Re-pollard of ancient Willow

[Fungus]

Maximize structural stability of willow tree. Retain upright laterals and remove downward laterals.

 

And this is how this worked out for a weeping willow, which lost a major part of its crown (top left in the first photo) during last week's storm in a park close to my house, leaving a tree behind, which will be loosing more of its crown in a next storm if it is not pollarded properly this time.

In the vicinity of this tree were two more cases of about the same damage done to other weeping willows during the same storm.

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[treeseer]

...leaving a tree behind, which will be loosing more of its crown in a next storm if it is not pollarded properly ...

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That damage we might call a "tear-out failure due to an overxtended lever arm" and prescribe reduction of those long branches back to lateral branches that are growing in a desired direction using cuts, judging by your image, of perhaps 6-12 cm.

 

If no suitable laterals were available, then the cuts could be back to forks or nodes, growth points where laterals have been shed, but dormant buds remain. These would likely release, as might buds below the cuts, in response to light and hormonal triggers. Also obviously the tips of lower branches would increase in growth. All of this would train a lower and denser and more wind-resistant crown.

 

So the pruning dose would be much smaller and much higher up than in traditional pollarding, with less sprouting. Now that we have equipment and expertise to easily navigate the upper crowns, more conservative management can preserve more tree structure for more time. This would also preserve a larger number and greater variety of habitats for the fungal and other associates that we all know and

 

How would this pruning look from the modern, arboriculturally aware, forest ecologist's perspective?

[Fungus]

1. That damage we might call a "tear-out failure due to an overextended lever arm" and prescribe reduction of those long branches back to lateral branches that are growing in a desired direction using cuts, judging by your image, of perhaps 6-12 cm. So the pruning dose would be much smaller and much higher up than in traditional pollarding, with less sprouting.

2. How would this pruning look from the modern, arboriculturally aware, forest ecologist's perspective?

 

1. IMO weeping willows are not very well suited for pollarding to the extent you describe, because they tend to (re)develop hanging down and overextended lever arms, that will again be at risk of tear-out failures, which is not acceptable in an urban environment.

So to preserve these trees, I would choose for the before documented Dutch way of pollarding.

2. From a forest ecological perspective, pollarding is not an alternative, because nature doesn't "create" neatly pollarded trees itself.

From an urban arboricultural perspective, preserving old willows by pollarding creates habitats for other organisms, which is contributing to the biodiversity of the urban environment .

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

That damage we might call a "tear-out failure due to an overxtended lever arm" and prescribe reduction of those long branches back to lateral branches that are growing in a desired direction using cuts, judging by your image, of perhaps 6-12 cm.

 

If no suitable laterals were available, then the cuts could be back to forks or nodes, growth points where laterals have been shed, but dormant buds remain. These would likely release, as might buds below the cuts, in response to light and hormonal triggers. Also obviously the tips of lower branches would increase in growth. All of this would train a lower and denser and more wind-resistant crown.

 

So the pruning dose would be much smaller and much higher up than in traditional pollarding, with less sprouting. Now that we have equipment and expertise to easily navigate the upper crowns, more conservative management can preserve more tree structure for more time. This would also preserve a larger number and greater variety of habitats for the fungal and other associates that we all know and

 

How would this pruning look from the modern, arboriculturally aware, forest ecologist's perspective?

 

many of us im sure would appreciate an image, or line drawing.

[treeseer]

1. IMO weeping willows are not very well suited for pollarding to the extent you describe, because they tend to (re)develop hanging down and overextended lever arms, that will again be at risk of tear-out failures, which is not acceptable in an urban environment.

 

I agree that tearout failures are not acceptable, so it seems the tree managers there have fallen behind on maintenance. These failures are minimized by periodic pruning. I forgot to mention the all-important feature of timing, sorry. Re-pruning is typically done when sprouting from the last pruning slows down, a sign from the tree that reserves are replenished so it can tolerate some to be lost.

 

"So to preserve these trees, I would choose for the before documented Dutch way of pollarding.

 

This way was started when tools and techniques were more limited. It seems to cost a good deal of lost value in terms of tree canopy benefits, as well as sacrificing a more numerous and diverse group of habitats for other organisms. So wouldn't more conservative pruning contribute more to the biodiversity of the urban environment than just one large hollow per tree down low?

 

tony if you want to see lines maybe you could draw some original lines of your own on that tree to illustrate where you think it could best be pruned. Mine would be somewhere on the branch on the ground.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

1. IMO weeping willows are not very well suited for pollarding to the extent you describe, because they tend to (re)develop hanging down and overextended lever arms, that will again be at risk of tear-out failures, which is not acceptable in an urban environment.

 

I agree that tearout failures are not acceptable, so it seems the tree managers there have fallen behind on maintenance. These failures are minimized by periodic pruning. I forgot to mention the all-important feature of timing, sorry. Re-pruning is typically done when sprouting from the last pruning slows down, a sign from the tree that reserves are replenished so it can tolerate some to be lost.

 

"So to preserve these trees, I would choose for the before documented Dutch way of pollarding.

 

This way was started when tools and techniques were more limited. It seems to cost a good deal of lost value in terms of tree canopy benefits, as well as sacrificing a more numerous and diverse group of habitats for other organisms. So wouldn't more conservative pruning contribute more to the biodiversity of the urban environment than just one large hollow per tree down low?

 

tony if you want to see lines maybe you could draw some original lines of your own on that tree to illustrate where you think it could best be pruned. Mine would be somewhere on the branch on the ground.

 

Guy, weeping willows are THE CLASSIC pollard!

 

 

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

No offense guy but its not really on someone from over the pond trying to teach euros how to pollard, bit like teaching your granny to suck eggs innit!

 

[treeseer]

trying to teach euros how to pollard

 

I'm talking about crown reduction, not pollarding, and not teaching but saying.

 

let's be nice and leave dear granny where she lies may she rest in peace.

 

Seems pretty late to start a low pollard ideally even for a willow. why not get an arb to leave more tree structure and reduce the crown and the risk?

 

Still looking for your lines there sir.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I'm talking about crown reduction, not pollarding, and not teaching but saying.

 

let's be nice and leave dear granny where she lies may she rest in peace.

 

Seems pretty late to start a low pollard ideally even for a willow. why not get an arb to leave more tree structure and reduce the crown and the risk?

 

Still looking for your lines there sir.

 

if your referring to the first tree posted pollard is the way forward.

 

As for nice, well i am its just my english sarcastic rib tickling sense of humour.

 

as for the line drawings I will prepare something:001_smile:

[treeseer]

if your referring to the first tree posted pollard is the way forward.

Loggit's tree had fallen apart and the trunk looked a tad punky and besides that was many digressions ago.

 

Let's continue talking about the tree in the park near Gerrit, since it was of a size where it seemed like there were more options than going back to the trunk. We can all do lines on that one, and have a jolly time comparing strategems and rationales, specs and objectives in ANSI parlance.

 

I already gave mine away by specifying sizes of cuts but will get out the Paint- "brush" as well. Lurkers join in too--no entry fee! If these were all posted in 48 (?) hours, wouldn't we have fun!