TOO CLOSE?

[HOMER]

I mow a commercial site that has Bradford Pears planted so close together that they are growing into each other. These are mature trees and are 25-30 feet tall now. The branches of the trees are overlapping the brances of the others. I want to have some ammo with me when I ask the owner to thin them out (very difficult to mow around and trim around as well)so they don't wind up killing each other. Air circulation has to be poor, branches rubbing other branches, not enough water to supply the trees adequately.............these are a few things I could think to tell them. Can you give me more technical reasons to bring to their attention. Pruning would help but I wouldn't know where to begin on this type tree. The limbs are so low I have to get on my knees to trim under them...........it's crazy and very time consuming too..........can't stand going there because of them!

Help anyone?????????????????

 

[treeclimber165]

Either elevate them to 6 feet or make mulch beds under them. When I had my lawn maintenance business that was one of my pet peeves. I always kept the lower limbs on trees nipped up out of my way for mowing. If it was substantial (more than 20-30 minutes of work), I would charge extra. Otherwise I would just pick at it when I was on the property. Mowing under trees lower than 4 feet was NOT an option.

 

[Darin]

Your ideas are good on what you want to tell him. It sounds like they have never been trimmed before. Tell them trees are like hair, you need to thin them every now and then. That might not work if the customer is bald. The other problem I have is. That pears react better to trimming in the late fall or early spring (before budding). What if the tree declines due to a mid summer prune. The guy will be none to happy. I know that lawn care jobs are a dime a dozon so if he thinks you are whinning, get a new account. I would say, like the treeclimber, that you should approach him about getting paid more, adding a mulch bed, or getting it pruned next fall. When I had these trees around when mowing. I took the trimmer and wiped out the grass to about 1/4 inch. That way I had to trim it about one a month instead of weekly. If its 4 feet above the ground he wont notice.
Darin

[Edited by Darin on 05-13-2001 at 10:27 AM]

 

[Treeman14]

Homer,
I'd go with mulching under these trees, especially since you indicated you did not know where to begin pruning them. Contrary to popular belief, mature trees of relatively equal size will not kill each other off if they are growing together. I also believe thinning is not necessary in most cases, except for the removal of dead or hazardous limbs. Most "pruning" and/or "thinning" is done for the benefit of the arborist($$$), not the tree. Sorry, I didn't mean to start preaching, but that's my pet peave.
Brett

 

[awm]

THIS WOULDNT HANDLE YOUR SIZE PROBLEM BUT I HAVE PRUNERS AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON MY Z.IF IT CLIPS ME I CLIP IT