Reduction tips needed!!

[Grüße]

I've not been climbing for too long,and most of my experience has been in Australia where reductions seemed to be non existant. I have recently been asked to carry out a few reduction jobs, and although I'm happy to do the work and the clients are happy afterwards, I'm not confident in my ability and I havent been too impressed with my finished product!! I have watched other climbers carry out reductions with ease countless times, but as soon as I get into the canopy I seem to get 'lost', and truth be told it becomes a little bit like guess work.

 

The reductions I've done haven't been terrible, (I'm cutting to growth points and using correct pruning cuts ect) but there is certainly much to be improved. I find that I'm getting out the tree a lot to find the shape isn't right, getting back in, getting knackered, stressed out...and it seems to take me bloody ages. I consider myself a competent climber and my dismantles and rigging work is pretty good...but these reductions are getting me down!!

 

Please can I get some sound advice on the best ways of getting a nicely rounded shape, and tips on how not to become lost in the tree and quicken up?

 

I know I may be ripped into for this but I needed to ask!! Cheers.

[Paul Cleaver]

1. get a good groundie - he is your eyes on the ground

2. when reducing look closely from the ground where you want to make your cuts

[Rich Rule]

I tend to reduce from within the crown leave plenty of growth where possible. Then reduce the leaders back in a bit of needed to refine the shape.

[Frankie Lawrence]

start at the top and work your way down and round like peelng an orange is the way I was taught... so you can drop the stuff through the crown if you cant get it out of the tree easily this way you can get all the hangers out on the way around and you havent spent ages getting a nice growth point only to smash it off with the top of the tree... try having a look from the top of the tree before you get down usual gives you a good idea give the groundy a shout to check if unsure.. one day itll just click i know it did with me just need practice

[ArborClimber]

You will hear it alot with your question probably, but just to emphasize....

 

A good groundie. A good one will say, "there's a bit sticking out there, reduce that twig there, etc, etc". Chat about it beforehand so he knows what you and the customer are expecting.

 

Start at the top. Again, communication with a good ground team is important. Get to a point on the top, make a cut, and work the shape from there. If you are uncertain, ask your groundie how he thinks it might look if you made your cut where you would like to.

 

If there are any good companies in your area, ask if you could work along on a few reductions to get a better feel for it, or ask someone on here.

 

Of course, are we talking about little 8 metre cherry trees, or 30 metre protected oaks?

 

After patience and practice though, is when you will see results. Just keep practicing!

[Hodge]

Less is more apparently

[josharb87]

Start at top middle, look around at your next cuts/crown line, do a cut, look for your next, don't be afraid to cut a branch out of no decent growth point in the line you want (aslong as it doesn't leave a huge hole in the crown

[Scott Farmborough]

As others have said start at the top and work down. Imagine yourself in a giant dome, as your working down from the top bring the cuts further out and remember to keep it rounded and not square...obviously this all depends on suitable growth points.

[Mick Dempsey]

As others have said start at the top and work down. Imagine yourself in a giant dome, as your working down from the top bring the cuts further out and remember to keep it rounded and not square...obviously this all depends on suitable growth points.

 

Giant dome, I do the same thing, a kind of invisible line.

The only other thing I'd say is don't ask groundies. You know what they say about things built by committee

[Woodcrafter]

Always try to gauge what you are going to take off in approx meters look at the trees general shape the curve at the sides where it is possibly unbalanced at all in envisage the shape you would like to create.

As said before start at the top. When choosing a suitable growth point to cut back to look all around you baring in mind other available growth points when you have decided that you can see enough available at the approximate amounts you want to take off you can start. Try and use your growth points as your guide from one to another to create a flowing canopy line if you have to shorten your growth point slightly to keep it in shape do so it will only annoy you when you get down and you have one whispy bit poking out.

I like to keep the tree in a natural as possible almost as if it hasn't been touched to the untrained eye.

Once you've started at the top and you are happy with a good few growth points around you and on your chosen path I generally like to go straight down choosing a line that I know I can get to as many points as possible from my chosen route. Don't struggle to get to pieces that you can get from other routes down. Also try not to reduce too much underneath areas where you haven't pruned above even if you think you I can get that and it's in shape and will look good there's nothing worse than cutting a branch above for it to snap off a growth point that you've left below. Any way try not too get down unless you are really unhappy you are going to slow down your day get yourself over tired. Keep at it you'll get better with each one and be reducing without too much thought in no time.

Hope this has helped please excuse my spelling and punctuation.

Phil