Safe small (<380mm) ash removal

[KeenButGreen]

 

A lot of the ash in the wood I’ve started managing have succumbed.  It seems that dieback has weakened them and I’m guessing something like honey fungus has rotted the roots.  So they’re starting to blow over (noticed yesterday).  

 

What are the more experienced people likely to do to bring them down, while keeping it safe.  

 

As they’re all going to hang up, would one, generally speaking, fell them then treat as a hung up tree by winching them out, or might one try winching them over(and felling if the roots seem intact enough) then winch them out?  

 

I’m just concerned over trying felling a tree with a root system that may be nonexistent.

 

Or am I overthinking this?

 

 

[slack ma girdle]

Yes you are overthinking this, but it means that you are not being blaise about the risks.

Getting the tree hung up means that you won't get a shower of dead wood being pinged back at you when a felled tree falls through the canopy.

Make sure your escape roots are clear and crack on. Once you have delt with a few, you will get a feel for it.

Or get a 6-8 tonne digger in.

[KeenButGreen]

Ta!  I tried to push over a little whip with a snap cut -  it didn’t snap but just pulled out at the root. And it exploded when it landed!

 

Hence me wondering what’d happen with bigger trees

 

 

 

 

[Dan Maynard]

I think if the tree needs persuading over you're better off on the other end of a pull line than banging wedges, but trying to pull the rootball on every one seems a bit odd to me.

[maybelateron]

11 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

I think if the tree needs persuading over you're better off on the other end of a pull line than banging wedges,

Absolutely agree with that. Rope every time if on doubt, wedges can only achieve so much.

[Alan Smith]

Not only rope or winch to pull over but a good stout ratchet strap round the butt on anything over 7 or 8 inches diameter, they'll Barber's chair in a heartbeat.

[Donnie]

I've put over some big ash that had dieback and were fairly rotten. Would never bang wedges in them at all incase the top came out, heard of it happen to a friend of mine. 

Plus one for roping over. 
 

Can you not take out some of the surrounding trees and make a bit of a gap to fell the ash into? 
 

Wedging anything small is an utter pain in the arse as well. 

Edited April 17 by Donnie