How would you go about getting into a conifer with no crotch?

[Stephen Blair]

When it comes down to it, you use what you have withyou, if it's big ladders, use them, throw line, use them, you could access from a nieghbouring tree aswell.

I am with Mesterh, folk against ladders convince themselves others are gypos, I know Huck doesn't use them coz their isn't any room in his mogs chipbox lol

[skyhuck]

.

I am with Mesterh, folk against ladders convince themselves others are gypos, I know Huck doesn't use them coz their isn't any room in his mogs chipbox lol

 

I've never used them, even when I had a pickup

[bob]

cut it off at the bottom reduce it with some secateurs and plant it again:biggrin:

sorted

[18 stoner]

I realise this is one of those who knows best to advise the novice threads, so I wasnt going to pass comment BUT............

 

 

I never used to use spikes on any retained tree, but as I have got older, fatter, and lazier I HAVE spiked the odd bad to access conifer.

 

So, for all those who think it is such a massive no no, can any of you tell me(and the novice asking) the exact problems associated with doing this? I mean has anyone ever seen excessive decay, fungal growth, decline or even death, as a direct result of spiking a conifer?

[Steve Bullman]

i took out some large beech a few years back and noticed they had old spike wounds on them. i cut out some cross sections, sanded them down and oiled them up to bring out the grain and show exactly how the tree had healed the wounds. i wish i still had the pics, it was quite interesting

[skyhuck]

When I did line clearance we spiked everything, you could often see the marks from when they had been spiked before, most had recovered fine.

[18 stoner]

From what you saw Steve, do you think it reduced the structural integrity of the timber of that beech, and if so, would it be so significant in a relatively shorter lived conifer?

 

My main curiosity here isnt the bark repair and callus, but the longer lasting internal effects, and if it really is an issue on the "difficult to access" conifer most of us see from time to time.

[Taupotreeman]

Line clearance in Oz was the same, everything was spiked on the orders of the power company. Up, chop the top off wherever (no growth points) and down. The trees had been done time after time after time and the trunks were just a mass of spike marks most of which seemed to have healed pretty well. Not sure what was worse for the tree, the topping or the spiking but neither prevented them growing rapidly year in year out. They were called Moffet Gums after the guy that supervised us.

[Le Sanglier]

This thread has just got interesting, bringing to the light "The elephant in the room"

When I started in the mid nineties,fresh out of college, I worked with a guy in london who used them all the time, when I informed him of his heresy (after telling me what exactly I could do with my opinions) he pointed out that many of the trees we were working on had been climbed countless times and reduced,thinned or deadwooded by him

with no ill effect to the tree.

I picked up the spikes and have used them ever since as have nearly all of the blokes I have worked with or subbed for. Although I live in France now I could drive round the home counties and point out hundreds of healthy trees that I have worked on without a mass extinction.

There is no need to be spiteful with them just use them to get about easier and get into position.

[Aerial Arborist]

Heresy I know, but I will use my gaffs on a tree that stays when it is appropriate for me to do so. I define appropriate whenever my safety or maneuverability in the tree is enhanced.

 

In these situations I go into "lightfoot mode" where I don't plant them solidly, but only use the points to avoid slipping. These minor wounds, most of which don't penetrate the Cambium layer, will heal more rapidly than the limbs I trim. Also I don't use them at all (while wearing them) whenever I can stand on a branch instead.