Do Douglass fir sprout back when topped?

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jnahnet

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I live @ 3000ft. in the California Sierras, because of the drought, I've lost all my cedars, Ponderosa pines, and all but 1 of 6 Douglas firs. PG & E took 20 ft. off the top of the remaining fir, the remaining 30 feet looks healthy albeit odd. Will it resprout? I'm loathed to cut down a seemingly healthy tree no matter how bad it looks.
 
Firs and other conifers don't really sprout new growth from the trunk and branches. They put new growth on the tips. The tree will likely grow outward faster. Any upward growth will come from the side branches they reduced it to.
 
The DFIr will grow out near the top, likely in 2 or even 3 separate verticals.
If no one else responds, I'll try to remember to take a photo or 2 of DFir in my yard that lost tops in the last 40 years so yu can see what it will look like in a few years. .

Now to worry, PG&E will likely take the top off again later anyway.
 
Firs and other conifers don't really sprout new growth from the trunk and branches. They put new growth on the tips. The tree will likely grow outward faster. Any upward growth will come from the side branches they reduced it to.
Thank you so much for the info.
 
The DFIr will grow out near the top, likely in 2 or even 3 separate verticals.
If no one else responds, I'll try to remember to take a photo or 2 of DFir in my yard that lost tops in the last 40 years so yu can see what it will look like in a few years. .

Now to worry, PG&E will likely take the top off again later anyway.
Thank you, that gives me some hope. Good to know the tree has a chance of surviving.
 
I've seen arborists contracted by PG&E cut a little off a tree each year. They often do the minimum requrired, because they're lazy and so there's more work next year. They might be doing more now after the big fires they caused.

The people PG&E sends out to mark what needs clearing are much better. The ones I've met know their trees. I've been able to work with them to get more or less taken down. However they have rules they must work within. So even if you and the neighbors beg, they won't mark for removal a tree that's leaning over the lines but whose trunk is too far away, or remove a tree that's over 12" DBH, or etc.etc.
 
I've seen arborists contracted by PG&E cut a little off a tree each year. They often do the minimum requrired, because they're lazy and so there's more work next year. They might be doing more now after the big fires they caused.

The people PG&E sends out to mark what needs clearing are much better. The ones I've met know their trees. I've been able to work with them to get more or less taken down. However they have rules they must work within. So even if you and the neighbors beg, they won't mark for removal a tree that's leaning over the lines but whose trunk is too far away, or remove a tree that's over 12" DBH, or etc.etc.

I agree, the team they sent out to do the assessment was very good, the workers that show up weeks later are destructive. The new PG&E rules are for a 24' clearance instead of 12'. I'll be losing 2 Live Oaks, a Gold Cap, and a beautiful hybrid Oak; I understand the necessity, but it's still sad and a huge amount of clean up to do.
 
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