fixing improper cuts.......

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True, I was fired up at that moment because of the influx of Fanta and because I was running around, getting people to register to vote - requires lots of vinegar to do that.

I'll look at Arboriculture some more and talk to my friends and teachers. There has to be a reason why it's used as a textbook.

Nickrosis
 
I met Dr. Harris at the ISA. i think he is now Sr. Author Emeritus of the group.

Remeber this is a text compiled from peer reveiw research, so there will be conflicting information from time to time.

Of all the books I have read "Arboriculture..." is by far the best writen, and information dense. I've reread it a couple of times.

Workin on both "The Guide..9th ed" and Mattheck's "Body Language"
 
Shane,

Please share referances to otherw who agree with Neely's CP pruning. The ony time that I've ever read any supporters of the idea are when Neely's been the author.

Today I brought my students to the arbo morgue to look at tree cadavers. In the pile of samples, or dead limbs :), I have a few pieces of branches that have dead limbs attached to live limbs. The collar has formed naturally. The collar is so evident, anyone, even if the were wearing welding gloves, would be able to find the collar with their eyes closed. The collars always match up with the targets that Shigo designed for us not the one that Neely came up with. I've taken many of th samples and ripped them into book matched pieces with a chain saw or my bandsaw.

Tom
 
The Good Lord designed the collars, the Good Doctor mearly opened our eyes;).

I've intentionly flushed a cut a few times, byt they wer on onrimentals, similar to Dan's gardener anicdote. Wanted the colar away from a conflicting limb and the fast healing was also desired.

Here is a lousey picture of a flush I made some 8 years ago in my crab tree
DSC00116.JPG
 
fixing spike wounds?

Shigo illustrates a way to round off mechanical bark wounds. Leaves me wondering two things...
Is there a recommended technique for cutting cracks and twisted fiber etc.. from storm damage? And would there be a way to "scribe"
around spike wounds as Shigo describes for larger wounds?
God Bless,
Daniel
 
Murph,

Shigo illustrates a way to round off mechanical bark wounds.

Which of Shigo's books is this illustrated?

Just remove dead fibers. No bark tracing in the old sense.

If there are spike wounds, find out who made them and climb their leg with your spikes. Tit for tat :)

Tom
 
Originally posted by Nickrosis
:angry: That makes me mad! :angry: :angry:

How dare someone place convenience over doing what is right. When I'm using my handsaw, I'm able to make a cut without damaging the trunk -- I can't understand this reasoning.

If the person is not qualified to handle a tool, they do not belong in the tree!

Again, on page 412, Harris brings up some clown who suggested flush cutting to reduce sprouts. WHAT?? Flush cuts encourage sprouts. Again, what is the value of wound closure if decay is the issue?

I'm angry at this Harris guy once again. I quit reading his book after the first chapter this summer because I thought other things were much more valuable. It's assigned reading for one of my classes this semester, but I never read those anyways.... Internet discussion groups have proved to be much better.

Nickrosis

Just because someone does it differently than you, Nick, doesn't necessarily mean they are wrong.*

* The preceeding statement is meant to be general in nature, and not necessarily relating to this or any other specific discussion.
 
Tom,
I believe shigo's technique is in Modern Arboriculture... kinda surprised me when I read it... I didn't bother looking it up.... I think he may have called it bark tracing....
i"ve never seen it done in 20 years and I've always tended to be cautious and remove broken branches (with cracks and splits going into trunk) outside the collar, as usual.
With spiking.. I believe it is the great number of wounds that need to compartmentalized, that rreally hurts the tree... All those compartments take lots of energy and interfere with the flow of nutrients and sugar. And I've wonderred if the shape of the wounds, holding water and not getting air flow, makes them any worse for the tree. It's really academic pondering anyhow, as "fixing" a thousand spike marks would be somewhat impractical on most trees.
God Bless,
Daniel
 
Pithy Points by Alex Shigo
#50. Thou shall not cut or remove branch collars.
#456. Aim for targets, not shadows.
#906. Correct pruning cuts reduce the chances of at least 18 serious tree problems from happening.
#907. The worst pruning I have ever seen has been in fruit tree orchards.
#908. Pruning is a four part process; how to cut, which to cut, when to cut, and how much to cut. Not easy.
 
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