Family Shade Maple

PinkFloydEffect · Apr 5, 2010

This is a Maple tree my family planted when my cousin was born 23 years ago, my father dug it out from the backyard so it was probably 1-2 years old at the time. I'm not sure what kind of Maple it is but I will come Summer time. It is in my grandparents front yard on a very busy main road in Gardner MA.

I want to get it into shape before it becomes too late, a nice shade tree shape (sort of like an Elm) It was strung to the telephone pole for years until the pole was replaced but it still continues to grow toward the right if your looking at it from the street.

This will someday replace the shade that a massive Chinese Maple used to provide that was removed, the stump is to the left under that bucket with the pine shrub in it.

PinkFloydEffect · Apr 6, 2010

Yet another root collar correction

You know me I have to screw with the root flare, so I did. This is what I have started reveling, seems the only problem may be on one side somewhere underground.

PinkFloydEffect · Apr 7, 2010

As you can see in the very first set of pictures, the tree leans to the right witch is also the heavy side. This could lead to future problems and future is key here, so I have a few pruning proposals before it gets too late on weight reduction and balancing.

These are photos from the opposite side. The red dash is a cut proposal and the green circle represents the missing canopy that I am trying to make up for. The stronger side is the side its leaning toward so I figured take off some weight from that side and send the vigor to the other until I reach a balance some day. I can either thin out the canopy on that side or take a slice off the edge raising the canopy.

OR

PinkFloydEffect · Apr 11, 2010

Well I got impatient with no reply's and took a path. I only have 1 picture I will post more tomorrow. Here's 1 of my cuts, howd I do? Clean and low as possible?

treeseer · Apr 11, 2010

the placement and execution of the cut was proper--excellent collar cut, actually-- but the reason for it is unclear. trees do not have to be perfectly balanced to be stable.

the roots need your help a lot more than the branches do.

how did you get up there and do that? not sure i want to hear the answer...

buzz sawyer · Apr 11, 2010

Yep, nice cut - but is this the same area in the earlier photos? I can't relate the position. Looks like a much smaller branch.

PinkFloydEffect · Apr 11, 2010

treeseer said:
the placement and execution of the cut was proper--excellent collar cut, actually-- but the reason for it is unclear. trees do not have to be perfectly balanced to be stable.

the roots need your help a lot more than the branches do.

how did you get up there and do that? not sure i want to hear the answer...

Awesome thanks, it was growing right out into the road and box trucks were hitting it as they drove by. Decided it would help the shape by removal as well because the opposite side of the tree had a much higher crotch level the tree was lopsided.

I'll be back on the roots in a few days. How did I do that hmm... very dangerously with bow saws and latterS. I'll just shut up :buttkick:

buzz sawyer said:
Yep, nice cut - but is this the same area in the earlier photos? I can't relate the position. Looks like a much smaller branch.

You can pretty much only see it in the second photo its on the opposite side of all the others. It's an exact zoom shot of the one above it.

PinkFloydEffect · Apr 11, 2010

Update

Ya so here is the final AFTER shot from behind, an angle you haven't seen yet but soon I will upload it from the same angles as "before"

Here is a really funky cut I had no choice (safety) hope it heals ok, it's a point haha:

One of the larger cuts I had to make (howd I do?):

This was an old cut my dad had made years ago, figured I would help them out with the healing process:

PinkFloydEffect · Apr 11, 2010

More Pictures

Final shot from the road, a bit more balanced now:

And from the sidewalk, now it is out of the way from passing box trucks and will grow higher before the canopy bushes out again:

Before & After:

treeseer · Apr 12, 2010

raising crown away from road good idea but branches can be reduced to laterals instead of removed. raising crown in other directions not always good; makes tree more topheavy, and more sun and strain on root system.

yes you did have a choice besides that pointy stub.

good to remove rotten stubs; could even dig out a little inside to get faster closure.

you have great energy but consider the attached pink floyd piece.

PinkFloydEffect · Apr 12, 2010

I guess I need to learn about laterals, I wasent only trying to raise the canopy I was also trying to prune for shape and cosmetics seeing how it is insistant on growing torward one way to the point that the trunk is curved in that direction.

I really couldent acess that pointed cut saftly to get a good cut angle, at least not free climbing with extention latters... doh!

Ill check out the attachment when I get to a computer

Tree Pig · Apr 12, 2010

PinkFloydEffect said:
I guess I need to learn about laterals, I wasent only trying to raise the canopy I was also trying to prune for shape and cosmetics seeing how it is insistant on growing torward one way to the point that the trunk is curved in that direction.

I really couldent acess that pointed cut saftly to get a good cut angle, at least not free climbing with extention latters... doh!

Ill check out the attachment when I get to a computer

Bad time of the year to prune? From the looks of it tree is in the forming leaves stage.

Dr. Alex Shigo said:
Pruning. Do not injure or remove the branch collar. If possible, avoid
pruning when leaves are forming, and when leaves are falling. Do not
paint pruning cuts.

May want to try and flatten that cut out also, without going any deeper in to the collar, I would think it would promote better healing. Try getting up there with a good handsaw and cleaning it up. Just my opinion as someone studying arborculture not an expert, but I am sure they will chime in some more.

PinkFloydEffect · Apr 13, 2010

I'm OCD so I'm definitely going to get back up there after the leaves form I DID NOT KNOW THAT! DAMMIT I would have waited. I was trying to move quickly before my grandmother came home from Florida so she dosent start freaking out (she told me not to touch it before she left) well I touched it haha she dosen't know what's best for it not even a thing so who's she to say what is going to hurt it.

buzz sawyer · Apr 13, 2010

PinkFloydEffect said:
I'm OCD so I'm definitely going to get back up there after the leaves form I DID NOT KNOW THAT! DAMMIT I would have waited. I was trying to move quickly before my grandmother came home from Florida so she dosent start freaking out (she told me not to touch it before she left) well I touched it haha she dosen't know what's best for it not even a thing so who's she to say what is going to hurt it.

I don't think you hurt it but as already mentioned, I would be clearing out around the base. Looks like someone added topsoil to the yard at some point and covered the flare.

Tell your GM that a big burly truckdriver complained about paint damage from the branch.

Stihl-O-Matic - nice mod on the photo!

PinkFloydEffect · Apr 13, 2010

buzz sawyer said:
I don't think you hurt it but as already mentioned, I would be clearing out around the base. Looks like someone added topsoil to the yard at some point and covered the flare.

Tell your GM that a big burly truckdriver complained about paint damage from the branch.

I'm on it, hey so lets crunch numbers... this was planted in 1988 and it was approximately no taller than 6 feet tall when my dad dug it out of the woods (in 1988) so any estimates? I still don't know what KIND of Maple it is yet until I see the leaves, although some day I would like to say I can identify trees by their trunks that is a goal of mine. You know those chain saw contest where you are timed? They should do that with tree identification, if you can walk down a pathway and name every tree at the speed of your walking pace you are a legend

And that is a REALLY good idea buzz, I am definitely going to use this when she starts yapping she will take that.

PS- Treeseer I raised and directed the crown toward the side with more flarage coincidentally but I will keep that in mind about stress on roots.

Also that small branch may look lion tailed but its just from that angle the branch removed off of it was growing downward and I need foliage upward. Then two small branches going outward yes I did 2 nodes down maybe 1.

This is the tree MAYBE 8 years ago:

xraydaniel · Apr 14, 2010

Your Maple

That is a Norway Maple which was widely planted as street trees at least 50 years ago. Basically it's a weed tree and is an invasive species per MA.

PinkFloydEffect · Apr 14, 2010

xraydaniel said:
That is a Norway Maple which was widely planted as street trees at least 50 years ago. Basically it's a weed tree and is an invasive species per MA.

Well that solves that haha thanks, that last picture helps I'm sure. It sure blocks light nicely.

PinkFloydEffect · May 17, 2010

Update

So I cut off the left side (the side it was leaning toward) to gain back the center of balance. Then it filled out, and I decided to remove the lower branch I wanted to keep at first:

The right is a little thin but it's also the side the trunk is bending towards:

How did I do with the cut?

I think it looks like a nice shade tree now. It's up and out of the way so the town won't touch it (their evil I tell you!)

buzz sawyer · May 18, 2010

I think you did a nice job with it. I'm a little concerned with the depth of that last cut but time will tell. GM should have no complaints.

PinkFloydEffect · May 18, 2010

buzz sawyer said:
I think you did a nice job with it. I'm a little concerned with the depth of that last cut but time will tell. GM should have no complaints.

Thanks, yeah one side of that execution was really low to the collar I hope it heals well.

Family Shade Maple

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