7' dbh cedar, 3 co-doms, 11 reiterations. Prescriptions?

southsoundtree

southsoundtree

Been here much more than a while
Location
Olympia, WA
Interested in how you would work with this tree for preservation.

I would estimate the reiterations reach outward 20' before going up 50', give or take.

2 major co-doms, 1 lesser, but big.

Waterfront wind.

Trunk is about 10-15' from the house.




Can't post pics for some reason.
 
mix of thinning and end wt reduction in the top/tips upper 1/3rd, maintain,observe and be sympathetic towards anything that may be acting as ballast against the more susceptible branch unions.
That is one cool organism, will be fun.
 
keep in mind failures occur more from horizontal/side to side movement then from vertical or downward pressure from experience in white cedar thuja occidentalis
 
Must be the perspective of the view, but in the photos, that doesn't look like a seven foot diameter trunk. Maybe circumference? Or you could do like an acquaintance of mine who when taking photos in the field, always puts a banana from his lunch box next to trees or tree parts for reference. Here in NorCal, Incense Cedars are really the "George Foremans" of the tree palette. They typically withstand all kinds of gnarly loads and then just sit there as if to say "Is that all you've got?". I've evaluated thousands of them, and only ever seen 4 or 5 failures total in that time.

It looks as though the home has been there for a substantial length of time, so although the subject tree may have become an edge tree at the time of the original site development, it seems to have had a lot of time to adapt to the increased loads. I worry a lot more about small diameter trees that become edge trees through the loss of either larger, or more numerous sheltering companion trees on multiple quadrants. If the big boss tree is the one that's left, it's been tamping down wind loads for smaller trees for a long time and should be much better acclimated to the loads it receives.

Does the lake wind hit this tree directly from an open path, or is that wind mitigated by other trees before reaching the subject tree?

These are just a few things I'd consider before even reaching a decision that prescriptive work was even necessary.

Cheers!
 
Small top reduction on the reiterated. And depending on the stem bifurcations pick a leader reduce the others and cable.
How does the top look? Signs of top down decline? Small diameter wood (stems) are getting hammered by beetles so I’d avoid wounding May through end of September.
Cedar is one that the condoms can be so utterly entangled lag bolting crossers might be sufficient.
Cabling?
Whatever the RX stress you no end it has to be maintained
 
Photos finally uploaded, top looks a little thin. As you know western reds two main failures are co-doms breaking out, and spiral fractures on limbs/reiterations.
I have one that was lighting struck, and have maintained (I’m second Gen working on it).
Have you done a climbing inspection?
Look for swollen branch collars/frass caught up in the cobwebs in the bark.
Cabling the reiterations can increase spiral fracture
End weigh reduction on cedar tends to increase future reiterations.
Strong apical dominance, weak apical control for a conifer if they can be called one!
 
Its a high wind area, waterfront on the Puget Sound, @cerviarborist .
I estimated, rather than getting my log/ diameter tape.

It is absolutely wider than my wingspan, at DSH.

The 2 main co-doms are close to 3' apiece.






I am concerned about spiral fractures on reiterations, splitting at the main inclusions.

Doesn't seem to have tangled branches acting as cables.


No climbing inspection, yet.



Considering cables and rods for the co-doms.

15' vertical reductions on 50-60' tall reiterations.

Maybe Branchsaver on reiterations.
Maybe upward angling to the trunk.


Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
southsoundtree said:
Its a high wind area, waterfront on the Puget Sound, @cerviarborist .
I estimated, rather than getting my log/ diameter tape.

It is absolutely wider than my wingspan, at DSH.

The 2 main co-doms are close to 3' apiece.






I am concerned about spiral fractures on reiterations, splitting at the main inclusions.

Doesn't seem to have tangled branches acting as cables.


No climbing inspection, yet.



Considering cables and rods for the co-doms.

15' vertical reductions on 50-60' tall reiterations.

Maybe Branchsaver on reiterations.
Maybe upward angling to the trunk.


Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Cabling the reiterations might do nothing or at best hold it when it breaks (still a form of mitigation). This is if they are only cabled from the reiteration to the trunk. A triangle system would be the strongest at preventing failure.
Perhaps make a note to stop by the next windy day and watch the tree move in the wind.
those reiterations rarely fail at the attachment, but do fail from torsional stress where they hook upwards. Inspect these areas, some of them look like they have been reduced in the past, a kink and then another outward growth above.
Climbing inspection, climbing inspection, climbing inspection…. Before any RX…. If it’s only to validate your initial thoughts, its well warranted. It’s unethical for a doctor to slap a cast on your arm without a x-ray.
We all know a 10% reduction can increase the stability by 50% (with static loads like ice), but is a 5% reduction beneficial? How much stability is needed?
I know the style and type of western red, looks like the tree is short for its diameter, there might be enough mass on those 3’ codoms for cabling to be a moot bandaid. Yet I’ve seen many codom cedars snap BELOW the codom union spilling both tops tangled up with each other.
What is the clients Risk tolerance?
 
It is their family home with young kids, likely for the next 15 years, maybe more.

They want their giant tree overhanging the house to be 'safe'.






Btw, my first message was mulch and water.
 
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You can't see the house, except for a few lines. Its tucked down at the end of the sw/ne driveway coming out of the cul-de-sac.

Winds are heavy here, from the SW, coming across the water.
 
@cerviarborist

I went back another day to put together a recommendation and bid.

I was wrong about the girth, having looked at it from the downhill side when estimating the girth.

Haven't heard back from them. I am not concerned about pursuing potential customers or work.
I have enough, too much as it is.
 
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