Spiral pruning?

[southsoundtree]

Spurs needed? No. Climbing skills, yes.

I've climbed 25' firs and a 250' fir, first live branch at 100'.

You don't need to start with a high TIP.


Were the hemlock trunks strong? There you go.


I've set pull lines on the smallest stubs to choke the line on spars (broken off trees, and when the groundie 'wanted to help' and pulled my line out of the tree, rather than letting me change pull line for climb line.



CM, I understand you're hear to learn and share. I'm not knocking you.

Sometimes until a person knows what can be done, a person thinks it can't be done.

 

[Wrangler]

Yes,fair question/post,it generates responses that sometimes sound like critisism(sorry about my spelling) put puts alot of jnovative ideas on this site,which is why this is a worth while place to hang out.Gotta stay open minded

 

[climbingmonkey24]

So now we are gonna evaluate my climbing ability?

I never said anything about needing to start with a high climbing TIP. I’m not even advocating that we use spurs for pruning. A majority of the work I do is pruning and I never wear spurs.

The comment came up about him wearing spurs and all I said was I think that in some situations where getting a good tie in is not possible or any possible tie ins might be questionable safety wise they might be utilized to ascend and manually set a tie in. Not that it should be a standard practice.

That YT Channel is known for being a lot of old school, sometimes even controversial stuff compared to modern climbing and tree work techniques. I shared the video because I never seen that done before.

Somehow it’s been interpreted as if I’m promoting or agreeing with the video or the use of spurs on pruning jobs is acceptable and that isn’t the case.

 

[rope-a-dope]

Southsound was contesting the "not possible" and "no safe tie ins" point.

I think he means, if the tree is safe enough to support a climber, a throw line can be used to set access. Even with little brittle branches.

 

[southsoundtree]

Many ways to get into a tree without spurs if it's strong enough to support a climber, reliably.

 

[megadosevitaminc]

I think part of the spiral thinning idea is to let light in also. Instead of topping the tree to let light in he thins it.

 

[southsoundtree]

It will let more light in. Its proposed as a necessary safety measure, in all the marketing I've heard of.

Previously, the industry said you had to top your big conifers as a necessary safety measure.

 

[JD3000]

Which can cause sun scald and expose previously protected tissues to storm loading, and ...

 

[southsoundtree]

But who do you can for storm-damage? Cha-ching.

When stripped if interior foliage, forcing more end-growth, and whip... Who are you going to call?

Cha-ching.

Don't worry about those pruning spurs, sometimes they just use pole spurs or spur then softly (sad face emoji not working).

 

[mdvaden]

It’s a very common thing in the PNW ... people think spiral pruning larger conifers makes them better able to handle wind loads

Based on the research I’ve seen, it’s been totally disproven. It messes with the internal dampening that the tree has built in, where individual branches hit other branches and dissipate loads

To my mind, "spiral pruning" conveys the corkscrew shearing topiary like done to Alberta spruce, etc..

As for thinning, among the 30 articles and tests I covered via the ISA's website last winter, the information on record there noted that thinning did effectively reduce wind sail and can reduce damage.

I've found thinning effective for that, during the 40 years I've employed it from time to time.

 

[Tree-Taylor]

Dr. Ed Gilman...give him a search. He's done the research on how a tree's structure resists storm damage and how to prune to encourage proper structure. He also has an excellent book on pruning.

 

[StaySafePNW]

End weight reduction is the best way to make a fir tree better withstand storm damage. I have seen what windsailing and thinning will do to conifers once a big storm hits and it’s not pretty, especially for trees that grow together in a grove or stand.

 

[evo]

End weight reduction is the best way to make a fir tree better withstand storm damage. I have seen what windsailing and thinning will do to conifers once a big storm hits and it’s not pretty, especially for trees that grow together in a grove or stand.

Buttttt leave the top alone if there isn’t anything wrong with it!!!

 

[mdvaden]

End weight reduction is the best way to make a fir tree better withstand storm damage. I have seen what windsailing and thinning will do to conifers once a big storm hits and it’s not pretty, especially for trees that grow together in a grove or stand.

Are you talking about stubbing the ends of branches?

 

[StaySafePNW]

Are you talking about stubbing the ends of branches?

No, when I prune a fir tree I limb walk out to the very tips of the branches and generally lighten up the last 5’ or so and that includes anything between 1/4” to 1” in diameter. Nothing larger should be cut. You’re still maintaining a pleasant aesthetic look while accomplishing the goal of a lighter limb that’s able to withstand more wind and snow forces. Here’s an example of the type of pruning I do with when working on firs.