Branch Tear Out

[Ryan Keats]

I came across a london plane today which had several broken branches on one side. The largest was approximately 4 inches in diameter. There are two limbs left with large tear wounds on them. Would you retain them, or remove them?

The tree is located north east from the house and has a 15 degree lean toward the house. The majority of the weight is on the south west side (right next to the house), unfortunately the broken stems are on the east side of the tree. The limbs near the house need to be removed as they are obviously too close.

 

[guymayor]

lightly reduce to lessen sag--no good reason to remove these!

 

[KevinS]

Looks like reducing for house clearance wouldn't hurt anyways

 

[Ryan Keats]

Oh, sorry for not being clear. The house clearing is going to be undertaken.
I was hoping to get some other opinions on the two limbs which suffered tear outs.. I always want to better myself and make sure I am doing what is best for the tree.
Thank you for your responses.

 

[KevinS]

Oh, sorry for not being clear. The house clearing is going to be undertaken.
I was hoping to get some other opinions on the two limbs which suffered tear outs.. I always want to better myself and make sure I am doing what is best for the tree.
Thank you for your responses.

Reduce they should be ok from the pics

 

[tomthetreeman]

London planes are incredibly good compartmentalizers... You can retain those with little worry about decay.

Tom

 

[guymayor]

A larger woiund at the trunk would be harder for the tree to seal off.

"Collar cuts are better" isa myth.

 

[KevinS]

A larger woiund at the trunk would be harder for the tree to seal off.

"Collar cuts are better" isa myth.

So are you saying, on the main trunk, a tear out is just as good as a proper pruning cut? Wound size alone should make that not make sense, plus tear outs usually tear through the collar cambium, so that's not superb.

Or why are you calling it a myth?

 

[JontreeHI]

I think he's saying to reduce the limb so it doesn't tear out, don't remove it