Sycamore crown reduction...how much?

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Sycamore is cousin to the much-topped plane trees of europe

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A distant cousin, in Europe the word Sycamore is most commonly associated with Acer pseudoplatanus, a very common tree in Europe particularly the UK and Ireland where they are indeed subject to severe crown reduction (topparding). Acer pseudoplatanus is widely regarded as a weed tree.

Does Acer psuedoplatanus grow in North America?

American Sycamore - Platanus occidentalis is very similar to London Plane - Platanus x hispanica which is thought by some to be a cultivar of Platanus orientalis not a hybrid of the North American and Asian trees as someone has already said.

Good luck Tom whatever you do.
 
not to derail this thread but... my employer wants me to reduce a sycamore thats about 85 feet tall to about 25 feet. it has major die back an old lightning strike and i have reduced it about 40 feet 5 months ago. the spot i reduced it to and 20 feet down are derd already. we cambistat every year and fert 2 times a year and it is still dieing back. i am reducing it to below a conch about 25 feet from the ground. would this be considered topping even though the homeowner wants to save it even though we have been trying to save its life for the past 3 years? any imput or advice would be appreciated
 
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we cambistat every year and fert 2 times a year

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That'll be whats finishing it off. Go for the severe reduction and no more cambistat or fert.

It will no doubt re-genererate and create a new small crown which trees do in the wild. What you'll be doing to the tree is called 'forced veterenization'
 
thats great if its not called topping even thought i am not an state or isa arborist i dont want to top trees ill post pics it is a dangerous tree and i have been rented a 125 foot man lift to access it. its uptown i have climbed it once and told them i will never do it again. uptown is a tight area
 
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American Sycamore - Platanus occidentalis is very similar to London Plane - Platanus x hispanica which is thought by some to be a cultivar of Platanus orientalis not a hybrid of the North American and Asian trees as someone has already said.

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Perhaps Michael Dirr has made this correction in his newest edition of Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. His Fifth Edition is where that information came from.

Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, Pg 752: "Platanus x acerifolia (Result of a cross between P. orientalis x P. occidentalis, sometimes listed as P. x hybrida)"

Pg 754: "The history of the plant is interesting and I suggest the reader consult Bean for a fine account. The first record of the tree was in 1663 when the hybrid was found growing in London."

But then perhaps Mr. Bean's information has been corrected also?

Sylvia
 
I'm with Grover on this. Topping is random, indiscriminate internodal cuts, generally, with no regard to the outcome or health of the tree.

It sounds like yours in NOLA is declining for some reason. Odds are the root system has shrunk and the top is compensating in what Shigo calls 'dynamic equilibrium'.

What is wrong with pushing Mother Nature's hand a little? If this sort of pruning is done with a good plan and understanding of the species, location and individual tree it can lead to a longer life even if the tree isn't a perfect example of it's species. Sillet is proposing this sort of action, in a small, controlled area to try and stimulate the conditions needed to support the rest of the high canopy biome that only thrives in reiterated tops of old growth trees.
 
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reduce a sycamore thats about 85 feet tall to about 25 feet. it has major die back an old lightning strike and i have reduced it about 40 feet 5 months ago. the spot i reduced it to and 20 feet down are derd already. i am reducing it to below a conch about 25 feet from the ground. would this be considered topping

[/ QUOTE ]Well doing the math it sounds like you will be taking off 40' of live stem just to get below a conk. Sounds like an extreme and possibly fatal reaction to a fungal growth, and a poor substitute for competent strength loss/risk assessment.

No guarantee of it coming back; it may go into shock instead. But risk tolerance is low in tight spots, and you gotta do what you are told, and it may all work out.

The strategy of creating biomes where healthy trees once grew may make homes for more of those cute salamanders but somewhere a compromise must be drawn re tree health and structure.
 
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How about remove ,Grind , and plant a beautiful new ,well chosen tree!!
Anybody?

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If risks can be managed and the client wants to try to save the tree I would give it a try. The tree can always be removed later.

Last week I got to see an apple tree that has been grown from a cutting of Sir Isaac Newton's famous tree. His apple tree was deteriorating but it was helped along until it had to be removed. Now there are many cuttings around the world to keep the tree 'alive'.
 
Some trees, no matter how ugly, are bigger and provide more shade, privacy and shelter than a newly planted tree will ever provide the homeowner in their lifetime. Many of my customers are in their 70s- 80s. Cutting a tree down and planting a new one will do nothing for that person. This is important to remember when visiting peoples yards where small changes impact them much more than they do us as arborists. If you can eak out another ten years of a tree having leaves between the homeowner and the sun, it may be well worth it and all you need. by the time a new tree gets to that point, many of my customers will be gone.

The situation is different if your talking about a newly moved in couple starting a new life, than they might want to get off to a good start as far as the right tree, right place.
 
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The strategy of creating biomes where healthy trees once grew may make homes for more of those cute salamanders but somewhere a compromise must be drawn re tree health and structure.

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I think it is very important to recognize the science separately from the application. While intellectually these are mind-expanding concepts, we have proven through past applications of our knowledge that we often lack the wisdom to foresee the results.

Dave
 
Yes ownership is transitory; that's why an inventory and maintenance record/scrapbook is a nice value added feature for homeowners, so potential homebuyers know what they are buying (and who to call to maintain the assets).

Good point on needed foresight, DMc. O and Tom you did not mean to bring up coronet cuts did you?

Grover yes we grow "your" sycamore, A. pseudoplatanus, in NC but it is not common.
 
[/ QUOTE ]Mine too. Here's a 10" x 10' stub left on a damaged oak in 2002. It had zero sprouts in 2003 but is now growing well. If anyone wants to blast me for nodal pruning, I can just show them the pic and save 1000 words.
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Man have we ever left a bunch of those stubs over the last couple years of ice storms. It is really cool because now, 2 years later, we are already starting to do some thinning and restoration on those stobs. I can't wait to see some of the end results on the pin oaks and sugar maples after 10 years, for the people who are willing to spend the money to keep having us back to work on them.

As far as the sycamores, I would do a reduction on the ones that have the super long horizontal limbs, or overhanging targets that the customer has no risk tolerance for. They have always seemed to compartmentalize well when pruned within the 1:3 threshold, in my experience.
 
GUYs guys guys! Im not saying that is what i would do all the time .WE do a ton of stretch the trees life, thats always my first approach.There are times however when a new tree makes sense.
In fact we also do a fair amount of underplanting.Plant a new tree in close proximity.....nursemaid the old tree as long as you can....3,5,7years.When the old tree dies,cull it out and the transition is a little more sauve'. The new tree has a head start.WE do this a lot around here with the Oaks that are dying from leaf scorch!! Clients love it and so do we!!
 
Noel,

Good for you! Following Guy's lead years ago changed how I view restructuring. Even if we never have the opportunity to do any follow-up pruning we all know that the tree will be in better condition by having those limbs left to sprout.

Thanks for your insight about the sycamore.
 
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