Pollarding a tree in leaf.

[kentjames]

Ok, bear with me on this one, not my usual approach by any means !!

 

Having been pushed from pillar to post with trying to organise the pollarding of a Black Poplar between two properties, owned by two separate companies / housing associations I presented to you all the following dilemma.

 

• The tree has dropped two major branches, one missed everything (and prompted my first letter to one of the owners) and the second dropped on and distroyed a cherry tree (which we had put in a 211 for pruning in a conservation area ) and narrowly missing the boiler room.

 

• This makes this tree in our eyes a danger to residence of both properties
  

 

• >>If/When<< we ever get the go ahead from one of the owners (they have yet to agree to spread the cost) we wish to Pollard the tree back to make it safe and still preserve a tree in situ
  

 

Now the big question, does anyone think it would work pollarding whilst in leaf? It has broken bud already but I cannot see us getting in to do the tree for another 2 - 4 weeks depending on if the other association ever pull their finger out?

 

I must reiterate, this is not my usual chosen practice at this time of the year but given the danger this tree poses I feel it needs doing asap (we said this to them about 3 months ago when it all started!)

 

Answers on a postcard, fag packet or just hit the reply button

[john p]

Poplars love it! Shouldn't do it too much harm

[Adam M]

What conditions did the branches break out in?

Could pollarding wait until end of July/August? (not that poplars care about when you cut them too much).

[10 Bears]

Well, I've not written a postcard in years and I don't smoke - so Ill go for the reply button option.

 

I'm going to make a few assumptions here:

 

1. This is a big tree i.e. 45 dbh+

2. There are no significant diseases/compounding factors/root damage etc.

3. The tree has previously shown good to vigorous regrowth i.e. after pruning/damage.

 

Now assuming that all 3 above can be answered with Yes, No, Yes, then I don't believe you will have a problem. The reasons are as follows:

 

1. The tree will have a large degree of reserves/sugars in the root system that will power the regrowth. There will be little spent after the winter storage and the initial putting on of shoots for this season. Whenever anyone tops a tree (I know he's talking about pollarding but it amounts to the same), then within 5 years you get lateral bud proliferation, leading to extension growth around the wound area, and the tree will be back to its previous or even bigger size. So, this pollarding will be no different.

 

2. Assuming the tree is healthy, there are no other major/unusual demands on the system, so following the hormonal trigger ie holy Moses, my top has snapped off - must grow a new one, the tree is biologically adapted to deal with this kind of damage. I don't know about you, but I have seen many wind snapped trees regrow with (aside from looking ugly), little to suggest that this was an event that hindered their physiological processes. Yes, there is the shoot/height ratio to consider - but I don't think the tree has read about this yet...

 

3. Its easy to forget, that the tree is *roughly* a bit less below ground biomass then above. The benefit to this is that following the major catastrophes such as having your top snapped off, or indeed pollarded, then a reaction can take place - through polar auxin transportation, and the auxins get to work their magic and create new apical growth. Lots of people ignore this - even some experts, but trees are far more hardy then many give them credit for. Have you ever seen a farmer chain flail a hedge to destruction, then it recovers that season? They will react to maintain their apical dominance in exactly the same way a tree that has been topped will.

 

So, in short pollard away. Assuming what I said previously, you wont have any problems.

[bats2489]

Seeing as pollarding was traditionally done in the height of summer to provide fodder for animals, it's not going to be a problem at all pollarding now. Yes sap is rising but there will still be plenty of energy reserves to cope with it. Although being poplar, in between two buildings, would it not be better to fell, grind and replant with something more appropriate?

 

 

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[MATTMOSS]

Just remember pollarding is labour intensive and will require repeated instances of work to keep it structurally sound.

[treeseer]

Just remember pollarding is labour intensive and will require repeated instances of work to keep it structurally sound.

Not frequent if cuts are small. (not really pollarding then but retrenchment actually)..Last poplar I reduced (in Canada last summer) we spec <5 cm cuts all over. The regrowth will be mostly on the interior, not at the cut surfaces, so it will be well attached. No reason to cause a lot of rot is there?

 

A pole pruner was essential as those branches were snapping off under my feet if i was not careful.

 

The objective is to make reduction cuts so that branch tips are left intact on the outer edge of a new, smaller canopy.”4 …Reduction pruning anticipates the natural process of “growing downward.”5 …”A 15% reduction can increase the stability of a branch6 or a tree7by 50%.

 

5. Ancient Trees * Growing Downwards:

An ageing strategy for survival and longevity – a non*arborists view. Green, Ted 2009 http://www.treeworks.co.uk/downloads/Veteran_Environmental_Papers/Growing_Downwards_ancient_trees_Jan_05.pdf Page 4

6. Fracture Diagnosis of Trees Part 2: statics-Integrated Methods - Statically-Integrated Assessment (SIA) The Practitioner's Method of Diagnosis Lothar Wessolly Stadt und Gruen 1995, No. 8, 570-573

7. Final Report: Development of Risk Criteria for Branch Failures within the Crowns of Trees Goodfellow, John 2009, BioCompliance Consulting

Edited April 15, 2014 by treeseer

[treequip]

Now the big question, does anyone think it would work pollarding whilst in leaf?

 

 

Its a Poplar, harder to kill than a cockroach.

 

If its in good health you could knock it back to a pole in the middle of summer and it wouldn't die.

 

It would be wise to let your client know that the tree will need maintenance pruning in the future.

[jon bown]

Its a Poplar, harder to kill than a cockroach.

 

If its in good health you could knock it back to a pole in the middle of summer and it wouldn't die.

 

It would be wise to let your client know that the tree will need maintenance pruning in the future.

 

Many valid comments don't disagree with any of them

One point to add

Polypore sqamosa

In my opinion and experience appears to hit pops hard I now recommend fell and replant as its so rife around here

Cost benifit analysis and risk through weak point of attachment sanction most pops to firewood pile for me

However I always if timing and location allows use hardwood cuttings to retain the trees presence

Hope your all enjoy the sun not long till the bass will in happy days

[kentjames]

Hi all

 

Thank you for all your replies, I like the general consensus of the yes vote

 

To answer a few questions.

 

Client is aware of the on going maintenance of the tree once pollarded. It would be a great shame to remove it completely. It is not between the buildings as such but in the back gardens on the fence line. It does almost go over the roofs of the properties though so gives an idea to its size.

 

The branch failure happened in poor weather, yes one could argue the rest of the tree could stand fine for years but the client who asked us to carry out the works cannot have the 'risk' over and next to a rented block of flats.

 

I visited the site again today, there are some branches low down which will stay so hopefully that will help the cause. The buds haven't opened as much as my mate said they had so hopefully we can book this in for the next two weeks and have a result with the job and tree.

 

No signs of major issues with the tree, but there is some rot within the branch which failed - which explains its failure really!

 

Hopefully will follow this up in the next few weeks with some pics of the job, will be having Tom Cannon's Omme on the job so should be good

 

Thanks again all

James