Monkey puzzles

[R-P]

Just section felled one. My hands are all swollen from getting bits of their spikes stuck in my knuckles. Anyone had this problem before, I've had the same problem when working with blackthorn but nowhere near as bad as this!

[daltontrees]

Pruning spikes; rubber covered tips so they don't damage the cambium

 

 

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Don't use ordinary spikes on a monkey puzzle. They will bleed and bleed and bleed, leaving white resin running down the stem and solidifying there for years. Please don't do it. Use a ladder.

 

The vascular cambium in mature mionkey puzzles is a good inch or more below te surface. The cork cambium is right on the surface and very easy to damage.

[kev7937]

Had the pleasure of reducing a smallish multi stemmed one several years ago, I just covered every inch of bare skin possible, thick coat 2 pairs of gloves etc.

don't think we even bothered chipping it, went straight on the fire

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Just up in Staffordshire moorlands today, there seems to be a monkey puzzle tree in every second garden! Spotted this one just off A52 looks to have had stem felled at about 6' then left to re-grow, hadn't seen such measures before, seems to be doing ok from just a quick passing snapshot. Be interesting to see how it holds out in years to come.

 

Apols for poor pic exposure, I'll polish it up and re-post later.

[Gary Prentice]

thanks everybody, thats probably answered the question.

Rob, is there such a thing as pruning spikes? also the tree is has a tpo, would you still get away with spikes ?

 

It's an in-joke, like every request for a plant ident gets a "its hornbeam". So, no spikes.

 

I've laddered up to the first whorl before (for ease of access), then climbed it like anything else with a similar growth habit (eg pines) Glasses under the visor helps and gloves of course.

 

If you need to hold a limb, grasp it as you move your hand towards the tips so the leaves are flattened and you don't get spiked too much:lol:

 

For chipping it seems easier to insert tips first, but well snedded into straight pieces otherwise they stick at the rollers.

 

They're not too bad - say compared to being poked in the eye with a sharp stick:thumbup:

[bob]

Just put wine corks on your normal spikes

Works so well your mates will be smiling all day

Go on give it a go

[Deeco]

Tree bicycle would be ideal for this kind of thing exact same as spikes on straight climbs without any damage to the tree. Saves expense on mewps etc and keeps you off wobbly ladders.

[Rich Rule]

Throw a throwline over the tree. Before you pull a climb line line into the tree though. Try and manipulate the throw line close to the trunk on the side you are gonna ascend.

 

Tie a small pulley into the line and install your climbing setup. Pull the whole lot up the tree and tie off the leg at the base. Climb rope as normal. Spikey and not very nice but doable.

Edited May 11, 2014 by Rich Rule

[Sandworks]

Ugh! Sub time!……very easy to damage, scars easily,bleeds for weeks, and thats just your hands:lol:

Your ropes will get picked.If you damage the cabi you'll have crap stuck on everything, mewp is the way to go,if you have access,and budget,

Easiest way is drop it….. "its easy to climb a fallen tree":big grin:

Spikes?????are you kidding…. if it is not being dropped then no way?

Probably not what you want to hear but thats the reality…. !

[Joe Newton]

I'm trying to upload a vid of a Chilean pine deadwood I did earlier this year.

Bear with me, it might be ready this time tomorrow.

 

 

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