Topping- for Tree Health or Money?

[18 stoner]

We were even asked to this to a conifer once;

 

 

Goes to show, sometimes the customer gets what they want!

 

[Mac McLennan]

 

Brief was down to the height of "those trees over there" and back to the boundrey.

 

Not the sort of job you want a signwritten van on.

 

Thankfully it was some years ago and I had nearly forgoton about it.......Cheers Pete:biggrin:

[David Humphries]

Topped or Pollarded ?

These were reduced in 06, and are inspected (note the obvious targets) annualy, and will be worked on again in 11.

[Mac McLennan]

Think that's about the best outcome those trees could have had in that situation.

 

And they will re-shoot like buggery....so lot's more work ££££££££££££

[Big 'Ammer]

I try to talk them into a thin / lift / reduction or whatever and try to do the right thing.

 

Failing that I'll talk them into a fell.

 

I don't want my sign written van near any monstrosities on the road side.

 

I will as part of other works on a site cut back old topped trees, but try to cut them further out and put some shape structure into place if its safe and theres few targets.

 

I have only done it once from scratch, to a big willow five years ago for someone I know very well and it was round the back of some farm sheds out of sight of any one else!

 

It was a large tree and the volume that was cut off could hardly be described as a pollard or a reduction!

 

Nevertheless, its come back very nicely and will need doing again in a few years!

 

Conifers however get no quarter!

 

I do in fact get a great deal of satisfaction from seeing a large leylandii hedge cropped back straight and level - even if its been a sod to do!

[High Scale]

Topped or Pollarded ?

These were reduced in 06, and are inspected (note the obvious targets) annualy, and will be worked on again in 11.

 

That's not pollarding.

 

 

 

[Tom D]

Topped or Pollarded ?

These were reduced in 06, and are inspected (note the obvious targets) annualy, and will be worked on again in 11.

 

 

I took down some poplars like these last year, they had been topped like those in your picture 6 years earlier and has regrown some 25' in that time, they were totally rotten right down to ground level not just at the pollard head. There was only a couple of inches of green wood around the edge of each bole, I just don't think poplars can take that kind of treatment. I reckon that by 2011 a tomograph or similar will show 50% rot. Keep us posted.

[Dean Lofthouse]

I've never topped a tree, although I have taken trees back to previous topping cuts for safety reasons.

 

I have always refused point blank to top a perfectly healthy tree (cept conifers).

 

One of the big breweries in Tadcaster asked me to price for topping three mature sycamores because neighbouring residents had complained they weren't getting any sun in the evening and their satalite signal was non existent.

 

Three trees at the sight of these sycamores had previously been topped and the new growth was firing up.

 

I explained to them that it would only be a short term fix and that when the new growth reached the height the tree had been previously (and it would do more quickly) the problem would be multiplied because where one branch had been cut ten would grow. I pointed to the trees at the side and said thats what I mean.

 

I politely told him I would not take on the work knowing that the future works from this brewery would be mine and it would be quite a big contract and that if he wanted the trees topping he should ring someone else.

 

He went back to the board and explained my case, as a result I won all future tree works for this brewery, they also asked if I would do their grass contract as well later after they saw how tidy we were and what consciencous worker we were.

 

Apparently he said I was a H&S nightmare, but he could work on me for that. He came to see me when I had just got into a MEWP, the mewp was only 10ft up so it was quicker to slide down the boom , his face was a picture.

 

I am very busy, but that is I think in part because I am good at persuading customers about what is right and what is wrong without coming across as patronising and suggesting alternatives such as crownlifting or thinning a particular area to open a block of light up.

 

Touch wood it works for me and my name gets passed around, most of my work is through recommendation and as time goes on and you get more customers under your belt, the recommendations get more and more.

 

I also spend a lot of time tidying up and trying not to damage flower beds etc, whereas most just want to get home early and throw rubbish over boundary walls .

 

I can honestly say I have never topped a previously untopped tree but that isn't to say I condem others for doing it, each has their own morals and reasons for doing it such as safety.

I just wouldn't want to top a tree for saftey reasons for someone to see me doing it and not know the spec. As far as they are concerned they will judge you on the finished product and not the reasoning behind it.

[skyhuck]

Dean, I would not have topped those Sycamore's either, for fear of having to CUT THE GRASS :scared1::scared1:

[Dean Lofthouse]

Dean, I would not have topped those Sycamore's either, for fear of having to CUT THE GRASS

 

That's my idea of topping, when you are taking the ends of the grass making the cut.