Pacific Madrones, dormant bud sprouting, PNW

southsoundtree

southsoundtree

Been here much more than a while
Location
Olympia, WA
We have a large PM that has a very long trunk which reaches laterally toward a historic home. The concern is failure, and requested action is to remove the entire lead (40-50' long, probably 12"x12" at the attachment to the main stem).

The foliage is all at the end, so no laterals to reduce back to.

Question is: Will exposing the trunk to more sunlight likely get dormant buds to sprout down the length?

Goal is: reduce the trunk rather than remove it entirely by reducing some end-weight to keep the property manager happy, and prune some shadowing fir limbs that will allow light onto the trunk, hopefully stimulating sprouts for branch formation, allowing later reduction.

Thoughts?
 
Hi Sean,
I think it will depend on the vigor of the tree. Last winter seems to have been a tough one for Arbutus. The species is a vigorous sprouter and cutting them back will often release buds.
Generally a low risk for breaking but that sounds like a big branch...which historic house? Can you cable it?
Does the tree have much canker? We are experimenting with treating that disease.
Also work on soils may be able to increase vigor. I think Neal Wolbert knows Olaf's recipe.
Send me a picture.
 
[ QUOTE ]
We have a large PM that has a very long trunk which reaches laterally toward a historic home. The concern is failure, and requested action is to remove the entire lead (40-50' long, probably 12"x12" at the attachment to the main stem).

The foliage is all at the end, so no laterals to reduce back to.

Question is: Will exposing the trunk to more sunlight likely get dormant buds to sprout down the length

[/ QUOTE ]

If you do it now and expose it to sunlight, the most likely thing should be sunburn. And if the stem extends like you say, the sunburn would cause extra weakness in the worst possible place.

Reminds of the nice 40" diameter trunk of a big Madrone on the property we lived at near Medford. Previous owner sold the adjacent property to the county, where they built a library on the west or sunset side. They removed trees, exposing the bark of that Madrone to more sunlight, and it got sunburned about 40 the circumference of the trunk.
 
Just because they requested removal doesn't end the discussion. If cabling is an option, see if you can enlighten them. If not, well, sorry for butting in! I'm from the Northeast, so can't answer the original question.

-Tom
 
Sorry Scott, I don't have a picture available. We had a 13 hour trip to look at some other trees at the park, and this came up in the process. We had to leave Olympia at 530am to catch the ferry to Orcas Island, and missed the intended return ferry due to the first ferry being late departing/ dropping us off. Fought Seattle rush hour traffic on the way back to Oly. Not a trip I can make again for the photos.

Met arborist Jim Burgess on the ferry, whom some of you WA arbos might know. We got spotted either by our State Parks Arbor Crew hats, or our Resistograph case.


The historic structure is at Lime Kiln State Park in the San Juans. A lot of the madrones up there have cankers (I've been doing some research on madrone diseases and improving cultural practices/ site conditions in an attempt to know more of what the tree is dealing with, and what might help it along). This one has unfortunately also had some root damage from utility trenching in the past.

We don't have ANY option for cabling, unfortunately, as it doesn't fit into the Parks way of dealing with their trees. I wish it were different.

We wouldn't be pruning the trees until the last week in September, so sunscald would be less of a concern. I think that we actually did see the sun up there that day--haha--wet, cool summer in the PNW.

Seems to me that madrones are very strong and are normally very much leaning trees that strengthen for that strain. This tree is pretty exposed to the wind. Would you say that the species is low risk for limb failure if it grew in the same conditions to which it is currently (no recently clearing leaving an interior tree exposed, or the like).
 
I would aim for whatever mitigating approach preserves the tree. Sunscald is of course an issue, but if the alternative is removal, I'd say it's worth it.

Timing is going to be the name of the game to activate dormant buds. Of course scheduling is also going to be an issue for you. Best case scenario is early spring leaving energy to tough out more potential winter nastiness, plus having a full growing season for good shoots.
 
For clarity,

this is a lateral on a large PM, which may comprise 10% of the live foliage.

I'm thinking of reducing some of the foliage at the end of this lead, and hoping for laterals to sprout in the current bare sections, allowing later, greater lateral reductions.

This may be a hard sell, as the park is remote, and ferry accessed. I think that it was $180 for the bucket truck, chipper, and two passengers to go to a different island in the San Juans recently, on top of all the other costs associated with getting the crew from Oly to San Juans.

Its been a few years since the Arbor Crew has been to this park, IIRC.

I can still hope to do the best I can. This tree is in the maintenance area, not a main part of the park.
 
I think Mario's worry about the sun might be less of a worry in your location. I know the place well. The tree is exposed and not a dense canopy. Sunscald is unlikely.

I have seen very few madrone lateral branch failures in live trees. As you point out the species is the master of defying gravity everywere it grows.

If the union is good the branch is IMO unlikely to break unless ice storm or other crazy load.

Sounds like an interesting job...I had a contract back the late 70's to prune for hazard in the State Parks...we climbed some monster trees!

Remind them that I can come and do tomography testing if needed.

Scott
 
[ QUOTE ]

We wouldn't be pruning the trees until the last week in September, so sunscald would be less of a concern. I think that we actually did see the sun up there that day--haha--wet, cool summer in the PNW.

Seems to me that madrones are very strong and are normally very much leaning trees that strengthen for that strain.

[/ QUOTE ]

They seem to deal well with leaning many times.

Late September would be a good time for the pruning. Sunscald is usually a lower trunk winter injury from freezing, and sunburn a warm season damage.
 
Scott, I will mention testing to the powers that be.
There are some big ones in the parks, for sure. Beauties! I've only climbed one old-growth so far. Ready for more.

Mario, I've not heard that sunburn/ sunscald distinction before. Interesting.



Thanks for all the input.
 
Hi Sean, I work on an island near Victoria and we have hundreds of Arbutus. So far I havent seen any large live laterals with lots of lean fail. Even the dead ones often stand for a long time. Its too bad you cant cable it. If you do end up cutting it back i'd be really interested to hear how it does next year.

Scott, would you be willing to share your experiences in attempting to treat the canker?

Scottee
 
[ QUOTE ]
Scott, I will mention testing to the powers that be.
There are some big ones in the parks, for sure. Beauties! I've only climbed one old-growth so far. Ready for more.

Mario, I've not heard that sunburn/ sunscald distinction before. Interesting.



Thanks for all the input.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sunburn is like when too much is pruned off the west side of a maple in late May, then the sun from 12 noon to 5pm-ish destroys the tissue.

The Sunscald is in winter after a warm day and the temperature drops like a brick later in the day or at night.

Link: Sunburn to Trees & Sunscald Page

That page has some basic stuff I found related to it.
 
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