Pollards - Leave fingers or not

[cheesmanator]

It's section 7.10 on page 31. I still can't extrapolate the relevant info. It's saying

 

 

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[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

It's section 7.10 on page 31. I still can't extrapolate the relevant info. It's saying [ATTACH]113936[/ATTACH]

 

 

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Yes but this basically follows current thinking that pollarding can only be done to trees when young, and that any other pollarding is called "topping"

 

There is a lot of very good research being done on these matters by Helen Read, I would recommend anyone interested in the whole veteran ancient/pollard subject to look up all her work as well as that of other members of the Ancient tree forum with particular attention to Ted green and Neville Fay

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

It's section 7.10 on page 31. I still can't extrapolate the relevant info. It's saying [ATTACH]113936[/ATTACH]

 

 

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do you mean your struggling to put that paragraph into plain english and would like it broken down, or expanded upon?

[Lozzatrees]

We have a rule of thumb for leaving stubs on ancient pollarded Hornbeams at Hatch Park SSSI. We have been doing stage reductions there over the last ten years and are now on the 2nd cut where we cut the regrowth back to the vicinity of the bole leaving stubs and some lower lateral growth where possible.

 

The guide for length of stubs is "five times the diameter" so look for the thickest stem, guess it's diameter, multiply by five this gives you a rough gauge of the length of stub from the bole and then cut the other stems at around that height while looking to retain dormant buds and epicormic growth where possible.

 

I'll try and post some pics if I can find some.

 

Re: Tony Croft's recent post, ditto on the reading material, also check out Dr David Lonsdale his research on effects of pruning on trees is quite enlightening.

Edited February 10, 2013 by Lozzatrees
Update

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

We have a rule of thumb for leaving stubs on ancient pollarded Hornbeams at Hatch Park SSSI. We have been doing stage reductions there over the last ten years and are now on the 2nd cut where we cut the regrowth back to the vicinity of the bole leaving stubs and some lower lateral growth where possible.

 

The guide for length of stubs is "five times the diameter" so look for the thickest stem, guess it's diameter, multiply by five this gives you a rough gauge of the length of stub from the bole and then cut the other stems at around that height while looking to retain dormant buds and epicormic growth where possible.

 

I'll try and post some pics if I can find some.

 

its all well and good having such guides but what about the numbers of stubs how does one evaluate that? and what about thinning the stubs leave the thinner ones and collar the larger ones or vice versa?

 

not trying to be awckward just highlighting the realities of individual models that attempt to make it an exact science when it cant be as each tree has its own characteristics needs and biology/ecology

[cheesmanator]

Broken down if possible Tony. And if you wanted to expand on it I wouldn't say no. The more information the better really. Makes us all a little more aware of issues surrounding this. Cheers

 

 

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[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Broken down if possible Tony. And if you wanted to expand on it I wouldn't say no. The more information the better really. Makes us all a little more aware of issues surrounding this. Cheers

 

 

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O.k

 

Standard (BS 3998 2010) in Bold type, me in "plain" in the gaps.

 

7.10 (BS 3998 2010)

 

If pollarding is to be carried out it should preferably be started soon after the tree has become established and is between 25-50 mm"preferable, not essential"in diameter at the selected height of pollarding (often 2-3 meters) "hinting that pollards are generally 6-10ft high as generally accepted height for ensuring cattle cannot graze regrowth, may be adjusted for localized reasons, i.e traffic clearances, or for greater under canopy species like Hazel, and or herb layers etc to grow. hence the following statement in standard" The initial pollarding cut should be at a hieght that reflects site usage but which, if possible, allows for the retention of some of the existing foliage, " This is hinting at the sap risers" in order to maintain physiological function and thus reduce the probability of dieback or death "cutting out all foliage can and often does lead to a total break in the vascular connections, the tree must replace buds with reserves of starches that are also often limited in the decayed or hollow stems as there is less functional woody storage capacity in the zxylem/rays"

 

I will continue later, this is taking some time!

 

 

(for those pedants who will no doubt be quick to judge! this is my attempt to help others out, if you can do a better job step up to the plate by all means, but keep it to the subject matter, you know who you are:sneaky2:)

[geoff]

O.k

 

Standard (BS 3998 2010) in Bold type, me in "plain" in the gaps.

 

7.10 (BS 3998 2010)

 

If pollarding is to be carried out it should preferably be started soon after the tree has become established and is between 25-50 mm"preferable, not essential"in diameter at the selected height of pollarding (often 2-3 meters) "hinting that pollards are generally 6-10ft high as generally accepted height for ensuring cattle cannot graze regrowth, may be adjusted for localized reasons, i.e traffic clearances, or for greater under canopy species like Hazel, and or herb layers etc to grow. hence the following statement in standard" The initial pollarding cut should be at a hieght that reflects site usage but which, if possible, allows for the retention of some of the existing foliage, " This is hinting at the sap risers" in order to maintain physiological function and thus reduce the probability of dieback or death "cutting out all foliage can and often does lead to a total break in the vascular connections, the tree must replace buds with reserves of starches that are also often limited in the decayed or hollow stems as there is less functional woody storage capacity in the zxylem/rays"

 

I will continue later, this is taking some time!

 

 

(for those pedants who will no doubt be quick to judge! this is my attempt to help others out, if you can do a better job step up to the plate by all means, but keep it to the subject matter, you know who you are:sneaky2:)

 

Thank you Tony,much apreciated mate.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Thank you Tony,much apreciated mate.

 

No worries, hope it helps, so where was we....

 

If the tree divides into a number of stems below a height of 3 meters, these should be individually cut so as to initiate a "candelabra" framework "basically suggesting that we don't pollard the main stem but its double or multiple leaders, also often referred to as first order limbs, first order being the first divisions of the branching structure of the crown"

 

If the stem has attained a greater diameter than 50mm, but less than 200mm at 2 m-3m height, pollarding may still be innitiated. The tree should be cut at or near the same hieght as a younger tree butextra care should be taken to retain some existing branches. Larger trees should be treated this way (see annexe C for severe cutting for special purposes)* "Again this is reiterating the point that the larger the tree, the greater the diameter of the cuts the more caution must be excercised in foliage retention. we could elaborate and go into some details about tapering the framework via sap wood risers using the standards model regarding reduction cuts and the 1/3rd ratio. In other words stepping from a big cut to a side branch and a side branch to a shoot." (will try to find an image)

 

Bs 3998 2010 annexe C*I am not going to type out these annexes (c1,c2,c3) unless you also need that clarified or broken down

 

7.10 continued...

 

Once initiated, a pollard should be maintained by cutting the new branches on a cyclical basis. The frequency of the cycles should be decided according to the site management objectives, species,age, condition and/or any product that might be required. Selective cutting whereby some of the pollard branches are retained in each cycle, should be chosen if this would help to prevent dieback and decay in the stem "this is relevant very much on a site by site basis as it is going into the managements according to potential purposes and or products from the pollard process. It also reiterates points we have already covered regarding potential death of vessels via a break in the connections from root to shoot, or "vascular pathways"

 

I need another tea break!

[daltontrees]

We work to the Lozzatrees rule but with a 3 to 4 multiplier for limes rather than 5.