carving living trees

[Tom10]

The idea of the thread was to find out if there was any factual evidence to proof that carving a smallish area was any more detrimental than a considerable reduction.

 

Ok sorry didnt read from the start...

 

In that case what a stupid thing to contemplate

 

Basic science of trees tells us what the tree will cope with, why and how.

 

So carving a lovely little celtic band right round the trunk severing the cambium layer 360 degrees (effectively ring barking it) will have a massive detrimental effect, obviously...

 

Carving a giant owl into a piece of dead wood will do no harm at all.

 

Trying to compare carving a live tree to reducing a tree is backwards - its not remotely comparable.

 

Cutting a tree, is cutting a tree... whether you make a pretty picture or reduce the whole crown.

 

Its about how, and where you make the cuts... the tree doesnt know why your doing what your doing, it just reacts to the work.

[wisewood]

This came up on facebook today, seems like there's a few been done as part of a trail. Anyone heard of it or seen them?

https://www.facebook.com/St.SimonsTreeSpirits/photos

[Pat Ferrett]

Thats beautiful

 

I for one am going to give it a go

Edited July 24, 2012 by skyhuck
language

[wisewood]

Thats beautiful

 

I for one am going to give it a go

 

Controversial, but yes really beautiful.

[dervishcarving]

i guess the question has to be.. when is it 'living'? if its dead wood (and never touches living wood or breaks the bark-seal) then is the damage as bad as carving actual living wood? the carvings on that site are all on dead sections of a living tree so i dunno if it is harmful to the tree or not. They look great but is it damaging the tree? i dunno.

[Pat Ferrett]

If a customer had a rather moth eaten tree in a garden they had spent thousand renovating then it may well be for the chop, some off us may see the beauty in standing dead wood or the odd stags head but to most its about as ore inspiring as grey pubes or gap teeth. If in some way the tree could become a feature by carving then far from shortening its life it may well extend it, most are up for retaing trunks as monoliths but why not the whole tree with the inclusion of some well placed and well done carvings.

 

Im sure most of us have heard of people collecting crisps,corn flakes ect.. because they can see faces in them, I recon a tree could be exactly the same.