Treeation

Absolutely spot on!! That what im going to be trying to do from now!!

Sounds sensible

Looks evil I'd forget it

Always quiet this time of year...nesting birds...bad time to do major pruning and most people haven't got their gardening hats on yet but it always picks up an a month or two. I enjoy the easier time of year...catch up with all the maintenance, admin and firewood processing...as well as having a bit more time off for myself

Sycamores are pretty hardy species which can be pollarded or coppiced and still keep going so I wouldnt worry too much! Maples can be susceptible to bleeding if pruned in early spring although there doesnt seem to be much evidence that bleeding actually causes any lasting health issues....possibly some visible, unsightly staining under the wound. The size of the cut you made is irrelavant until we know how big the main trunk is that connected the branch....i.e a 6ich wound on an 8 inch trunk would be more serious that a 6 inch wound on a 24inch trunk. The wound might well attract a bit of decay in the long term but a healthy tree will put on wound wood to compensate for loss of strengh. The best way to aid the tree's "healing" would be a well positioned clean cut the runs parallel with the branch collar which promotes formation of wound wood around the wound. Keeping the soil under the tree's crown heathy by adding 100mm of mulch, keeping the soil moist during drought periods and making sure the soil doesn't become compacted or eroded will help to maintain a healthy tree. Trying to keep squirrels out of the tree also helps as they like to strip the upperside of young sycamore branches/stems and gnaw bark of trunk too...this leads to substantial wounding and decay entry which quite often causes branches to snap off.

Hopefully you might expect to see 0.5-1m new growth by end of summer if the tree has some energy left and wasn't in too bad a state when it was cut.

Looks like a good bottle but on the base...much decay picked up on picus? any fruiting bodies identified?

Looks like atlas by form and ascending tips and blueish foliage

If you asking the question how to do it, in my opinion you shouldn't even attempt to do it, get a pro in. Lots to go wrong if you dont know what you are doing. Leaning trees, especially of that size, requires skill and experience to fell it safely. Not worth risking your life over.....

Managed to strip back the saw, to discover the needle bearing had melted into the clutch drum hence the problem! I was blocking down a big ash stem with it before and the saw chips blocked up in the side case and started burning! I took the side case off and removed the burning mass of chips but didnt look any further into the clutch at the time. Hopefully a new needle bearing should be all I need to get up and running again

Awesome thanks guys will check it out!

Hi, My 660, which was working beautifully last week, is playing up. Started it up to fell a big cherry stem and it cut out when I applied chainbrake, then tried to restart it and the starter cord snap back like mother ducker despite me pusing in the decompression button, god that proper smarts! Now when I try and start it the chain moves around as I pull the cord and cant get it running. Never had this problem with a saw in the 13years I have been doing tree work Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

Interesting, I will take note of the aspect nextime I see it happen

NPTC's in the relevant fields (depending on if you are a climber or just groundy) & public liabilty insurance

Good work! any photos?

Looks like bacterial wetwood

Hi Aaron, I think you meant to write "Open on negotiation " Good luck with finding work....sounds like you have a weighty CV!

Interestingly enough, according to the Arb assoc "Fungi on Trees" dyradeus can very occassionally be found on beech - So I have learnt something new today!

Or possibly a decomposing Dryad's saddle Polyporus squamosus

I don't think it is as you tend to get that more on oak and it would probably be dark brown as it decomposes during winter (if the photo is uptodate) Are you sure its not expanding foam? Some one maybe has filled up cavities in the tree?

Thank you thats really helpful!

Hi got a project installing a static cobra bracing system for the first time in a twin stemmed macrocarpa which already has a crack but tree officer wants to retain with non-invasive bracing. . Measured the stems with defect and going for the 8tonne system, also aware that the installation should be 2 thirds of the toal height above the defect. Any tips? Especially on pre-tensioning - what is the best tool to do this? Thanks in advance.

Good idea, but i prefer to use paint to anonate my photos when in office, the finished product looks more professional without the scribbles but appreciate the phone app has the advantage of saving time out of office

Not much to go on, need more pics----buds, twigs, form, leaves at base etc

Hi, Interested why you say bracing wouldn't be an opton?