Sweet Gum to Pollard or not?

[fen01]

Hi all,

 

I had a customer ask me to pollard a sweet gum (I'll try and get some photos tomorrow). I haven't done much on sweet gum but, iirc they don't like being hit hard in cooler climates - no idea where I've got this from so can't check. The customer wants it heavily reduced (cut out in their words), and I think the scaffold lends it self to pollarding?

 

Any thoughts or comments before I get some photos?

[se7enthdevil]

hi there,would love to see a photo of the bark if possible.

 

do they know which species of liquidambar it is???

 

I've just got what i believe is sweetgum but am not sure. if you don't mind i need a pic of the bark and if it does get pollarded a pic of the end grain of the biggest bit that's removed.

 

it would be a great help if i could id this bit of wood i have i have.

[MATTMOSS]

Sounds more like tree mutilation than pollarding.

I would say no.

[fen01]

hi there,would love to see a photo of the bark if possible.

 

do they know which species of liquidambar it is???

 

I've just got what i believe is sweetgum but am not sure. if you don't mind i need a pic of the bark and if it does get pollarded a pic of the end grain of the biggest bit that's removed.

 

it would be a great help if i could id this bit of wood i have i have.

 

I'll try and remember tomorrow, although I'm not comfortable with pollarding it, so may not get any end grain shots, but I'll see what I can do.

[fen01]

Matt, Pollarding is a technique, just hacking in about is mutilation- which I'm trying avoid. That aside, do you say not to do it because the tree will react poorly, unlike perhaps a lime would?

 

Cheers

[Eddy_t]

I've always found gums can be hit hard, although you'd probably be better doing it spring time

 

 

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[fen01]

Eddy,

 

Thanks. As Matt said the customer wants it mutilated, but if it will Pollard it think they will be happy - not sure they would be if it died!

[skyhuck]

Sounds more like tree mutilation than pollarding.

I would say no.

 

By definition, pollarding is tree mutilation.

[Eddy_t]

By definition, pollarding is tree mutilation.

 

All tree work is technically mutilation... Just some is better than the rest, willow pollarding is nothing more technical than felling and leaving a 6'+ stump

 

 

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[Gary Prentice]

Does anyone need a copy of the British standard for the definition of pollarding? It's now very clear as to the size of the scaffold limbs to be cut to create the pollard heads. Cutting a willow to six foot and allowing it to regrow is not pollarding unless it was seven foot to start with and a very young tree.