Reducing mature holm oak?

[Finsfro]

Hello

I have job coming up where the customer wishes to reduce the whole canopy of a massive holm oak. It has taken over his entire garden and is putting his neighbours under shade. It's a shame to be touching it at all but the customer is adamant about reclaiming some of his garden.

I was wondering if it would be best practice to do it in stages, as in, this year open up spots in the canopy to encourage growth further in the tree, which can take over when the second stage is done.

Or. Just top it all around in one go if it's going to eppy back anyway?

I should add are is no significant pruning points

[treeseer]

Sorry you got no reply on this! It depends of course but it's no shame finding a compromise short of butchery. Limit the size of wounds, is the main thing. Got a picture? Maybe also post in Tree Health Care?

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Hello

I have job coming up where the customer wishes to reduce the whole canopy of a massive holm oak. It has taken over his entire garden and is putting his neighbours under shade. It's a shame to be touching it at all but the customer is adamant about reclaiming some of his garden.

I was wondering if it would be best practice to do it in stages, as in, this year open up spots in the canopy to encourage growth further in the tree, which can take over when the second stage is done.

Or. Just top it all around in one go if it's going to eppy back anyway?

I should add are is no significant pruning points

 

Doing it in stages, i.e. phased pruning, would probably be the best option...trouble is also a more expensive on for the client.

 

Hoping you're a good "tree welfare" salesman, remember point are it took the tree years to get to this size, so hitting it hard isn't generally good, plus 'topping / lopping' hurts trees and excessive pruning may result in extensive regrowth = future problems.

 

Just quick "thoughts out loud"..

 

Good luck.

Paul

 

PS This approach aligns with BS3998 2010 too

[Mick Dempsey]

The ones I've seen have come back almost "lime like"

There was talk of bark peel from the pruning points on a similar thread some time back.

If the client knows what he wants best not disappoint him.

[Mick Dempsey]

This one was "rounded over" a good while ago, not by me. Came back ok.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

The ones I've seen have come back almost "lime like".

 

Not necessarily a good thing, "last gasp" trying to recover photosynthetic material removed.

 

If the client knows what he wants best not disappoint him.

 

Hmmmm , admittedly they're the one paying the bill tho

[Mick Dempsey]

Hi Paul, you see that's another thing that I find a bit daft, when the industry uses pejorative words like "last gasp" and "panic" it marks the regrowth as somehow bad.

That oak came back fine, nothing last gasp or panic about it.

What I see on here is a scenario I've come across often, client wants tree reduced like this holm oak owner, tree surgeon (overflowing with college fed dogma) goes round tells him you mustn't do this or that or the tree may die.

"bad tree owner" thinks about it does it anyway, the tree looks and is fine, original tree surgeon looks like a mug, and lost the job.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Hi Paul, you see that's another thing that I find a bit daft, when the industry uses pejorative words like "last gasp" and "panic" it marks the regrowth as somehow bad.

That oak came back fine, nothing last gasp or panic about it.

What I see on here is a scenario I've come across often, client wants tree reduced like this holm oak owner, tree surgeon (overflowing with college fed dogma) goes round tells him you mustn't do this or that or the tree may die.

"bad tree owner" thinks about it does it anyway, the tree looks and is fine, original tree surgeon looks like a mug, and lost the job.

 

So, a disparity between 'theory' n 'practice' yeah. I guess the middle-ground is experience and perhaps tree species, i.e. vigour / vitality / condition, etc. n your comments are very valid...in relation to this species, and maybe Lime etc.

 

Good stuff Mick, cheers

Paul

 

PS Who's panicking ...looks like you've got the job

[treeseer]

Does 'bark peel' mean cambial dieback below the cut?

 

I've seen few trees that could not handle a judicious 10%-12% overall reduction. Beneficial for most large trees.

[Fredward]

I would guess that he is talking more like 25-40%?!!

 

How about reducing as much as feasable as well as a thin/lift?