advice about bracing a tree where I camp

[brad906]

hello im new here i just joined the forum. I have a tree that hangs over my camper and when its windy it sways a bit, enough to make me nervous but it seems quite healthy. its a paper birch. I only have 1 picture right now which i will include I can take more when i get out there this weekend. There are 2 of them side by side seemingly pretty mature. ive spent the last couple nights researching about guying bracing staking and arboriculture which until now I never knew of and I find it very very interesting. Ive researched the different techniques of supporting the trees etc, ive also researched the paper birch pretty thoroughly im aware of its proneness to disease and bronze birch borers. IMO the tree in question seems quite healthy there was no yellowing of leaves (as of last summer, they are just starting to bud its been a very cold spring for us but from on my roof they are all full of buds ready to leaf) or issues with the base/trunk that I could see but I didn't know exactly what to look for until my couple days of research.

Long story short - I do enjoy the look of the tree and its large canopy over my camper I just don't want it to fall on my camper. I had a pine tree nearby fall in a heavy wind storm and land on my last camper causing cosmetic damage thankfully it wasnt too bad. I believe this one would cause quite a bit more. But I'd hate to cut it down if I didnt have to. The tree to the left seems to sway more with the wind but the one on the right of it doesnt move much and seems older and its bigger. I wanted to run a dynamic brace across the trees to absorb some of the wind shock the one overhanging my camper recieves. As ive said it seems healthy, the area is semi-swampy and the forest floor where they are is covered with old leaves/sticks etc and its a soil thats sandy/clayish. But theres definately no lack of water close by.

I checked out the cobra dynamic bracing system and its out of stock everywhere ive made up my own version lol, I want to use 10k lb rated sheathed axle straps for each tree. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Flexible-C...Great-Hauling-Larger-Vehicles-36/163465014566

And tie them together with (And heres where id like advice, I want something that will flex will and is stong so I decided on this 3/4" braided nylon rope its Marine dock line basically with 9,600lb break strength. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Anchor-Rop...-BRAIDED-NYLON-BLACK-MADE-IN-USA/252779859588

My research suggests i would do so about 2/3 the way up the trees or so im thinking right at the top of the picture where 2 nice branches on each tree are. I would use my ladder (which im quite used to being on i roof and side houses have chain saw experience etc but im obviously not an arborist but ive cut some trees down and made some firewood lol). Theres easy access to both with the ladder so it would be pretty easy i believe. I just dont know how much tension i should put on the rope should i let it dangle because I want the tree to move freely still just want it there for support in high wind because the tree on the right is definately heavier and thicker so im certain it could support some pull from the one on my camper, which seems very flexible in wind which is good i think...

Please give me some input on my plan. Yes I know and understand the risks involved im not worried about them just want some input. And yes i'd like some other ideas from more skilled people. But as I said i dont really want to wack it down because it seems healthy. I'm actually going to soil drench it this week with https://www.bioadvanced.com/products/tree-shrub-care/12-month-tree-shrub-protect-feed-ii-concentrate which im sure alot of you are familiar with it seems like a pretty legit product. Ok im done now thank you.

THANKS FOR READING ALL THAT IF YOU DID! You are great. Its the 2 paper birches on the right there in the v shape I want to brace together

 

[brad906]

Heres one more I have that has the trees in it but not very detailed, like I said i plan on going out this weekend and I could take some pics from the ground and the camper roof and up close of the trunks and surrounding area and full views of the height etc.

 

[brad906]

Maybe I was wrong about the soil being good draining I guess its poor draining soil. Its hard and I cant get grass to grow for crap. If that means anything

 

[brad906]

Heres some pics from today. I applied 2 gallon containers of the bio advanced tree and shrub protect and feed today my walmart had the granules one not the concentrate so i just bought that and watered it in to the dosage it said on bottle. Heres the pics. Hoping someone says go for it or something here soon im looking to get this tree braced. But as far as today it looked good, all the leaves were budding right to the very top of the tree. I had a few brached I wacked off with my hatchet im going to go ahead and make those nice clean cuts i know now i shouldnt leave a branch like that now as it invites fungus etc. Also There was a bit of fungus at the base/moss but it was solid but covered in materials like leaves etc which i cleared off just before i took the pic. But it was getting dark.

 

[derwoodii]

need to see what condition the trunk union or crotch appears as be looking evidence of predicable failure weakness here .. If its sound a loose rope canopy strap of dock line may reduce impact dynamics of a storm failure ( capture and hold) or it may do nothing and it may if installed wrongly contribute to failure

see red line let it dangle plus allow for growth over many years

oh be wise to get a local climbing Arborist on site to assist you with rope brace install may do some limb weight work and can check upper structure while aloft

 

[brad906]

need to see what condition the trunk union or crotch appears as be looking evidence of predicable failure weakness here .. If its sound a loose rope canopy strap of dock line may reduce impact dynamics of a storm failure ( capture and hold) or it may do nothing and it may if installed wrongly contribute to failure

see red line let it dangle plus allow for growth over many years

oh be wise to get a local climbing Arborist on site to assist you with rope brace install may do some limb weight work and can check upper structure while aloft

View attachment 739945

The crotch of the tree was filled with debris and leaves i removed them so thats why it looks dark. i felt around with my hand and it was solid so i dont believe it was rotten. I will monitor it this summer if it doesnt seem healthy ill chop it down. I ended up buying a 7/8 inch 32 strand rope instead with double the strength of the last one. I will leave enough slack in it where it can sway at least a foot or so in the wind. I think it will work out good

7/8" (20mm) x 18 feet Double Braid 32-Strand Polyester Rope


Uses: Arborist Lines, Hand Lines, Hoisting Ropes, Slings, Pack Rope, Utility Rope

Color: Blue & White

Minimum Tensile Strength: 19,780 lbs.

Rope weight: 4 lbs.

This is a double braid rope has a polyester jacket over a polyester core.

 

[sb47]

Welcome to the site.
Depending on how long you plane to stay in that spot, I would simply use a $20..0 two inch nylon ratchet strap and simply strap one side to the other.The higher you put it the more weight it will hold.

 

[brad906]

Welcome to the site.
Depending on how long you plane to stay in that spot, I would simply use a $20..0 two inch nylon ratchet strap and simply strap one side to the other.The higher you put it the more weight it will hold.

thanks I decided to do just that. This is a permanent camping spot I will be keeping the RV there year round. I just purchased this one this year but I had a 28' one there for a couple years before year round. Winters are long in the upper peninsula i go out to check on it a few times every winter and shovel the snow off the roof. I purchased https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-X-12-Aut...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 which i will use to clip onto each of the 36" sheethed 2" axle straps I already bought I mentioned and are already shipped. My question is how much tension should i put on the strap? The tree easily flexes quite a bit in the wind (stronger winds, its only a couple hundred feet off of lake superior) I don't think its dying. The budding leaves when I was there today were all the way to the top and it looked healthy as far as my non experienced opinion, I believe our ultra cold winters deter the bronze borer a bit. And I just used 2 jugs of the bioadvanced tree and shrub feed and protect a couple days ago. I like the tree for the shade and aesthetics its a nice looking tree. I cleared alot of debris away from the bottom of the base today to about a foot out and cleared out the debris from inside the "crotch" of the tree which seemed solid. I will see how it gos. Should I ratchet it up so it sags a bit and allows the tree to naturally flex, which Is what i was going to do? Or tighten it up a bit? I can also run another brace from the inner tree to the ground or to the base of another tree close by, for additional support if thats something that would be recommended. I just dont want it falling on my 5th wheel lol. Like I said at first I had a pine tree fall on my last one in this same spot (it was built on swampish land, raised approx 3 feet up, as you can see all around the camper area it dips down. So These trees were there first. The birch in question is a few feet from where the dirt slopes up, but it definately probably covered the roots on that one side. But its been 5+ years since the site work and its been a healthy tree every year since. Thank you for your input and I appreciate any and all advice I can get.

 

[brad906]

The pine tree the fell on my last camper was just right of my car in the picture up front, i believe when the raised area was made (with a bulldozer) it covered the base of the trunk of the pine and caused rot. I don't believe this happened with the birch as I can see the flaring on the base of the tree several feet from the area. Just for more information... It also happened during a very high wind event which isnt typical up here we had 50mph winds that night and it went down. When inspected the inside was rotted a bit even though the outside seemed ok by looks

 

[sb47]

I would start by putting some tension on the strap and watch what it does. You don't want the tree moving enough to get slack in it because as it sways it will cause it to jerk to a stop as the wind blows.

 

[brad906]

I would start by putting some tension on the strap and watch what it does. You don't want the tree moving enough to get slack in it because as it sways it will cause it to jerk to a stop as the wind blows.

Alright thats what im going to do, just ratchet it until theres no slack left but not beyond that. That sounds like the most logical thing to do. Maybe a click or 2 past so theres slight tension but its not pulling them together at all..