Sweet chestnut - shortening

RC0 · September 27, 2008

This is obviously an old tree (sweet chestnut), might have even been a coppice at one time, hence the multi stems. Anyway, last year it had 50 ft blow out of one of the stems and similar about 8 years previous.

The owner wanted to retain the tree but was obviously fearful of the remaining two leaders collapsing like the others. A decision was made that the remaining leaders be shortened to the same height as the most recent blow-out, thus creating a more compact crown which can will no doubt regenerate new growth and with periodic thinning (5 years) will eventually result in a new crown of acceptable appearance.

Call it topping if you want but I could tell from the movement of the tree once up there that the big wood was obviously defective….this was confirmed when my saw whizzed through it like a hot knife through butter, a brown-rot but perhaps just due to its age as there was no other obvious cause.

I get a job like this (heavy reduction) only about once every 2 years and while such practice might seem somewhat severe, I believe that under the circumstances it was the most practical option.

I did get some video of the tree but it’ll take me a while to edit.