Opinions please

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

According to bs3998 only trees upto 200mm at a height of 3m should be pollarded. So how can anything over that be classed as a pollard unless it is re-pollarding?

7.10 Pollarding

If pollarding is to be carried out, it should preferably start soon after

the tree has become established and is between 25 mm to 50 mm in

diameter at the selected height of pollarding (often 2 m to 3 m). The

initial pollarding cut should be made at a height which reflects site

usage but which, if possible, allows some of the pre-existing foliage

to be retained, in order to maintain physiological function and thus

reduce the probability of dieback or death.

If the tree divides into a number of stems or branches below a height

of 3 m, these should be individually cut so as to initiate a “candelabra”

framework.

If the stem has attained a diameter of more than 50 mm, but less than

about 200 mm at 2 m to 3 m height, pollarding may still be initiated.

The tree should be cut at or near the same height as a younger tree,

but extra care should be taken to retain some existing branches. Larger

trees should not normally be treated in this way (see Annex C for severe

cutting for special purposes).

 

Remembering BS3998 is 'guidance and recommendations', the content, including the above, is a start point for planning works.

 

The standard does give scope to 'vary' from the recommendations but only where a clear justification is determined.

 

Hence, back to Skyhuck's post, we don't know what this is.

 

Nonetheless we can speculate where there are things to be discussed and learned..perhaps.

 

Cheers..

Paul

[waz77]

Yes you're right Paul. TO here would usually insist that work is carried out to bs3998 unless under special circumstances, not to say the TO there does the same there,or if there are circumstances we dont know about. Does seem a tad odd tho.

[treequip]

So why have BS if we're not adhering to them, and why have a forum if not to discus things?

 

 

Clients for the most part don't give a monkeys about 3998, the tree is a possession like any other, that's why for the greater part we don't work to B.S.

 

As far as discussion goes, its what you discuss. Ripping into someone else's work and second guessing them and T.O's based on some here say is pointless

 

 

That tree looks bad but that's how it looks, no end of chat is going to change that or prevent it happening again.

[PC tree]

Clients for the most part don't give a monkeys about 3998, the tree is a possession like any other, that's why for the greater part we don't work to B.S.

 

 

 

As far as discussion goes, its what you discuss. Ripping into someone else's work and second guessing them and T.O's based on some here say is pointless

 

 

 

 

 

That tree looks bad but that's how it looks, no end of chat is going to change that or prevent it happening again.

 

 

Ok calm down, and I am not the one "ripping" into someone's work. As I am still slightly green at it I wanted opinions as to why theses guides are in place if "for the greater part" nobody works to them??

[kev7937]

Terminology is interesting, often subjective and personal. I would describe that as 'lopping', i.e. in the mid-upper crown region and involving inter-nodal cuts.

 

'Topping', for me, would have been much further down the stem.

 

Either way, it's certainly not BS3998 compliant

 

Paul

 

An old timer "traditonal" tree surgeon once said to me they used to climb up and do the topping and then shuffle out as far as they could and lop off the branches, I'm sure there's not a proper definition but this guy was in his 60's and had inherited the business from his father so his description went back a fair way.

[treequip]

Ok calm down, and I am not the one "ripping" into someone's work. As I am still slightly green at it I wanted opinions as to why theses guides are in place if "for the greater part" nobody works to them??

 

You might not think that but putting a picture on the net and saying hey up lads what do you think of this, is ripping into someone elses work.

 

Do you know first hand what was said, what the spec was? If you don't its all just hear say, gossip and rumour.

 

You could have asked the question without the picture

[Johny Walker]

thats lopped & topped ,

[PC tree]

You might not think that but putting a picture on the net and saying hey up lads what do you think of this, is ripping into someone elses work.

 

 

 

Do you know first hand what was said, what the spec was? If you don't its all just hear say, gossip and rumour.

 

 

 

You could have asked the question without the picture

 

 

I also wasn't the one calling it "bad"

But thanks for your opinion.

[Acg128]

I think its treequips work seeing as he's taken such offence.

[RobRainford]

thats lopped & topped ,

 

 

There's a 'group' near me advertising that. Maybe it was them? Or a long distance cousin?