what are the benefits of a tree reduction?

[treeseer]

All good reasons listed above. Today I assessed 38 aging oaks along a street; about half got reductions specced, 10-20%. None overall, just specific portions/quadrants. All with root constrictions/decay, several to correct lean.

 

If you don't get an A out of this thread something's wrong!

[showoffsummer]

All good reasons listed above. Today I assessed 38 aging oaks along a street; about half got reductions specced, 10-20%. None overall, just specific portions/quadrants. All with root constrictions/decay, several to correct lean.

 

If you don't get an A out of this thread something's wrong!

 

its not for a assignment, its for a debate I brought on myself!!!

 

cheers ciaran glyde

[showoffsummer]

A big thanks to everyone thats posted, its helped me out alot.

 

cheers ciaran glyde

[treeseer]

its not for a assignment, its for a debate I brought on myself!!

 

I was talking about an A for the entire course!! And good on you to challenge your professor--keeps em on their toes. Do let us know how that debate turns out.

 

One more aspect of reduction--by removing the tip, growth is activated at other buds, resulting in a more compact form in the long run. The prejudice against reduction is based on tree response to topping/ reduction that is so severe it stimulates a flush of new growth near the cut.

 

Careful reduction avoids this response, so its benefits are sustainable.

[Rick2517]

I think that for me I find that 50% of reductions we carry out are un necessary, however the option is simple reduce the tree as well as you can and save it or tell the customer it is bad practice and fell it!! Yea you can recommend a re-plant but I've found people have good intentions do do this but don't actually get around to it.

 

I would rather live in a city of badly managed trees then one with no trees at all!!

[treequip]

Your tutor is right, reductions are bad for trees but thats ok because most of what we do is bad for trees.

 

The majority of tree work causes wounds and removes branches and leaves the tree had a use for.

 

Pruning is mostly for people not trees, best you can hope for is not to wreck the tree too badly in the process. (and make a profit out of it)

[David Humphries]

Maybe it's because not many people work on Vets, but I see little mention of reduction to reduce risk of branch/canopy failure due to decay.

 

Here's a lapsed Oak pollard we retrenched a couple of months ago.

 

It has active Laetiporus brown rot decay, and has lost a couple of major scaffolds.

 

We've reduced this tree by approximately 2 meters over the entire canopy to lessen the load on the main unions at the top of what is a 'hollow' bole.

 

Have also halo'd & ring barked some of the surrounding Holly to allow more light into the tree to encourage epicormic sprouts.

 

 

 

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[Fungus]

1. Open grown trees need no reduction or work, the same goes for trees in the middle of a woodland ... as a woodland is an eco system and failures of trees should be seen as recycling

2. Trees dont really want to be reduced, they optimise against the stresses they are experiencing and grow tension and compression wood where necessary to withstand these pressures

 

Rob,

1. True, but ...

2. ... trees like Quercus robur and Salix, Populus and Tilia species optimize by naturally reducing and loosing (parts of) their crowns and/or trunks in interaction with brownrotters such as Laetiporus sulphureus or white rotters (with selective delignification) such as perennial Ganoderma species to survive as an individual or regenerate (clones) as a species.

[Matt Butler]

the benifits are that you get to charge more money cause you recomend its done every 3 - 5 years, and then after 15 years you cut it down, grind the stump and replant, then it starts all over again:thumbup:

[likeitorlumpit]

Depends who your customer is

If it could be the tree' then you've one approach -I know what you're saying- how can a tree be your customer?- but lets just pretend the tree walks into your tree surgeons clinic and asks what you can do to help it- you probably say- go away theres nothing you need- you will grow & you will die(sometime)

I usually can't help you live longer

If it the user of the tree(owner- whatever that means) then your approach is determined by their attitude to the tree- and we've all experienced varying attitudes to trees. As a business then you suggest stuff that you can get paid for-

Reports

etc etc

fell

replant.

The reason the tree is there is because the human wants it(usually) so they should be included in the equation. So-

trees must be fiddled with