Cabling when a wound is near attachment point

[TreeFan]

Last year I was going to cable my Kansas brother's ponderosa pine but when I got there (500 miles away) noticed that there was a broken branch with some ripping on the leader on the compression side near the usual point of cabling. I took off the branch but decided to get more advice before cabling. In the pics below, the broken branch was on the house leader. Sorry I did not get a picture of the wound. As I recall, it extended maybe 15% into leader. So is there a general rule in this situation? Seems like cabling below the wound might decrease motion of the lower part of the leader thereby putting more stress on the wound. Cabling above seems better but might break the leader in the other direction if pulled by the supporting leader and strong Kansas winds? Would you avoid cabling altogether and remove leader or tree? Or just live with it? I'm not familiar with pondersoas. Do they heal well? Thanks for any advice you might offer.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

I've had success with doing a hybrid cable job in that situation.

Here's the outline:

Set a temporary support at the ANSI A300 spce...2/3 above the support point. Use webbing chokers and a come along to support the leads before going higher to prune

Do the crown reduction and general pruning as needed. Reduce height and long tips if you can

In a rough outline here's how I've done hybrids

Through bolts in the trunk..trunks in your case...look to A300 ofr guidance

Instead of using a long through bolt some distance above the included bark structure I've use through bolts/eye nuts and cable at the spec'd height above. I'd use Rigguy hardware now.

Time to go up and install some other flexible cabling at the 2/3 are of the canopy. YOur call if you use Rigguy or dynamic cabling.That's a whole other discussion. More important to cable.

 

[evo]

Tom, am I reading this correctly?

Say you have a v union at 10’ on a 80’ tree. You then have installed a cable just above the union at about 12-14’ (just for conversation sake). Then at the appropriate 2/3rd mark either steel or dynamic systems?

Frank Rinn (spelling) the IML guy mentioned that in Germany that’s now most systems are installed ( he was even arguing that the upper cable is harmful and not needed)

I’ve come across steel pipe installed about 1/3 up from the crotch on narrow stem spacing. I couldn’t guess how it was anchored due to the occlusion on the terminal points other than it went straight through the stems

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Yes...in some cabling literature a long through bolt just above the union is recommended. I started installing eyebolts and then use large diameter soft seven strand instead of grips so I could put the flexible brace right where I needed it.

I like having the upper be dynamic to limit long movements in extreme wind/snow loads. Not in normal flexing.