girth is 2.5m so I guess about 80 years old, its 15-18m tall and 12-15m diameter. The tree is in good condition with a dense canopy. A couple of neighbours are complaining about the shade it casts over their gardens also over (the wife's) greenhouse. I really don't want to take it down, but its starting to dominate, so I need advice on how / if the canopy can be reduced. It's too mature for pollarding and just chopping the top off is not the right thing to do. I had a nearby Ash cut hard back to the trunk and main branches, which reduced height and spread by 1/3, but that produces shoots easily all the way up and is doing well. Can I expect the same from a Lime?  Or can it be sensibly thinned out to reduce the shadow?

[MattyF]

It was lopped topped and dropped

Just the reference to looping and topping reminds me of cold calling opportunistic thieves... seem to be a lot of scrap men about too at the moment , I’ve now had 3 conversations with this guy driving down and trying to get in to our yard and every time I’ve told him there is nothing here for him...even when the forestry commission have put up sighns every where saying no unauthorised access and cctv ,I’m debating wether or not to put the grab through his front windscreen if I get the opportunity again... look at the fat knacker move when he sees the dogs coming though [emoji38]

[timbernut]

They don’t like dags do they?![emoji23]

[jarborist]

Agree with mtt tr. Bit of reduction, lift, thin but all lightly , should give you 3 years at least. Won't get swathes of light , yes you have to do it again , but it will give more light, and in my experience in this sort of  situation works far better than a heavy cut .................its all a compromise.....................Just don't then be tempted to cut it heavier next time and the time after.

 

Stubby has a point too.. move the greenhouse.

[Mick Dempsey]

“Lifting and thinning a lime”

[jarborist]

Mick,

 

Can only go with my experience and observation, yours is obviously different /wrong  ?

[AHPP]

Move the greenhouse and smile and wave at the neighbours.

[Gnarlyoak]

A lift, thin & reduction done properly won't do any long term harm to the tree, limes are fairly tolerant, and will likely respond with vigorous regrowth. It may appease the neighbours for a short while, but you will probably, because of the regrowth response, have to have carry out further similar works every 3-5 years to keep it in check.

You will probably have to move the greenhouse to keep the wife happy though. Pruning the lime will have limited benefits for your side of the fence unless you're prepared to fell the cherry tree at the same time. As that looks closer to the greenhouse and likely to be creating more shade than solely the lime but certainly in combination.

[Pete E]

20 hours ago, Stubby said:

Move the greenhouse ?

Cheers Stubby - unfortunately it's brick bottomed, so not so easy. I'd have preferred it in the side garden myself, instead of in full view but hey-ho.

[Pete E]

On 02/08/2020 at 08:49, Stere said:

 

Thanks very much Stere - good example of somebody succeeding with the same issue.

[Pete E]

21 hours ago, Steve Bullman said:

Whatever growth you witnessed the Ash tree put on, expect at least double from the Lime.

 

They are pretty tolerant of heavy pruning, but its not going to satisfy your neighbours, well maybe for a year or so it might.

Thanks Steve - gives me confidence to arrange heavy pruning.