Ash Reduction by Glen Poole

[Pommie]

Nice job Glen

[SouthSoundTree]

Seems to be different practices for different conditions. I've seen a few English gardens. I've heard the conflict that "too large" of trees can create. I've heard of English soaking up as much sun as possible when it comes out (we had a guy come over to Lake Tahoe California/ Nevada soaking up the sun so much he couldn't put shoes on for a week because he'd become a blistered lobster).

 

Sounds like the previously pollarded trees need to be kept that way or they will have the problems inherent in topped trees. Sounds like the right tree for the right location is only a choice that can be made here forward.

 

Some pics of landscape views that would inform of the scale of the landscape/ properties would be informative. As mentioned, some suburban American yards are the size of small villages in England. A different beast.

 

I've seen only a few pollarded trees in my town, in a small garden bed in front of a business where large trees would not fit.

We have lots of hack toppers in the US, as well as lots of skilled arborists.

There is the tendency to equate Pollarding with "topping", with what some people people call "pollarding" but really are "topping". There a lot of hackers here that do what you all have to contend with in "pikey topping" outfits, so there is an embedded backlash against reduction and pollarding.

 

As an American, I've though that, aside from some hot-headedness, this has been an interesting thread that informs about habits and standards and desires in other parts of the tree world.

 

I thought that it was interesting what someone said about old woodcraft and country needs (coppicing for firewood) being outdated in some settings. Seems that part of the situation is "managed resource" practices, that may be outdated.

 

Where we almost always "top" trees is in orchards. This forces the tree to do what we want, and the tree will never live to the ripe old age of a natural tree, while retaining a natural-ish shape and health. Perhaps this is part of the situation, trying to have the "wrong tree, wrong place" live a long life until the "right tree, right location" replaces the tree when it becomes overly mature.

 

Different things in different places (to a degree), provided that it is based on best management practices and informed decision-making.

[Heads up]

Glen, whether reductions are right or wrong thats a top job there mate! Ash aren't easy to reduce nicely.

[Robert_S]

Good job mate

[Mark Bolam]

Glen, whether reductions are right or wrong thats a top job there mate! Ash aren't easy to reduce nicely.

 

Ditto.

[Alinicoll]

As far as i`m concerned a good reduction is one of the hall marks of the master arborist and that, to me, is a good reduction. Given further good work that tree will look good for a long time to come.