Advice on trees that have been aggressively pollarded

[organic guy]

1 hour ago, Mick Dempsey said:

That Horse Chestnut pollard is wrong.

The French seem oblivious to the fact that they don’t pollard well at all.

 

But it has survived quite a long time! 

Having cycled the length of the Loire last year I was so blown away by the pollards I came home and pleached? two trees in our garden which have got too big. It's still alive!

[Mick Dempsey]

2 minutes ago, organic guy said:

But it has survived quite a long time! 

Having cycled the length of the Loire last year I was so blown away by the pollards I came home and pleached? two trees in our garden which have got too big. It's still alive!

Re. HC pollards.

The heads don’t form as attractive a shape as limes or planes, plus they rot out very quickly, so need replacing more often.

 

Are we missing a photo of pleached trees?

[organic guy]

 

That is the tree about 5 minutes after I started and decided I should keep a record. I will try to take one later, I would value your advice.

re HC, completely understand what you are saying, but the French being so good with there trees will have another one planted and ready to go when that on dies, surely much better than here where people plant inappropriate trees, let them get too big and then cut them down with no replanting.

Pollarding and pleaching I guess is almost indefinitely sustainable?

1 hour ago, Mick Dempsey said:

That Horse Chestnut pollard is wrong.

The French seem oblivious to the fact that they don’t pollard well at all.

 

But it has survived quite a long time! 

Having cycled the length of the Loire last year I was so blown away by the pollards I came home and pleached? two trees in our garden which have got too big. It's still alive!

[Ty Korrigan]

2 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

That Horse Chestnut pollard is wrong.

The French seem oblivious to the fact that they don’t pollard well at all.

 

Neither do Lombardi's really, they might have done better but for the lazy cuts made by earlier pruners...

[Mick Dempsey]

20 minutes ago, Ty Korrigan said:

Neither do Lombardi's really, they might have done better but for the lazy cuts made by earlier pruners...

It’s all work, top ‘em a few times, then take them out when it rots out.

Circle of life and all that.

 

[organic guy]

[Mick Dempsey]

Well, as my old boss would say “a blind man would be glad to see it”

Edited April 19 by Mick Dempsey

[organic guy]

Constructive criticism gratefully received!

[tree-fancier123]

surely for proper pleaching you would have left all the side branches near full length and tried to pull them in together with thin rope, rubber covered wire or similar? Alternatively for a proper pollard establishment cut to major forks leaving no stubs - so the union is only an inch or so behind both cuts

[Hobbittree]

I wanted to say thank you so very much to everyone who took the time to respond, and to tell me I was over reacting:) I'm so grateful, and appreciate the chance to learn what good looks like. Thank you everyone, really chuffed at the response, relieved for the lovely trees and no, I won't hire a hit man then:))