Street Shade Trees Root Flares

[PinkFloydEffect]

So today I was able to remove most of the larger girdles I was procrastinating.

I was able to achieve the aesthetically pleasing flaring taper and it looks happy!

I am very very concerned about the strength of the opposite side of the tree though, I removed very large girdles that almost seemed to support that side with the missing taper or reverse taper. When the wind blows I am afraid it will rock and sway the tree more now and if this city tree falls its falling into the road and hitting my neighbors house and hes a f****** prick so he will most certainly try suing me and he already took pictures of me tampering with the tree so the town will side with him if this tree falls.

So here's my idea, brace it. We aren't popping up a tent here so I cant just stake one side to the ground I need a good anchor..like another tree. There is int one behind it but there's one to the side of it.

​

 

[RUBE]

Dude I'm going to give you a E for your efforts.. BUT!!! Chalk up what you have done as good research to what happens with girldling roots and maples. It would appear that this tree is a Norway maple? If not it is some kind of hard wood Acer and it has numerous structual defects and, around here anyway, its a city tree hence not yours and your neighbor has pics of you messing with it and you know it is going to fail. What are the ord's for your community in regards to hazard trees? Do you have a forester? You may be setting yourself up for a court case. Again great effort, but.....

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Dude I'm going to give you a E for your efforts.. BUT!!! Chalk up what you have done as good research to what happens with girldling roots and maples. It would appear that this tree is a Norway maple? If not it is some kind of hard wood Acer and it has numerous structual defects and, around here anyway, its a city tree hence not yours and your neighbor has pics of you messing with it and you know it is going to fail. What are the ord's for your community in regards to hazard trees? Do you have a forester? You may be setting yourself up for a court case. Again great effort, but.....

Oh no! Now you REALLY got me worried. The tree is some sort of maple I don't know yet. I don't KNOW it's going to fail I really have no idea that's why I took so many pictures. It was strong to begin with standing wise. If I report the hazards tree it will be cut down immediately and I do not want that to happen. I hope I don't get brought to court over it or thatd be the last tree I ever save on town property. Id have a Arborist with me to testify that I was helping it more then hurting it. The roots I removed weren't structural but the more girders I remove the more I find that they supported the bottle neck.

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Complete.... for now

Final product, I'm not touching any more until it starts showing some signs of life and vigor. This is what I came up with:

Well I decided to get it a nice treat so I took a trip to a local farm and bought 4 bags of very potent composted manure. Filled at least an inch thick all the way around, I even blew the dirt out of the crack in the sidewalk above one of the major roots/flare and then packed in the dank mixture.

If you notice in the rear there is a V or L shaped flowerbed the roots go toward under the sidewalk so I drenched it with compost as well. Then heavily watered the entire area I hope its happy now

Now 2 days later I have observed some changes already, for 1 the root flares have shrunk up a bit and for 2 the entire canopy is droopy or sagging! I hope its normal temporary shock.
​

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Seems to be doing alright:

The spots where I had to remove roots have been at a constant bleed:

I've started on tree #2 I used these barrels as a blast barrier for the air, makes for an easy cleanup:

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

I did not have a chance to take pictures of the work so far on the second tree but, I've been observing very closely. Looking for buds, comparing the two trees at the road in front of my house... the one I already completed is technically in weaker condition then the one I haven't gotten to with the barrels around the base. With that being said I think even though structurally it is weaker I did SOMETHING right. Because there are no open or popped buds/flowers on the other tree yet the one I worked on has maybe 6 or 7 spots that have bursted, and this tree is the smallest and unhealthilyest:

^Tree I worked on^


Aside from the two street trees compare it to the tree in my yard, things completely flowered up I believe the same strain of tree too:

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Again with the bud comparison I think it enjoyed the composted manure, I took a video PLEASE WATCH! Video Is Here​

 

[xraydaniel]

Norway Maple

As I had said before it is an Acer Platanoides, a city tree belonging to the city (or town). The have a very superficial root system hence the reason the asphalt is was lifting. Your doing a good deed to those trees which I doubt the city would have a problem with other than warn you not to do any more to them (those on the curbside).

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Complete

I've performed a root collar correction, de-road sanded it several times, fertilized (composted manure) and mulched (organic non dyed). Should be a happy camper now

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Mayor's Permission

So I had a talk with the Mayor this morning, and turns out I got his permission (and he contacted the municipal grounds department) to perform any pruning on the tree free of problems from the town. So I am off to pick up a few hand saws and will post when I finish removing some dead wood (can't access much, damn you rope and saddle)

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

So here it is, to start with look at the dead tips with no leafs OR buds:

This is where I made the cut and as it appears to me and please correct me, that the branch a long time ago threw out a new leader and I cut off the original witch was dying off and lions tailed:

From a distance this is what it looks like (I really hated to take anything off the left):

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Then there was the knub branch with no foliage out over the road using up energy trying to heal and throw sprouts (unsuccessfully) so I removed it:

How did my cuts come out? No sign of heart rot here:

Check out the trunk, someone removed the branch collar long ago. Also the tree is cracked right down the trunk possibly from a snow plow, with rotting:

 

[jeanlee411]

been there done that a thousand times over, wasn't allowed to leave a stub cut so if that meant removing a leader then that's what was done.....not only are they bound by the utility commission to maintain the minimum of 10ft clearance (in NC) but they also have to do it with proper techniques, yes, it was sad to leave some trees the way we had to but what can you do when the H/O refuses to let the tree be removed to be replace for something that would mature at a smaller height.....answer that one for me please........

FWIW: I trimmed utility lines in Orlando Fla. and the utility arborist said it was some of the best trimming he'd ever seen and you know how they love their trees down there...

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

been there done that a thousand times over, wasn't allowed to leave a stub cut so if that meant removing a leader then that's what was done.....not only are they bound by the utility commission to maintain the minimum of 10ft clearance (in NC) but they also have to do it with proper techniques, yes, it was sad to leave some trees the way we had to but what can you do when the H/O refuses to let the tree be removed to be replace for something that would mature at a smaller height.....answer that one for me please........

FWIW: I trimmed utility lines in Orlando Fla. and the utility arborist said it was some of the best trimming he'd ever seen and you know how they love their trees down there...

Yeah they pretty much ruin trees around here, just today I passed a tree that was hacked to hell lions tailed to a hand full of leaves on the end of each branch all for power line clearance. I will post a picture eventually it is ridicules. For now I stand my guard on my trees on my street I just hope I am home when the power company comes through my area so I can go out and tell them to just keep moving and not to touch the trees on my street in front of my house (there's no power lines on this side anyway)
:bringit:

From the other end:

Here it is from the front/street side, the RED circle is a missing or lack of canopy, GREEN circle is what appears to me to be the new leader or competing leader, BLUE circles are my choices for a new designated leader. RED LINE is my proposed execution spot for weight and longevity balancing. If I remove some of the more viggerious side slowly, it will give the other side time to play a little "catch up" since my root collar restoration work.

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Times Up

Can't stand looking at it anymore, time to begin a yearly process of prune backs on one side of the tree until we have a shapely future.

I know... "don't use extension latter's to prune trees!" well I have no choice. No job for climbing supplies. I had a neighbor spotting me and one arm around a limb at all times, and 3 bungee cords holding the top of the latter to the tree which was in between two major limbs to prevent sliding. Cinder blocks on the wood shims supporting the latter so it cannot slide out from under me. And a step latter with orange fencing around it to warn cars that an idiot is in a tree.

Here we go:

Did the best I could with a hand saw on a funky angle:

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Tree #2 UPDATE

I started with tree #2 on my street:

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

 

[woodsmower]

Looks great!

 

[ray benson]

I have seen 2 oak trees where the owner paved all around the trees. Amazing the trees can survive.