Fracture Pruning Retrenchment on Fulham Oak

[conkers]

For or against, if only we could ask our grandchildren.

If the answer to this method is clear in a couple of years, I guess the tree is a gonner.

 

We are still trying to undo bad practice from thirty years ago. Topped trees can have a healthy looking full crown to the public but we know they are in decline, it just takes time and the public do not see the results of our mistakes in our life time.

Sounds like I an preaching to the converted but surely we should up our tree planting by 90% away from human habitat and plant suitable trees in the urban environment.

The mass will win in the end, the mass live in the sprawl and they usually don't like large trees.

The method used in this thread seems crazy to me and is maybe tokenism.

The money spent on four days tree climbing could plant quite a few new trees.

[David Humphries]

Thanks for the post Conkers.

Interesting and possibly very valid points.

 

For a broader picture this Trees environment is 600 acres of Heath/Woodland (Not truly Urban) and as such we have a non replant policy relying on natural regen and Tree/Woodland management.

 

This Fulham is an historical and rare tree and as such the time and expense is justified and GVFM, imho.

[David Humphries]

Nearly a year on from this great little hatchet job.

 

A couple of during shots and a couple from today.

[Pete Mctree]

Do you think that the painstaking effort of cornet cutting of each limb, compared to crude reduction with tears etc makes any diference in the patterns of regrowth and vigour?

[David Humphries]

This was mainly fracturing as opposed to coronetting, Pete.

 

There is very strong regrowth along the exposed cambium of the "natural" fractures here, which I like to believe would not have been as prevelant on target pruned wounds.

This technique is largely about wood fibre wounding that is not faciltated by a saw.

 

But we are talking about a Hybrid Cerris here, so vigour of regrowth is more or less a given.

 

 

Not sure I know what to say about ther crude torn reductions comment cause I ain't no "Bloomin Pikey":sneaky2:

So unqualified to share an opinion on that particular field of work.

 

 

 

 

.

[Pete Mctree]

This was mainly fracturing as opposed to coronetting, Pete.

 

There is very strong regrowth along the exposed cambium of the "natural" fractures here, which I like to believe would not have been as prevelant on target pruned wounds.

This technique is largely about wood fibre wounding that is not faciltated by a saw.

 

But we are talking about a Hybrid Cerris here, so vigour of regrowth is more or less a given.

 

 

Not sure I know what to say about ther crude torn reductions comment cause I ain't no "Bloomin Pikey":sneaky2:

So unqualified to share an opinion on that particular field of work.

 

 

 

 

.

 

i think it would be good to brutalise a tree for a comparison. Maybe my less orthodox pruning may provide similar strong apical regrowth:001_tongue:

[toprotter]

Good job read the pdf with interest

like the dead hedging/chestnut to reduce risk/liability. Do alot of habitat piles, sometimes wonder why I bought a chipper !

Its a funny thing from being told/taught how improtant cutts are to codit and the trees response, to seeing coronet/fracture cutts initially but everything has its place and in the right setting and at the right time in the trees phenology ,for its habitat value I dont think it can be knocked.

just helping mother nature in a controlled form

[mattylee]

monkeyd, my uncle lives on hamstead heath and he has been telling me there putting this into practice there...where do you work?

[David Humphries]

monkeyd, my uncle lives on hamstead heath and he has been telling me there putting this into practice there...where do you work?

 

That would be us Matty

[Yorkshireman]

David

given the site, age, amenity value & potential risk hazard, aiding the tree to appear as natural as possible whilst reducing the wind sail,therefore mitigating the risk has been a success, coupled with the improvised cordon/ habitat pile/ bonfire waiting to happen on 5th.nov

 

That However Doesnt mean I'm a complete convert to coronets however within this context,

 

you guys are sucessfully prolonging the amentiy, habit & bio diversity of tree stock within a managed environment & that is what WE are about imo

 

Well Done M8