How hard to cut a Hawthorn tree ?

[agg221]

Yes you could - it would be called pollarding and would work very satisfactorily with hawthorn. Be warned though, it's an emotive subject on here, but ultimately it's your tree so do as you like!

 

Assuming it's currently looking healthy and putting on reasonable growth (look at this year's shoots and see if they're 6in or more long at the moment) then probably you'll get 3ft growth per year over the first couple of years, so it won't take long to stop looking like a pole.

 

Once you start down this route though you will need to do it again every few years - back to the start of the regrowth rather than making the trunk shorter and shorter, as the regrowth won't be so well attached to the trunk as the original branches. You could probably get away with doing it every 10yrs though if you don't want the hassle, or whenever it gets too big for your liking, so not too difficult.

 

Alec

[Jesse]

Come on lads i cant believe for one minute any one on this site would recomend a crown reduction !! on a Hawthorn, i maybe a newbe but come on.

[likeitorlumpit]

yeh- fell it:thumbup:

[Lorry thompson]

Come on lads i cant believe for one minute any one on this site would recomend a crown reduction !! on a Hawthorn, i maybe a newbe but come on.

 

Why?

[Jesse]

It makes the best fire wood , oooow so hot, great to fall asleep in front of.

[Lorry thompson]

Aaah right your not wrong there mate:)

[Mark Bolam]

The last large Hawthorn I crown reduced I charged £1 for every place I was bleeding from.

 

Total was £2776.

 

Smash it to hedge size or leave it big mate.

 

Reducing it in the sensitive way we are all in love with will open a horrible can of worms.

[Jesse]

On a sensible note its all about Auxins, sp, age of tree and type of tree work to be done, would you cut of your grannys head when you know shes going to die in a year or two?

[Mark Bolam]

Depends if she's still fit or not.

[Jesse]

Shes hot to trot , a little dry, and completly MAD.