Reduction methods!

[butler]

Have a good look at the tree before you even start visualise how you want it too look and plan your route round the tree:thumbup:

[Dr.Green]

no advice here but ive got my first coming up in a few weeks on a meduim size beech, good job its a mates --- his wife wanted tree cut in half because it blocks the light, i convinced her for me to reduce by a sensible 1/3rd. fingers crossed , glad theres no leaves on ethier.

 

Bonus is the intercom headsets i got to work with the spotter on the ground....

[shendy]

you cant beat a good groundsman when doing reductions.

[jamesd]

Cheers for all the tips guys!

As i said its only a very small beech but still, its good to start small and work my way up to bigger stuff i guess.

I think i prefer the method of starting at the top and working my way down in sections (do a quarter of the tree at a time) as i feel i can visualise the shape better. I take it you leave in one of the tallest stems for your anchor point in and remove that last?

And thats the other thing i was going to ask what long pole saws/pruner do you guys use? (the ones with the secateur type bit at the top not the chainsaw head) as the one we use is rather flimsy and it would be handy to have a set that would cut wood up to the 2inch mark.

[VEG]

Use a silky

[Drayton tree care]

the issue i find with doing reductions starting form the bottom working up are these a) the branches you cut from the top get hung up on the branches below so you have to climb back down, b)when chucking branches down from the top you will smash that oh so perfect growing point that you busted a gut to get to, c) its harder (imop) to get the shape in.

 

I start from the top, seeing as reductions are usually in height, get my groundy to sight me in for the top height and then work from there, your grounds man should know a good tree shape as they can point out bits that stick out or hangers and such to help save you time and energy.

 

Another good trick is if you have poles or long pruners, or such, this way the ground crew can take care of the lowest branches for you which are often the ones you have to climb furthest out on and to get to and to get back from. I use a set of extendable loppers which reach several meters as well when im in the tree, using these i can bring in several tips from one working point and are excellent bits of kit as they can allow you to take off just the bits you need to rather than just the bits you can reach.

 

Reductions are an art form, and requires good climbing skills, tool use and tree knowledge, and it is a very rewarding thing to look back at a tree you have reshaped well.

 

Then there are those that you never look back .......

 

I was gonna say the same gd job I scrolled through. There is nothing worse than making a big effort on long limbs to ruin it by knocking growth points off.

[Marc]

Cheers for all the tips guys!

As i said its only a very small beech but still, its good to start small and work my way up to bigger stuff i guess.

I think i prefer the method of starting at the top and working my way down in sections (do a quarter of the tree at a time) as i feel i can visualise the shape better. I take it you leave in one of the tallest stems for your anchor point in and remove that last?

And thats the other thing i was going to ask what long pole saws/pruner do you guys use? (the ones with the secateur type bit at the top not the chainsaw head) as the one we use is rather flimsy and it would be handy to have a set that would cut wood up to the 2inch mark.

 

Most of my pruning is with a Silky hand saw, I find pole saws pointless in the tree but not to bad for lifting the crown, if you need a pole pruner then you can't go far wrong with a Wolf Garten set, especially the ones with adjustable head.

[defenderjack]

i would definatly reduce from top down as you can see you growth point you want to be cutting to a lot better , also if you have stuff on the ground you dont want to damage (i.e plants, pots etc etc ) most of the stuff you cut wiill lay on branches below and use it as a catch till you climb down and pull em out to throw them where you want , a good groundsman though is always good the first few you get up in your probably spend the first 30 mins looking confused and just staring at branches thinking to yourself where the hell to start once you get the hang of your love it :thumbup1:Defo use a silky and the best thing ive ever picked up from working with different people is to get your self a good pair of secauters and holder clip to your harness , there great for little fiddly bits and annoying bits that get stuck in your earmuffs !

[Tully]

Break the tree down into climable sections, get everything you can from your positions to save yourself having to re climb to that awkward bit u missed.

 

It comes with experience, visualise the work before you do it, keep in mind how much you are taking off and find suitable growth points closest to that amount.

 

[geoff]

For a light reduction,as said the wolf adjustable head pole pruner is good,I have an old centre pin fishing reel on the holding end of mine to keep the slack out of the cord,and a good silky,& felco pruners.

I always have a good look round the tree with a cup of tea before I go to work,& take a good look at the structure looking for hazards on the way up.

Relax & try to enjoy your climb & work,it makes a difference to the quality of the reduction.