More Light to a Golf Course Green

Tree_Frog · Mar 3, 2019

Request was to clean and prune the tree to allow more light or have to spend $40K to move the green. Goal accomplished.

End day 1

End 1/2 day 2.

To accomplish the goal we did a major reduction of the green side stem to provide more light penetration. Due to the lack of proper pruning and the moss, the tree was over extending on all sides of the canopy with tear-outs on all tip areas. These live oaks that are heavy with moss can be extremely brittle. Very dangerous to climb as far as Live Oaks go. I would say at least 1/3 - 1/2 the density weight/strength of a normal live oak.

CanadianStan · Mar 3, 2019

Please do post pictures a year from now so we can see its recovery !

Edit: I’m not being a dick, im truly excited to see how it recovers, at what rate, where the growth comes from, etc

Tree_Frog · Mar 3, 2019

southsoundtree · Mar 3, 2019

Looks like a large percentage/ pruning dose, to me, in my kitchen, at my tablet.

What % reduction, in your mind?

Sometimes I've reduced more when over-clogging, often from poor pruning, mean lots of inefficient leaves, while being mindful of sun injury from opening it up. Seems like part of the equation here, from my tablet.

Thoughts? Thanks.

I'm going to diversify into 'green moving'...$40k!!!

Tree_Frog · Mar 4, 2019

Green side is approximately 60-70%. The moss was so dense that there were very few inner canopy branches along the stem. Very few inner canopy branches were removed. Most outer canopy was brittle and carpenter ants were hollowing out the outer canopy branches that were cut. I see that a lot when Live Oaks start over extending. Seems like a symbiotic relationship as it is too common of an event.

The East side of the canopy was minimally pruned. Approximately 10-15%. Over-extending branches were reduced as well as downward heavy branches. Balancing canopy length was key in this pruning. The canopy is just leafing out giving it that light green look.

Sun scalding is a non-issue at this time of the year. Additionally the main stems have there own growing environment on the top. Each stem has developed its own growth medium coated with ferns and soil. A palm is growing in the crotch of the two main leaders.

The green side should accelerate growth on the existing leaders that were left. There should also be organized epicormic sprouts that develop along the remaining scaffold branches. This should mimic hurricane damaged trees. A common event as we all know here in Florida. Tree reserves should be enough to allow this stem to recover as long as no major pruning event happens within the next 5 years or so. I would bet that hurricane data would support this. This is just my uneducated opinion.

CanadianStan · Mar 4, 2019

Tree_Frog said:
Green side is approximately 60-70%. The moss was so dense that there were very few inner canopy branches along the stem. Very few inner canopy branches were removed. Most outer canopy was brittle and carpenter ants were hollowing out the outer canopy branches that were cut. I see that a lot when Live Oaks start over extending. Seems like a symbiotic relationship as it is too common of an event.

The East side of the canopy was minimally pruned. Approximately 10-15%. Over-extending branches were reduced as well as downward heavy branches. Balancing canopy length was key in this pruning. The canopy is just leafing out giving it that light green look.

Sun scalding is a non-issue at this time of the year. Additionally the main stems have there own growing environment on the top. Each stem has developed its own growth medium coated with ferns and soil. A palm is growing in the crotch of the two main leaders.

The green side should accelerate growth on the existing leaders that were left. There should also be organized epicormic sprouts that develop along the remaining scaffold branches. This should mimic hurricane damaged trees. A common event as we all know here in Florida. Tree reserves should be enough to allow this stem to recover as long as no major pruning event happens within the next 5 years or so. I would bet that hurricane data would support this. This is just my uneducated opinion.

I trust that opinion, it's well thought out and supported by [albeit anecdotal] relevant data. It's true that the moss removal probably makes the thin look more severe from all of our laptops and computers at home ... I'm really looking forward to seeing how this tree comes back! I've seen work by Neville Fay and a fellow arborist locally where they performed severe retrenchment pruning on otherwise "unsaveable" trees. Their energy reserves were sufficient to regrow an entirely new canopy while significantly diminishing load on the existing supportive woody structure. I'm stoked to see the results from this!

treebilly · Mar 4, 2019

Looks thin to me but as you have stated the moss covered a majority of what appeared to be canopy. I’ve done the same thing cutting out the various ivy species in our area. Actual cutting of the tree is minimal but looks extreme. Nicely done. I too would like to see recovery pictures.

southsoundtree · Mar 4, 2019

Cool.

Hurricane mimic-ing.

Interesting tree work around the world.

I wonder if the carpenter ant activity reduces the limbs through breakage, as a lever/ load reduction mechanism.

Ya, sounds 'uneducated'.