Hamas big reduction/pruning thread!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Conkers-

 

Different trees respond differently to defoliation, Oaks for example are highly evolved (Q robur/petrea) they have mastered the art of being an inclusive organism and by that i mean have evolved with their associated organisms over millennia. A hard reduction that lasts for 10-20 -30 years is nothing more than a natural prosces for an oak, and many other trees which constantly adapt and reshape according to resource avaliablility.

 

trees that can not survive the loss of a great proportion of their photosynthetic leaf area dont fair as well through the ages, for biological and abiotic forces are inevitable at some stage in a long long life.

 

Trees are far more resilient and robust than most people give them credit for, one off events, even extremes can and are not only dealt with but often enable a regeneration and restructuring of crown architecture that becomes even more robust rather than a downward spiral.

 

I have in all my time here on this forum tried very hard to illustrate the potential of trees to overcome adversity, even the supposedly fragile beech (fagus sylvatica) which if left to its own devices is as capable of survival as most other adaptive broadleaf trees.

 

The trouble with us humans is we by default look for black and white, for patterns that we can establish and feel secure in. that is because we have become "exclusive" rather than "naturaly inclusive" our little brains cant deal with the third body, or the randomness of "flow" nature is random, although some patterns do exist, they are never really the same, like a snow flake. trees are multi dimensional flow forms whos lives are not lived in singularity, the are ecosystems in thier own right, like a barrier reef.

 

our greatest misunderstandings come from a lack of this profound insight and applying this to what and how we respond to the organisms needs is resulting in a cross of viewpoints and questions that are not really in conflict, they are just unrecognised and muddled.

 

As a generation of arborists we live in a time of great wealth and emergence, many still are fighting over the finer details of who is right and who is wrong, I think it is largely a fight over glory and ambitions, the other flaw of man "ego" but the truthis that we have almost all the information we require to be "elite arbs" or my preference "inclusion arbs" the work of mattheck, Rayner/Body, Shigo, Butin, Shwarze and keizer amoung others are not seperate entities that need to be discredited or debunked, but sound pieces of a massive and complex jigsaw that we must distill into a refined product that is IMO the ultimate approach to arboriculture.

 

"my critiques will not look through my telescope"

 

What i do and am constantly refining is look down the telescopes and microscopes of all my peers and combine them into a truly kalidescopic view, it is thoroughly "inclusive" and totaly fascinating and helps me be a very effective arborist.

 

one day i will find a way to communicate this effectively and help others also gain the greatest of insights and walk amoung the trees with compassion and deep connection.

Edited December 17, 2011 by Tony Croft aka hamadryad

[Stuart Witt]

I love this thread! Its like a reduction book compendium.

 

Personally I wish I'd taken pictures of mine over the last 12yrs, I can only start as I mean to go on.

 

I look forward to your next blog!

[conkers]

Hamdryad,

 

I agree that there is a large difference in species to adapt and survive.

I have seen many trees heavily pruned by others and watched them over the years. Many are felled, many we have to re- prune to stop over weighted limbs fail on decay pockets. This has mainly been on Sycamore but also on other trees.

My point that our industry is all over the place is obvious. If a client asked an opinion from five experienced arbs on how to reduce their tree, they would get five well qualified responses. This would not be the same in other circles especially where safety plays such a key part.

 

You have your opinion on reductions but in my local towns I see dead, dying mutilated, compacted trees and healthy veterans in untouched woodlands, ignored by tree gangs.

 

I have alot to learn as most do, so for now I will take em down if they are dangerous and treat with a light touch if they are not.

[canadiantreeman]

Hamadryad, that was an excellent post!

 

Great insight, thanks.

[skyhuck]

.

Skyhuck- you can't sell a heavy reduction on value for money, if the client has to remove the tree in a few years due to snappers.... can you??

 

Yes, but if the reduction is an alternative to felling, due to disease, as in the case of the huge Lime, then its worth a try.

 

But I have a problem selling a haircut reduction that will give the customer very little and be back where it was within a few years.

 

But hey we must all do what we feel happy with

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Yes, but if the reduction is an alternative to felling, due to disease, as in the case of the huge Lime, then its worth a try.

 

But I have a problem selling a haircut reduction that will give the customer very little and be back where it was within a few years.

 

But hey we must all do what we feel happy with

 

This approach is largely the correct one IMO, a very light tip reduction is all well and good, it displays good skills but in terms of real benifit V's cost not so much.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

[swinny]

Excellent thread!! Some great info in here.... just a bit of a long trawl it was as i've done all 43 pages at once lol

 

keep the photo's and debates/comments coming!!

[Dr.Green]

the thing i like about a reduction is you can use it to sway a customer to keeping there tree that tbh would break my heart if i cut it down -- worked today

[Wolfie]

Nice work on the Lime Tony, should come back nicely.

 

I was asked to reduce this large Plane recently to reduce weight and minimise risk of failure as it has a large cavity in the trunk.

 

What a pain it was!! Virtually all branches got hung up, and the dust was horrendous!

 

Sorry about the after pic - it was getting dark by the time we finished.