Promoting Symbiotic Relations Between Trees&Plants

[jomoco]

Cabling and Bracing trees has been a hobby of mine since the mid 80's.

 

But I'm so old school about when cabling&bracing is warranted? That many of my colleagues in this biz have labeled me as a fanatic on the subject, trolling the websites, lookin for trouble by using terms like snake oil, charlatans, crooks etc to describe those in this industry who back, promote, advertise and write regulatory guidelines for use and installation of noninvasive dynamic cabling systems.

 

I still firmly believe that cabling&bracing is only warranted once an identifiable structural defect is found in the tree, period.

 

Secondly that pruning is preferable to cabling when terminal end weighting of branches and leaders are perceived as threats to structural integrity.

 

Why such a conservative view of artificial tree support systems?

 

Simply that artificial support of any healthy structurally unflawed tree/branch has been scientifically proven to weaken it over time by limiting the natural ranges of motion that stimulate reaction wood formation. Much like the atrophied muscles of a casted arm in humans.

 

So if we accept that artificially limiting the full range of natural motion weakens trees and branches over time? Then one artificial system not limiting the range of motion as much as it's predecessor? Still weakens the tree/branch, albeit less than the old system did.

 

Which brings us to the questions of these artificial support systems durability over time? Their ability to withstand the forces natural in their environment? Abrasion, UV degradation, temperature extremes, animals and insects etc?

 

Attachment methods best suited to long term viability of both system and tree?

The only examples of trees that girdle the entire circumference of their trunks as a means of branch attachment I know of are not truly trees at all but monocots! Palm trees!

 

All of us have seen the conifer branch attachment blowup illustrations in Harris' and Shigo's books. If you were somehow able to extract that branch fully intact?

You'd have a nice round hole left in the trunk, rather like the holes I drill in them to install throughbolts!

 

Now any old school journeyman tree cabler readily admits that cabling any tree/branch will weaken it in due time. Therefore it becomes of paramount importance to install a system durable enough to last as long as possible.

 

What's my real beef with synthetic dynamic cabling systems?

 

Both it's durability compared to drop forged galvanized steel systems, and it's attachment method's girdling characteristics.

 

Now trees shedding branches in storms is quite common, and can be considered a natural part of the environment our cabling systems are exposed to over time.

So let's say a locust tree branch or other rough barked species happens to fall across our cable? Gets hung up in a manner it plays across the cable like a violin string? Which cable will withstand that wind powered abrasion longest? Can fire be considered a natural aspect of a cabling system's environment? What type of cabling withstands fire longest?

 

Are girdling connections even suited to withstand the cable's tension ratings without fatally girdling soft barked tree species like Alnus and Betula once that much pressure is exerted?

 

Trying to replace traditional steel hardware cabling systems with an inferior system unable to withstand the same forces traditional systems have successfully withstood for over a century?

 

Now what the heck has all this cabling rant got to do with this thread's title?

 

Well, it's like this. In the same sense that snow/water/fruit loading of trees and branches trigger reaction wood growth sufficient to bear that weight?

 

I started an experiment to artificially mimic the branch loading that triggers reaction wood formation in the lateral branches of a friend/client's Tipu tree.

 

First I pruned the entire tree bout a year ago. Then attached 3 hose spools around the base using a tension spring inside a plastic conduit that expands to accommodate new trunk girth. Each spool has 4 watering lines plumbed to it, with inner stainless steel wire cables to support the hanging potted plants I hung from each lateral branch. A total of 12 plants, 4 on each spool. Each plant supported by wire, and automatically watered by the outer hose, set to a timer.

 

So each time the plants are watered the branches are burdened with a weight of water that slowly dissipates. A mimicry of the naturally occurring branch burdening loads that stimulate reaction wood growth.

[jomoco]

Another pic of the system.

[jomoco]

Note that I'm attempting to do the exact opposite of what a dynamic cabling system does.

My system is designed to cyclically burden the branches with a water burden that slowly dissipates. The exact opposite of proving branch support.

 

Jomoco

[jomoco]

Stronger lateral branches and runoff water are the symbiotic benefits for the Tipu tree of course.

 

Jomoco

[David Humphries]

Hello Jomoco,

 

Interesting thread and experiment.

 

Not entirely sure that the UK is in the same position as the US regarding unwarranted bracing.

 

The majority of what I have been involved in or witnessed here over the last 20 - 25 years appears to have been installed predominantly on structural defects.

 

others may have differing experience.

 

There was definitely a drop off on using bracing/support here in the Uk in the latter part of the nineties (due I guess to the increase in the liability factor) but the last 10 years have seen a steady rise in its specification. Guess this corresponds with the development and availability of these systems over here.

 

I imagine with the ongoing acknowledgement of how important veteran trees (and their associated habitats) are, we will see a further increase in the use of guying and bracing.

 

Personally I don't have a huge experience in the advantages and disadvantages of rigid against dynamic systems so will watch this thread develop with interest.

 

 

 

 

.

[daltontrees]

Most interesting, but am I issinbg something? How are you planning to measure and analyse the results? Will you be cutting off the branches after a few years and measuring the growth increments?

[jomoco]

Thanks David. I envy your arboricultural knowledge and writing skills mate.

 

If these new dynamic systems used galvanized steel hardware with inline compression springs to achieve a limited movement throw, so common to the line pole utility industry, and traditional attachment methods?

 

The crux of this matter will be decided in a court of law IMO. It will involve an insurance company plaintiff against the synthetic cable mfr and the company that installed it. All the plaintiff needs to prove is that a traditional galvanized steel cabling system could have withstood the temps of the bldg fire that melted the synthetic system causing the damages prompting the lawsuit.

 

Just my opinion of course.

 

Jomoco

[treeseer]

To confuse matters further, aside from the drop-forged galvanized fasteners that require big holes drilled, there is through-cabling with terminal fasteners, either [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIlmX00jlMk]Rigguy - Wire Stop® - YouTube[/ame] or file:///C:/Users/guy/Downloads/sp3062-2wedgegripde__%20(1).pdf

 

I've used both on dozens of trees. All are working successfully: the owners would be sure to let me know if they did not! If anyone wants to try them, pm me and I'll toss a few in the suitcase next month.

[jomoco]

So the never healing oval wound created by the cable itself exiting the drilled hole, created during wind side loading events, even in the spring/summer height of beetle flight and infestation season, are not negative factors in your professional opinion Guy?

 

I mean considering that the exact abrasive damage caused by through cabling without using throughbolts, is in truth isolated between the thimble and circle of a throughbolt using traditional static steel cabling systems?

 

So your professional opinion is to push an inferior cabling system that can wound a tree during beetle flight season, over the traditional method that does not wound a tree regardless of which direction the wind blows from?

 

And that's just one example of Rigguy's many drawbacks. At least Buckingham's version does not totally distort the cable's natural lay, thereby failing to get the cable mfr's endorsement or approval.

 

Jomoco

Edited April 14, 2014 by jomoco

[jomoco]

Most interesting, but am I issinbg something? How are you planning to measure and analyse the results? Will you be cutting off the branches after a few years and measuring the growth increments?

 

Nah, you ain't missing nothin Jules.

 

I met the client through an exotic plant society club many years ago, who upon learning I was an old arborist, asked me about cabling her Tipu?

 

No structural defects to warrant cabling support. So I give it a lateral branch reduction prune, and set it up with a novel new lateral branch exercise harness with the express intention of strengthening the laterals supporting the plants.

 

She says they dance together in the wind in an almost choreographed manner.

 

The system's over a year old now, and has withstood 3 high wind events.

 

The attraction of the system for the client is purely aesthetic. The ability to keep 12 types of beautifully flowering plants in hanging pots contrasted against the tree at the exact same, or varying heights. With say 36 hanging plants to choose from? She can use her tree as a living canvas to display her beautiful blooming exotic plants on.

 

I first got the idea for this project from an old eccentric lady client of mine.

 

Removed a strategic beetle kill euc over her house. While strolling about her hilltop property, I noticed a beautiful lemon euc that had lower laterals with bowling balls hung from them by trampoline springs! I was dumbfounded as I stood there transfixed by the beautifully bouncing balls in the afternoon wind.

My curiosity as to whether that eccentric old lady was smarter than I thought got the best of me. Sure enough she laughed at me merrily sayin she exercised em in the spring and summer, and took em down in the fall.

 

Her logic, but replacing the bowling balls with hanging plants n stuff was my idea I tell yu!

 

Jomoco:biggrin: