Poplar advice needed please.

[JaneC]

We've got 4 great big poplars in the middle of our garden. We think they're balsam poplars, (smell nice and have big red catkins in the spring).

They have been dropping branches for a few years now and the dropped branches are getting bigger year by year. We've had a couple of quotes to have them removed, (will struggle to afford it as it's quite a lot of money.)

I'd appreciate a bit of advice as to whether it's possible to reduce the size of these trees and let a bit more sunlight in. If we had the length of the branches reduced would this take some of the weight off and make them less likely to drop?. Somebody told us that removing branches from these poplars may cause them to "unravel"??

We only have wood heating in the house but we've been told these poplars are rubbish for firewood. Is this right? If we could use them for fuel this would help with the cost of removal.

Lastly, if we had them cut down to say 15 ft. would they resprout or would new growth be really weak and more dangerous?

Sorry if these are really stupid questions.

Thanks, Jane

[Ian C]

Also remember that poplar can sucker from the roots, not a problem if you look after your garden, we felled 4 pops about 5 yes ago poised the stumps, git a call 6 months later to say the were still living, went round the stumps were dead alright but the owners had decided to make there garden a "nature garden" when I got there there were hundreds of 3ft pop suckers! .

 

Pop is a second grade firewood, as above keep it dry and it's OK, I wouldn't want a full load delivering if I was paying for it but OK if mixed in or free.

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Edited September 15, 2016 by Ian C

[treequip]

Got to dissagree on the " rubbish " firewood bit . Yes it will soak up water if not kept under cover once seasoned but as long as you do keep it dry it is very good fire wood . There was a chap on here who said he boiled his central heating using it .

 

What he said, and lets not overlook the fact that the client saves by not paying someone to cart it away and no matter how low grade, free firewood is still free firewood.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Hi Jane, it sounds like the trees have outgrown their usefulness / space and removal, and ideally replacement but with something smaller, would be the best option all round...perhaps one per year for budgeting purposes.

 

In order to get the best control to avoid the 'suckers' problems colleagues have mentioned I'd drill and poison the tree prior to removal, do it very quickly now as nearing end of growing season, drill n apply it to the cambium layer (just under the bark) and then treat the stump the same way ideally prior to removal / grinding. Thereafter if any suckers appear, which they probably will, selectively spray them too. Poplars can be very difficult to fully remove and make take several years and a few goes.

 

Good luck,

Paul...adding his ten'penneth

 

PS Personally, with Pops, I wouldn't go down the pruning / reduction option as this is likely to create future management problems...again as colleagues have mentioned.

[JaneC]

Thanks for all the replies. Removing one a year sound's like a good idea. Removing all 4 at once would be too much of a shock I think (for us and the wildlife). We could also see how much wood we could get out of 1 tree as we've got room under cover to store it, although getting tree surgeon to cut into small enough pieces could be expensive, (please don't suggest we get our own chainsaw, we can cause enough damage with a hedge trimmer ). Thanks again everyone.

[treequip]

Thanks for all the replies. Removing one a year sound's like a good idea. Removing all 4 at once would be too much of a shock I think (for us and the wildlife). We could also see how much wood we could get out of 1 tree as we've got room under cover to store it, although getting tree surgeon to cut into small enough pieces could be expensive, (please don't suggest we get our own chainsaw, we can cause enough damage with a hedge trimmer ). Thanks again everyone.

 

Quick tip

 

Chainsaw trainers are often in need of suitable sites for training and asking costs nothing

[JaneC]

Thanks treequip, that's good to know.

[Stubby]

Quick tip

 

Chainsaw trainers are often in need of suitable sites for training and asking costs nothing

 

 

I had visions of a pair of steel toe capped Nikes then ...........

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

I had visions of a pair of steel toe capped Nikes then ...........

 

Hahaha, was waiting for that one

[waterbuoy]

Thanks for the advice re suckers chaps

 

Off to research suitable herbicides now!