the 'todays job' thread

[Mick Dempsey]

Last few days dicking around with some lapsed hornbeam pollards. 

 

 

[John Shutler]

love that schliesing 

[Mick Dempsey]

You’re not alone!

[Mark Bolam]

Bigger than they first looked!

 

What’s the craic with leaving the arms on them?

More instant headshape when they sprig up?

[waterbuoy]

That conifer (spruce, or more exotic?) really screws with my OCD in messing up the symmetry of the avenue!

[Mick Dempsey]

3 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

Bigger than they first looked!

 

What’s the craic with leaving the arms on them?

More instant headshape when they sprig up?

I just feel that restarting the cycle on new heads is a good idea from a tree health pov for these really old, repeatedly pollarded trees full of hollows and cavities, plus as you say you do get a better looking result for the first few years.

[Mick Dempsey]

6 minutes ago, waterbuoy said:

That conifer (spruce, or more exotic?) really screws with my OCD in messing up the symmetry of the avenue!

Just a Douglas fir randomly planted.

[Mark Bolam]

1 hour ago, Mick Dempsey said:

I just feel that restarting the cycle on new heads is a good idea from a tree health pov for these really old, repeatedly pollarded trees full of hollows and cavities, plus as you say you do get a better looking result for the first few years.

 

Makes sense to me.

Keep any new rot issues away from the main bole.

[AHPP]

1 hour ago, Mark Bolam said:

 

Makes sense to me.

Keep any new rot issues away from the main bole.

I've often thought this when confronted with the dogma of the branch bark collar pruning cut. Why not stub off a branch at ten inches and let the stub rot rather than the union? Because it looks shit obviously but otherwise why not?

[Mark Bolam]

Above my pay grade mate, ask Shigo!

I’d say there are good shouts for both, but a lot depends on species, season, cut diameter etc.