Peter Bomen

This is a poorly executed fracture pruning cut. It didn't really fracture because my cuts were too deep and the branch wasn't heavy enough. The objective is by cutting in that V shape on the upper side, the branch will eventually just break instead of having a clean cut. Maybe this one is better called a coronet cut, which is roughing up a clean cut, so it exposes more wood and looks a bit more like a natural break. The main reason I used this in this situation is because I could do it without damaging the lower or inner crown. With fracture pruning you have no control over the falling branch. Here I just tickled the outside of the epicormic growth on the lower stem (which is very important to leave intact on this tree), which was ok for me. Here I decided to leave a stump of the dead branch, and fracturing just makes it look more natural. Positives: - More natural look - More wood exposed for microhabitat. The cracks and irregularities of the break are very interesting for invertebrates - In the case of living wood: there is a reasoning that there is more epicormic growth (due to more cambium being exposed) and that the epicormic growth is better attached than on a clean cut. - And a tree would be able to compartmentalise a stump better in a natural break than a clean cut. - But to my understanding we can use more research on this last 2 points. Any way trees have been breaking branched for far longer than we have been cutting them Negatives: - In the case of a small diameter living branch (our textbook allowed cutting diameters), a clean cut outside the branch collar will have better compartmentalisation and overgrowth of the wound. - The uncontrolled falling factor might be a risk for tree and climber. For example a bigger branch could fall, bounce back and damage the stem or roots with its butt. A break could peel off more bark than expected and wound the stem. Or a branch could damage other branches when falling. And for the climber fracture pruning a top is especially risky and has to be done very carefully. So when to use it. - on living wood: I never use it in the upper crown. In the upper crown I want clean cuts that compartmentalise well and will have less reaction growth due to te cut. I prefer to do this on lower bigger branches where I do want more reaction growth, and all the other positives. - on dead wood: when the assignment is to remove dead wood for safety, I try to leave stumps that I know will not fall out of the tree (very species dependent). Smaller branches I try to break by hand many times, which technically also is fracture pruning - And then the client is the one paying and sometimes has to say something too...

The reason I started filming my climbing and pruning was to be able to watch and learn from it afterwards. Many times when I see myself climbing from my comfortable chair, I notice things that I could have done more efficient, and notice where I am losing time and/or energy... Only after a while I started editing little films with music just for fun (I have a background in music production), and throwing this online. After quite some questions from people it made me think about where I am going with this.. Future ideas aside, I decided to already throw (very boring) unedited climbing online, and maybe it can already be inspirational for some, or maybe I can get commented and learn something from others... Learning from it was the first reason anyway.

Yes the twists up there were really nice! The cavities in this tree don’t worry me very much. At some point we might take a little bit of weight from the top, but first I want more growth lower in the tree. There was a young totally sunburned beech next to it, covering the whole lower region of the oak. We removed this do now the oak can lower down a bit.. For the oak I wouldn’t have removed the whole beech already. But the beech removal was the main reason we were there, the oak was a beautiful bonus

not a big one, but a beautiful veteran tree with so much microhabitats… We were asked to prune the dead wood for safety, so I just took of the wood that I could take by hand or a swing with my lanyard from time to time... For the rest I was just touristing around and enjoying this beautiful tree.

Noted. I'll give him your regards

Thanks! that's one on the list already We don't mind driving a bit, and as you mentioned it is easier to find a place to camp.

I am going with a friend to the Tree architecture and morphophysiology symposium on the 7th and 8th of April in Kew, London. We come from Belgium and I have a few questions here We will come a few day in advance to drive around and visit some beautiful trees in the region. Which places or trees would you advise to go to? I want to make an itinerary for 2 days in the area... And how about sleeping in the area? We come with my friends van, or with my pickup with rooftoptent.. The van is more incognito to sleep on the road, but the pickup will be cheaper to get on the ferry to England... We also like to have a good diner from time to time, so if you have a good restaurant recommendations near some beautiful trees, that's welcome too

Not chainsaw trousers... guilty these are rain pants from revolution race. A Swedish brand of outdoor clothing where I buy all my climbing pants. Very affordable and very very durable!

Nice. I really like these challenging situations And yes, we did most of the tree without spurs, so leaving a nice frame for standing and grabbing is really nice...

In the old graveyard of Roermond, The Netherlands, are these 4 old pollard beeches that haven't been pollarded in quite a long time. The city had a report made by a European Tree technician, and the advice was to bring the trees back into pollarding cycle in 3 Phases. This is the first phase, where we reduce the biggest poles for about 50%. In the following years they have to be monitored very well on how they react to the pruning. If they react well, we can continue to phase 2 in a few years.

My bad, I posted them in the wrong order... fixed I understand it was a very difficult plot to follow

I prune much more than I remove trees. But I have to say that I also enjoy a nice tree removal. This was a really nice job full of speedlining because of a shed and some fences. Divided into 3 clips...

Great video! off course they say you can not use it as PPE, but I feel as save as on any other friction device ascending on this thing... With an 11m rope there is so much friction in there. The only downside of it, for which I still have to find the little trick, is to get the rope out at the anchor up in the tree. I disconnect it and lower it down with the end of my climbing line when somebody else still has to use the access line. If not I just leave it hanging and can bring it down when I'm on the ground. lovely little thing

It's the Awah Z2R. I use it in big trees or when there are a lot of trees. Otherwise my elbows don't like it much..

I can answer with just another video