imagineero
Addicted to ArboristSite
Pretty much 100% of my work is residential, with maybe a 65/35 split of removals vs prunings for property clearance or weight reduction. Most of the trees we get called in to do are big enough (30'+) that HO's can't get up there to hack away, so that leaves things pretty good....
But every now and then you get called in to prune something that someone has absolutely butchered, or you see something on the property while out on the job that just makes you cringe. I don't have a lot of sympathy for hedges/shrubs, and most species that end up getting cut in this way do fine going down that path so it's not a tragedy. I do get a little big of hedging of big oversize hedges (20'+) that have just gotten out of hand, cyprus pines etc.
The sad cases are either fruit trees, or species of trees that just don't grow that tall so a likely to be within reach of anyone with a brush saw or whatever like jap maples. The standard result is that they've end pruned pretty much ever single branch on the tree and the tree has responded with massive epicormic growth, turned into a bush, plenty of deadwood, poor shape etc.
With fruit trees I've had hit and miss results. Citrus seem to respond ok as long as you can bring them back into a good open shape and centre prune them, give them some air, they still fruit ok and don't seem to mind that much. Some other fruit trees don't go that well. I start with removing deadwood, then crossed over branches, then removing stubs and anything that doesnt look like it's going to produce in future. Of what's left (if I haven't already taken off too much) I try to thin to give the tree some room to fruit and let sun and air get through.
I've so far never had any luck with redeeming non-fruiting trees. I've got a soft spot for jap maples, and have been called out to reduce a few, but they seem almost completely ruined and I'm at a loss as to how to bring then back (if at all). HO gets in, and pretty much hedges the tree, taking the end of every branch. All branches left with tips reach for the sky and epicormic fuzz is jumping off everything. Sometimes very tall epi reaching for the sky too. Can you do anything with this situation?
Usually I start by removing the epi, dead wood and any stubs that look like they've not got enough secondary branches to ever come good. Of what's left I try to thin back 1 in 3, and generally it's either height reduction (remove branches heading up) or spread reduction (favor branches heading up and trim lowers). If they want to reduce both I just try to sell a straight removal, these tiny trees are only a half hour job and redeeming them just seems so expensive and tough.
I'd really appreciate any feedback others have had with trying to fix up hack jobs. We've all seen lots of trees with a branch or two hacked, but I'm talking whole tree jobs here, and mainly smaller stuff.
Shaun
But every now and then you get called in to prune something that someone has absolutely butchered, or you see something on the property while out on the job that just makes you cringe. I don't have a lot of sympathy for hedges/shrubs, and most species that end up getting cut in this way do fine going down that path so it's not a tragedy. I do get a little big of hedging of big oversize hedges (20'+) that have just gotten out of hand, cyprus pines etc.
The sad cases are either fruit trees, or species of trees that just don't grow that tall so a likely to be within reach of anyone with a brush saw or whatever like jap maples. The standard result is that they've end pruned pretty much ever single branch on the tree and the tree has responded with massive epicormic growth, turned into a bush, plenty of deadwood, poor shape etc.
With fruit trees I've had hit and miss results. Citrus seem to respond ok as long as you can bring them back into a good open shape and centre prune them, give them some air, they still fruit ok and don't seem to mind that much. Some other fruit trees don't go that well. I start with removing deadwood, then crossed over branches, then removing stubs and anything that doesnt look like it's going to produce in future. Of what's left (if I haven't already taken off too much) I try to thin to give the tree some room to fruit and let sun and air get through.
I've so far never had any luck with redeeming non-fruiting trees. I've got a soft spot for jap maples, and have been called out to reduce a few, but they seem almost completely ruined and I'm at a loss as to how to bring then back (if at all). HO gets in, and pretty much hedges the tree, taking the end of every branch. All branches left with tips reach for the sky and epicormic fuzz is jumping off everything. Sometimes very tall epi reaching for the sky too. Can you do anything with this situation?
Usually I start by removing the epi, dead wood and any stubs that look like they've not got enough secondary branches to ever come good. Of what's left I try to thin back 1 in 3, and generally it's either height reduction (remove branches heading up) or spread reduction (favor branches heading up and trim lowers). If they want to reduce both I just try to sell a straight removal, these tiny trees are only a half hour job and redeeming them just seems so expensive and tough.
I'd really appreciate any feedback others have had with trying to fix up hack jobs. We've all seen lots of trees with a branch or two hacked, but I'm talking whole tree jobs here, and mainly smaller stuff.
Shaun
