Interesting Ash

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Keep visualising some bridge grafts across that stem. I wonder if the scions were cut long enough and with some flex to counteract the movement between the stems it would work?

 

trying to picture what youre describing?

[treecreeper arb]

hmmm...Bridge grafting/scions..sadly I'm not familiar with these terms...can you expand please graham..Its a beautiful morning here,and I think I may and go and have another little look at this ash we're discussing...

[Graham]

This type of thing. Cambium to cambium of the two stems.

 

 

 

There would have to be enough flexibility in the scions between the points where they're pinned to the stock.

Edited March 9, 2013 by Graham

[treecreeper arb]

Thanks Graham.Thats more food for thought.I will consider this a possibility also.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

This type of thing. Cambium to cambium of the two stems.

 

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There would have to be enough flexibility in the scions between the points where they're pinned to the stock.

 

yes, now i get ya, very similar suggestion to what I am proposing, lots of possibles:thumbup1:

[treecreeper arb]

Right..i'm going to have a look and see what possibilities I can see...Nice one gents.thanks for the inspiration!!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Right..i'm going to have a look and see what possibilities I can see...Nice one gents.thanks for the inspiration!!

 

always a pleasure:thumbup1:

 

there is always options, only limited by ones imagination and open mindedness

[agg221]

I have a suggestion on the 'no suitable branches for bridge grafting' issue. Gollum demonstrated a technique for re-forming the crown structure (in this case on apples) which allows substantial redirection of branches. We weren't doing anything much over an inch or so, but he commented that it works fine on larger diameters too.

 

Basically, it involves making a parallel series of hand saw cuts on the side you want the branch to come towards, over halfway through. The branch then bends far more easily and closes up the cuts so they rapidly heal over. With carefully placed cuts along a branch I found I could fairly easily get a natural angle of bend, where I wanted it.

 

The technique is illustrated here:

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/general-chat/52999-having-go-pruning-fruit-trees-anyone-interested-5.html

 

2nd and 4th pictures of post #42.

 

It's always hard to tell from pictures, but it looks as though some of the inner material from the right-hand, more leaning section may be possible to do this with, effectively putting that in tension. The challenge would be finding a suitable location on the more upright left hand side to create tensile stress, rather than bend or peel.

 

Alec

[treeseer]

I think rod bracing is undervalued, having cut many out of trees I believe with total conviction that the invasive argument is unjustified in 99% of situations.

 

If there is dysfunctional tissues at the point of drilling it can allow spreading of already present dysfunction and fungal activity, but. If into sound wood these rods exclude air and the tree simply grows into them with no discolourations, which is remarkable.

 

Experience in the US concurs with this. I find the invasive concern overblown and a tad hypocritical as a trade-wide concern, given all the invasion of heartwood from big pruning cuts.

 

I spec steel cable for ~90% of cable jobs but here the extra movement seems desirable. But a 1/4" steel cable would be quite invisible, if winter visibility is that great a concern.

 

Bracing = rod bracing, in the dictionary. "Cable bracing" = cabling.

 

We are also limited by biology.

1 Flexing branches to act as cables can strain and kill them. Scoring/slicing to increase flex just increases that risk. What works on young apple branches may not in stiff old ash trees. Not bad to try, on an expendable branch. If done, the bark should be scraped off where contact is made.

2. Adding soil onto tissues that are hardened may not spur new root growth, if all the tissue is lignified and differentiated. Not bad to try perhaps but would not bet on it. Fraxinus may respond better than most genera, given F pennsylvanca's ability to grow adventitious roots into fill on the outside.

Edited March 9, 2013 by treeseer

[Jesse]

 

If it was mine and I could do anything I liked I would fill the void between the two with good soil to give it something to root into from within.

 

and pollard

 

That is the best recommendation so far,the tree would then be good for a good number of years, like your thinking Tony