Beech crown reduction advice

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

deadwood only IMO

[Riggerbear]

Ok, I'd defiantly check before carrying out any work.

Without sounding negative and without having a detailed look at the whole tree, I prefer the look of it as it is. Maybe a very light thin and removal of deadwood maybe more suitable ?

Feel free to ask as many questions as you want though mate.

[Greenhorn]

Thanks for the replies, definitely worth a rethink now! James I'm in Coventry but the job is in warwick.

 

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[fagus]

Why do anything. It is in lots of space.

 

It is a young, vigorous tree and will be back to much the same height in no time at all.

 

Pruning a tree once will not prevent it getting big, genetics and site characteristics control tree size.

[Chris at eden]

If the tree is TPO'd don't spec the work as a percentage, the TO would be well within their rights to refuse to validate. CR's must always be specified in linear metres of what is to be removed or the finished height. BS3998:2010. Also CR should be a last resort to address an issue. 20% of the extension is also too much, you could kill a mature beech with that. Not saying you will just that you can. Thinning is better for trees wound response and they look better when finished. If you must go with CR then no more than 10% of the extension on a mature tree so that's probably less than 2m. There is no such thing as a heavy crown reduction, that's lopping and topping.

 

Cheers,

[Joe Newton]

I'd just reduce the extension growth back into shape. The tree already has a wonderful shape, why change it? A few snips would certainly be better than an overall reduction. I'm in Rugby if you'd like some advice.

 

 

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[Joe Newton]

Though I do agree with Tony. Unless the client is dead set on a reduction I'd simply remove deadwood and leave alone.

 

 

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[Adam Bourne]

Thinning is one of the most useless specs going, in fact it could lead to more trouble for the tree itself! Thinning is normally carried out under a spec to "reduce wind sail" IME it can hinder the tree more doing this! As once the crown is open the wind can then be past through more easily leaving some limbs more vulnerable! The trees canopy relies greatly on what it has grown although some growth is not needed. Almost every thin I see is over done or lion tail and looks awful. What looks like a nice job to let light in for the customer has now turned the tree into a time bomb for wind damage. The tree is plenty enough away from the house and given the space it has a reduction clearly is not needed! 100% with tony on this one. Deadwood only

 

 

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[Chris at eden]

Thinning is one of the most useless specs going, in fact it could lead to more trouble for the tree itself! Thinning is normally carried out under a spec to "reduce wind sail" IME it can hinder the tree more doing this! As once the crown is open the wind can then be past through more easily leaving some limbs more vulnerable! The trees canopy relies greatly on what it has grown although some growth is not needed. Almost every thin I see is over done or lion tail and looks awful. What looks like a nice job to let light in for the customer has now turned the tree into a time bomb for wind damage. The tree is plenty enough away from the house and given the space it has a reduction clearly is not needed! 100% with tony on this one. Deadwood only

 

 

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Removing an excessive amount of foliage or lion-tailing is not crown thinning!!!! It is clearly staed that there is a maximum amount of leaf area to be removed within 3998. If work is carried out outside of this then this is not thinning. We as an industry have a written spec within a currnt British Standard which describes what pruning is or should be. If trees are thinned property the resultant increased movement of the remaining branches will increase taper and help the branches become more optimised.

 

Also, anyone advising thinning to reduce aerodynamic drag clearly has not read the standard. This does not work and is again stated in 3998. If deadwood is removed from the tree along with crossing and duplicated branches (what used to be called crown cleaning), and then the pruning is matched across the canopy, then how is this not a ligt thin????

 

Unfortuanatly not everyone works to best practice and those that dont cannot be considered to be arborists.

[Adam Bourne]

Can I ask why you quoted my post in your reply please? Are you agreeing or disagreeing with my post?

 

Adam.

 

 

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