Need help on pruning and pollarding!

[ms660isthebest]

Just general info on what trees can be pollarded and trees that need to go back to a grow points. When you can go back to pegs. Due to the fact a bloke who i work with is butching trees. (I think he is) Any books or rule of thumbs.

[testcricket01]

Just general info on what trees can be pollarded and trees that need to go back to a grow points. When you can go back to pegs. Due to the fact a bloke who i work with is butching trees. (I think he is) Any books or rule of thumbs.

 

with pruning you want to bring back the branch to a growth point no smaller than 1/3 of the size of the cut on that branch if that makes sense. pegs are a no no.

 

pollarding there is different kinds there is straight stem pollard, which is basically a straight up clean pole, or you can do a pollard with staffolds ie leave some main frame work on the tree.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

its always advisable to leave some viable sap risers on each pollard stem, it does help it recover makes a big difference

[ms660isthebest]

Thanks cricket t thats what i thought. But with the staffolds hes leaves a few with grow points on? Should you strip all of it off? He getting me to reduce a 60 foot ash next week by 50 percentage thats to much to take off aint it?

[testcricket01]

Thanks cricket t thats what i thought. But with the staffolds hes leaves a few with grow points on? Should you strip all of it off? He getting me to reduce a 60 foot ash next week by 50 percentage thats to much to take off aint it?

 

when i pollard i personally like to take all growth off it, but im far from a expert on pollards.

 

its not going to be good for the tree reducing a big ash by 50% but alot of people on here would do it im sure. percentage reductions some peoples 50% is actually more like 30% and so on hard to judge by a percentage. at the end of the day if you do all the finishing cuts right and do the 1/3 rule and leave it looking a nice shape, whos to argue with it.

[geoff]

its always advisable to leave some viable sap risers on each pollard stem, it does help it recover makes a big difference

 

I always try to do this too, but some clients want them cleaned, always worth explaining it too them in the hope they will go with it.

[testcricket01]

I always try to do this too, but some clients want them cleaned, always worth explaining it too them in the hope they will go with it.

 

by this are you meaning leaving the little epicormic shoots?

[ms660isthebest]

Nice one

[geoff]

it depends on the tree,but its good to leave the odd stem or young riser on it here & there thats viable,it can always come off a year or two down the line,just helps the tree getting its sap up,I'm no expert so I'm sure Hamma can come back explaining it better(Ive also enjoyed half a bottle of sherry,it's me age you see)!

[testcricket01]

it depends on the tree,but its good to leave the odd stem or young riser on it here & there thats viable,it can always come off a year or two down the line,just helps the tree getting its sap up,I'm no expert so I'm sure Hamma can come back explaining it better(Ive also enjoyed half a bottle of sherry,it's me age you see)!

 

i very rarely get to do pollards its either fell or reduce round here, interesting learning little things like that though ahhh that point in your life when you get to drinking sherry say no more