Re-pollard or crown reduction on Ash tree?

[D A Tree Surgeons]

hit it hard with a reduction

[kentjames]

thats my take, leaving epicormics and any sap risers that are within the line of the rounding over of the canopy.

 

Thanks for all your replies

 

I too think a more drastic pollard would be best to reduce the size of the tree once its rebounded with fresh regrowth. I like Tony's idea (to quote one, i know someone else said similar) of bringing back down to growth points and restructuring the framework from there to form a better scaffold.

 

Will take the ideas back to the client and see how we get on. Will post pics up when we do the job.

 

Thanks folks

James

[treedom]

I agree, reduce it into the first regrowth and selective thinning of mirroring shoots. You could make a new frame for the crown like that. Instead of pollarding it and it regrowing just as thick as is now in a couple of years. The poor tree has had a hard life, by doing this method you keep more stored energy, keep some ablity to photosynthesize and done right should give it a more natural appearence.

 

Hear hear

 

Sent from my "smartphone" so my spelling will be awful

[Big Bolt]

do be aware are you in a ash die back area all that fresh growth ! did 2 hectare of mostly ash coppice last winter 99.9% has ash die back looking around at the standards most of them have epicormic growth in the tops of the crown's it's rife around these parts once you look for it

[kentjames]

do be aware are you in a ash die back area all that fresh growth ! did 2 hectare of mostly ash coppice last winter 99.9% has ash die back looking around at the standards most of them have epicormic growth in the tops of the crown's it's rife around these parts once you look for it

 

Yes, I am aware of the Chalara in the area and will be checking it properly before commencing to ensure we adhere to current guidelines.

 

As for the prospective regrowth, well that's going to have to risk it, or else we would be ultimately felling trees for the sake of it before its infected, just in case the regrowth gets infected.

[Glen Poole]

I have an ash to fell in Teston in Kent, it's not in an infected area but part of the terms & conditions is to leave it on-site to be buried by the contractors we're working for.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I have an ash to fell in Teston in Kent, it's not in an infected area but part of the terms & conditions is to leave it on-site to be buried by the contractors we're working for.

 

I dont agree with these sorts of policy, we have it here now, and if they are correct in stating it got here by wind (doubtfull) then it is long past control via cleanliness.

 

The waste of resources (the firewood) is going to be immense and criminal, maybe burn/bury the brush but the timber could easily be dry stored.

 

but thats JUST an opinion.

[Gary Prentice]

I dont agree with these sorts of policy, we have it here now, and if they are correct in stating it got here by wind (doubtfull) then it is long past control via cleanliness.

 

The waste of resources (the firewood) is going to be immense and criminal, maybe burn/bury the brush but the timber could easily be dry stored.

 

but thats JUST an opinion.

 

What makes you think chalera hasn't arrived naturally Tony? Just interested in your opinion?

 

I definitely agree that's control measures are going to be impossible long term, due to it's airbourne capacity.

[likeitorlumpit]

In truth you could say now that control measures are pointless. Just let the thing get on with it and we'll see what comes out the other end.

Remember the hurricane in 87 and all the mechanical clearance to 'tidy' things up. It's just not natural.

[kentjames]

I have an ash to fell in Teston in Kent, it's not in an infected area but part of the terms & conditions is to leave it on-site to be buried by the contractors we're working for.

 

Sounds like a knee jerk reaction by the contractors to prevent future recourse back to them, and I agree with Tony that its a massive waste of resources.

 

I too somewhat suspect that Chalara came into this country via an airbourne vector some years ago, and if it didnt and even there was no human interaction / importation of diseased timber or plant matter, that it would have got here eventually anyway!

 

My thoughts are currently the outbreak will snowball next year and there will be no stopping the spread of it.

 

I still find its amazing that there is a percentage of the population which survives / immune to it. Its like nature always has a plan and this is simply another part of it