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?

[Pete E]

20 hours ago, MattyF said:

Title of this thread reminds me of the sign writing you see on certain tree men’s vehicles .. All trees lopped, topped and felled.
Ask driver for details , also take old clothes.

Made me laugh out loud Matty - last guy I asked for a quote, walked up the dive and saw my Merc and immediately doubled his phone quote. Didn't get the job.

[Pete E]

19 hours ago, mtt.tr said:

I would be looking at a sensible reduction and thin, pollard it and it will almost certainly be back to where you started in a few years or a year. 

 

Last sensible reduction i did on my parents lime lasted 5 years then the neighbor had it pollarded year on its bushier than before.  

Thanks for the advice - at least the neighbours will be satisfied I've responded

[Pete E]

13 hours ago, jarborist said:

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.

Thanks for confirmation - its worth the effort if I can reduce by 1/3 it should suffice.

[Pete E]

11 hours ago, Gnarlyoak said:

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.

Thanks for a good reply Gnarlyoak, certainly worth doing a thinning rather than dropping it. Good comment on the cherry too. You can't see but unfortunately the lime has seriously overshadowed it and the back is dying off. Planting it was probably a good idea 50 years ago, but too close. I'll see how it responds after thinning the lime.

[Pete E]

13 hours ago, jarborist said:

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.

Thanks jarborist - good extra point about the next time. Shouldn't that mean a heavier cut first, with lighter trimming in later efforts?

[jarborist]

Pete. Short answer - no.

To expand answer  will end up fairly lengthy. Get an arborist who recommends the same pruning and he will explain it all. If he recommends something else then it's a moot point. 

[Rich Rule]

Just be prepared for every branch that is cut, three will grow back.

 

 

[Stere]

Quote

Just be prepared for every branch that is cut, three will grow back.

 

Hydra effect - Wikipedia

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

 

 

[Pete E]

15 hours ago, jarborist said:

Pete. Short answer - no.

To expand answer  will end up fairly lengthy. Get an arborist who recommends the same pruning and he will explain it all. If he recommends something else then it's a moot point. 

Cheers