Don't top lombardys

[John Hancock]

Couldnt agree more

 

Thing is when I've tried explain the probs of topping and recommend to fell they just think you are trying to get more money out of them so I dont say anything any more and just get on with the job. Money is better in my pocket than someone else's.

 

 

Next time give them the link to this thread with the quotation.

[Nimby]

I agreee totally.

 

For me it is all about educating the customer in a situation like this. If they don't like what you are telling them - walk.

[arnoldbuchsassinger]

As John says, topping is exceptionally bad practice, on Lombardy's which are are rapid growing anyway, they self destruct, ie the dead wood they permanently create, to top them creates epicormic branching, which is accelerated growth anyway, a weak union no a asynchronous union, perfect entry point for pathogenic attack, storage bowl for water etc. All you do is create a weakbranch higher up, then the next bunch of cowboys turn up to top then they top higher, so now you have a weak union, on top of a weak union on an already weaker than normal tree. Would go down the route of looking at appropriate replanting schema, right tree right place, in my experience they are always in the wrong place, take them down, and replace with better, more appropriate stock. You then get the fee for replanting. Its the same for any tree, topping is the worst thing that can be done to any tree.

[David Humphries]

As John says, topping is exceptionally bad practice, on Lombardy's which are are rapid growing anyway, they self destruct, ie the dead wood they permanently create, to top them creates epicormic branching, which is accelerated growth anyway, a weak union no a asynchronous union, perfect entry point for pathogenic attack, storage bowl for water etc. All you do is create a weakbranch higher up, then the next bunch of cowboys turn up to top then they top higher, so now you have a weak union, on top of a weak union on an already weaker than normal tree. Would go down the route of looking at appropriate replanting schema, right tree right place, in my experience they are always in the wrong place, take them down, and replace with better, more appropriate stock. You then get the fee for replanting. Its the same for any tree, topping is the worst thing that can be done to any tree.

 

 

 

Will agree entirely with your eloquent Lombardy explanation Arnold, but will not agree with the seemingly throw away statement at the end, which would appear to discredit the place that Veteran/topped Beech, Hornbeam and Oak pollards, have in providing an essential habitat for a miriad of threatened species.

 

 

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Edited April 2, 2009 by Monkey-D

[arnoldbuchsassinger]

if we have veteran trees, which may be in decline spiral, then you have to assess the tree, the location, remembering that old trees dont put canopy back as vigorously as younger trees, if the tree is stressed topping a tree may put the nail in the coffin. OK if we talk trees and the Urban environment, they look awful when topped, if we trees out in the open environment then, pruning can be done via coronet pruning and limb reduction/strategic target prune. I have taken big veteran beech trees down to a split stem and coronet cut them, which leaves bat flight paths/indicators intact, and cavities for anything, furry,feathery, slimey or creepy to live in. I was talking topping in the sense of removing the apical meristem of any tree, and waiting for the stress response. The stuff you see when a sliver birch/cherry/conifer gets its head chopped off. Wrecks the shape of most trees.

[Mesterh]

Next time give them the link to this thread with the quotation.

 

Lol yeah could be a good idea

 

Imagine if the domestic market got wind of this site there would be untold posts of 'such and such tree company quoted me x amount to do this job (photo) can anyone beat it'

[Barney]

Oh dear, I topped a large lombardy yesterday which had previously been topped about 10 years ago. There was alot of decay right at the top, a few snapped branches, it felt unsafe.

 

I agree this is bad practise and either Lombardy's should be left alone or felled

[Frank]

Really bugs me when you are stood looking at a 20ft silver birch (for example) and the customer is saying that it has got toooo tall. My reply is usually along the lines of "it hasnt got tall enough".

What are we to do. Its the same old, same old. You can only tell the customer the facts. What they as the owner wants to do is up to them.

Would be interesting if someone actually advised "topping" then later down the line the tree was to fail. Whos responsible??? God?? Owner?? Contractor??

[Frank]

Oh dear, I topped a large lombardy yesterday which had previously been topped about 10 years ago. There was alot of decay right at the top, a few snapped branches, it felt unsafe.

 

I agree this is bad practise and either Lombardy's should be left alone or felled

 

Did you climb it??? If so, How did you justify climbing in your risk assesment???

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

What about Willows; I've mixed feelings about em given the extremes of maintenance given to them I've seen o'er the years...?