topped cottonwoods

[skew]

I just did a crown restoration job on a bunch of cottonwoods that had been topped about a dozen years ago. Much to my surprise they contained little to no decay. In many of the mountain towns around here the street trees that haven't been topped are seriously lion tailed.
So I guess my thoughts are that many of these trees that are getting really leggy with no interior grown could be judiciously headed back to promote new growth lower interior of the trees. Discussion?

 

[theXman]

nope

 

[whataview]

Grapenuts are neither grapes nor nuts. Discuss.

 

[skew]

interesting intelligent discussion

 

[JesseHuffman]

And at my level too

Tell the customer your Chip truck wont do 88mph so there is no way you can go back in time to prevent the current situation.

 

[dylanclimbs]

So you all are saying reducing lions tailed limbs/leads to promote interior growth is a bad idea?

...or that this is a flogged horse?

I think proper reduction is the best thing for lion's tailing. Heading cuts are a different animal, as long as they are cut back to nodes, I suppose.

That is unless you want to cable/brace the heck outta these trees.

 

[JesseHuffman]

Pictures sure would help

 

[chewbacca]

[ QUOTE ]
And at my level too

Tell the customer your Chip truck wont do 88mph so there is no way you can go back in time to prevent the current situation.

[/ QUOTE ]

Flux Capacitor FTW

 

[theXman]

[ QUOTE ]
And at my level too

Tell the customer your Chip truck wont do 88mph so there is no way you can go back in time to prevent the current situation.

[/ QUOTE ]

Holy crap Jesse! you got it man!

finally a way to correct tree topping and lion's tailing hacks!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to buy a DeLorean and work on getting some uranium from the Koreans (they've got plenty now right?) and work on putting together our new addition to the Arbor-X fleet!

You were wrong, this thread did lead to very good discussion. Awesome!

 

[theXman]

[ QUOTE ]
Pictures sure would help

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, sorry, here you go:

 

[Frax]

Topping's bad. We all know topping's bad.
But...
Could there be certain scenarios, in certain climates on certain species where it may work for trees that have already been damaged or made unstable somehow, such as lion's tailing. Maybe not. Maybe it's just bad and there are no exceptions, but topping is such a no-no in general that considered exceptions never get studied or really checked out. We just say "no discussion".
I think this could be studied instead of just ruled out without inquiry. Maybe studies on trees that would otherwise be removed, where no hazard would be created during the time of the study might be useful.

 

[theXman]

frax, it could be a fine discussion.

I'm just all worn out on topping discussions from the past 6 years on the buzz, that's all.

 

[Frax]

I understand ...this dead horse has been flogged enough. Just suggesting it as a research idea. Which is easy to say, since it won't be me leading the charge.

 

[dylanclimbs]

Just look at the beautiful work someone did to those big poppas on Garden Crescent off of Elbow Dr.

Yeah, its a flogged horse over here, but I agree Frax. There are very few rules in treework without exceptions.

 

[Frax]

I think I know the ones you mean. Like a row of telephone poles? I need an image of them for my sometimes published "Wall of Shame"
Spent half the day in a giant sprawling maple cutting out old topping stubs and thinning the re-growth to restore a bit of dignity to the old tree. Very satisfying work. And only a few degrees below freezing. Perfect.

 

[theXman]

interesting, that sounded like my day very much too! Well, one of the trees I did.

from the maple to the restoration to the same temperature, (we might have been a little colder the first half of the day actually.)