How would you manage this Veteran

[David Humphries]

I've noticed that proper pollarding leaves one leafed stem intact until the other pollarded stems have suckered, before it too gets whacked back.

 

Kinda like one pump primer left alone and working until the others are recovered.

 

Jomoco

 

Think thats' referred to as a 'giraffe' pollard

Leaving the one sap riser to keep the tree pumping assimilates between the green top things and the brown tendrilly things under ground.

 

Pollarders used to go round to different sited cutting the particular poles they or the tree owners wanted (for there specific requirements) leaving the ones they didn't want to keep growing bigger or weighted them to create specific shapes.

 

I've seen 'giraffe' prunning attempted here in the uk as a way of restoring lapsed pollards but don't think it's particularly successful.

 

 

 

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[MattyF]

I would do it right now unless it's starting to swell it's buds already or try and time it before its second flush in the summer... Which virtually may prove to be impossible to time but don't prune if there is a drought! .

2 meters sounds a very sensible spec for that tree, and as Sean says don't damage or try and thin the crown in any way.

[bolthole]

Kinda, like a stem that is weakly anchored.

 

 

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Gotcha.

 

I see quite a lot of stuff like this so it's good to have an idea how to approach them.

 

What would you say to fencing off and mulching over the grassed area? Maybe try and keep dogs off too somehow?

[Macca]

I think mulching is a great idea and have suggested it for many a tree. I generally get the response that it will be too messy as the mulch blow around if not maintained.

 

Out of interest why would dogs be a problem?

[Macca]

I would do it right now unless it's starting to swell it's buds already or try and time it before its second flush in the summer...

 

 

I postponed the pruning so I could assess the vigour of the crown when it is in full leaf.

I think this will give me a better idea of where to prune back to.

[David Humphries]

I postponed the pruning so I could assess the vigour of the crown when it is in full leaf.

I think this will give me a better idea of where to prune back to.

 

Good call

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[bolthole]

I think mulching is a great idea and have suggested it for many a tree. I generally get the response that it will be too messy as the mulch blow around if not maintained.

 

Out of interest why would dogs be a problem?

 

I don't know in detail, but I hear that repeated applications of urine effects the cambium and also the soil. Can someone (David?) comment further?

 

Might be best not to discuss this in terms of just dogs (although dog urine might well be particularly bad somehow) as in an urban environment it's clearly not just dogs that wee on trees! I think dogs do do it as part of their territorial behavious though but I'm definitely NOT pointing the finger at dogs or dog owners...

[David Humphries]

I don't know in detail, but I hear that repeated applications of urine effects the cambium and also the soil. Can someone (David?) comment further?........

 

Not sure if anyone's studied this in depth but there is mention of it in text books and this 'blog' sheds some interesting light on the issue.....

 

Why You Shouldn't Let Your Dog Pee on Trees - CityLab

 

 

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[sean]

Not sure if anyone's studied this in depth but there is mention of it in text books and this 'blog' sheds some interesting light on the issue.....

 

Why You Shouldn't Let Your Dog Pee on Trees - CityLab

 

 

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When I was working in Richmond Park there seemed to be a much higher rate of decline in he Oaks that were situated right next to the car parks. Cars pull up, dogs get out and run to the copse of Oaks adjacent and do their thing.

[David Humphries]

When I was working in Richmond Park there seemed to be a much higher rate of decline in he Oaks that were situated right next to the car parks. Cars pull up, dogs get out and run to the copse of Oaks adjacent and do their thing.

 

Likewise, 'anecdotally' seen this at lots of sites where there are trees around car parks.

 

 

 

 

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