Cabling the Cracking Maple

[treelooker]

first pic is a crack that opened just this summer.
The smaller trunk is failing. Attached is a picture with red lines where the trunk could be cut back to (all cuts to lateral branches, and leaving enough foliage to keep the stem alive) and an orange line where a cable could be installed.

Comments?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Given the location and potential for targets, I would remove and replace the tree.

 

[RIVERRAT]

Me to

 

[Drella]

Yikes!

You're fisting a Maple!

 

[Bodean]

I'd retain and mitigate.

 

[Mr. Sir]

The reduction seems a bit drastic, of course it's hard to tell from one pic. Otherwise, seems like a good plan. What type of cable?

 

[BostonBull]

Cable and reduce. Add some compost, and some mulch to help the tree cope and stay healthy.

I would use a 1/2" EHS cable so that if the lead ever let loose it would stay contained.......hopefully.

 

[treelooker]

Cable and reduce. Add some compost, and some mulch to help the tree cope and stay healthy.

I would use a 1/2" EHS cable so that if the lead ever let loose it would stay contained.......hopefully.

I'm witchoo and Bo. definitely, the cable holds 7 tons.

mb do you think there will be more than 7 tons of force after that stem is cut back? why so negative bro?

the big stem will have sprawling limbs reduced, 10-20%

 

[MasterBlaster]

Negative? Moi? I just think with that defect it's time to put that tree to sleep and let another take it's place.

What, was everyone supposed to agree witch ewe?

 

[JonnyHart]

I would try to put the cable higher up than the orange line.

 

[No_Bivy]

maybe two cables....steel low, cobra up high

 

[Blinky]

maybe two cables....steel low, cobra up high

That's a wicked idea.

 

[sotc]

bolts help? cable and reduce, id go light on the other side. i think

 

[Awsomeclimber]

I really dont know much about it....But...

I just show photos (from here mostly) of serious damage, (due to the splits failing..

I make a point of telling folks " a Cable (or bolts) WONT stop the tree from failing..

It will re direct the fall" ."where WOULD you like it to fall?"

As far as the 7 tons goes.. I can turn 500kg (half a ton) into 8 tons after falling 8 meters

Ill see if i can put you up a "force generation" table ??

Id be more worried over "litergation" than saving the tree, once i interfer with a split tree, i am admitting liabillity?

"why did you fill it full of bolts and cables" is there something wrong with the tree?

 

[sotc]

ive got a tree in my front yard that would have been history with out a bolt, couple cables, and weight reduction. 6 years later and its still here, have to come down sooner or later but im comfortable for now

 

[Awsomeclimber]

Oops, wrong table

 

[BostonBull]

Understand rigging/load shocking forces. If the stem is cabled with a cable that will hold 14K, how will it ever reach that failure point? It MAY scissor back and forth and break at the crotch, but I think the cable will hold it. The only way to shock load this lead is to have a gust of wind come so strong it would lift UP and then "drop" the lead into the cable. Even then I don't think it would snap. That lead looks like 1500lbs, maybe. Especially after pruning it.

Its disheartening to think we live in a society that has to be scared of a lawsuit instead of being happy they saved a tree.

Each their own I guess.

 

[treelooker]

Its disheartening to think we live in a society that has to be scared of a lawsuit instead of being happy they saved a tree.

Amen, brother. Even some of the "greenest" cities in the US refuse to cable because of thi delusional fear of liability.

We are open to liability when we prune a tree or even walk next door to one. Deal with it--you can run from liability but you cannot hide.

"I make a point of telling folks " a Cable (or bolts) WONT stop the tree from failing..It will re direct the fall"

Why do you say that? I'm no physics major but i do not understand this statement (which is commonly said).

BB is right.

 

[Awsomeclimber]

Amen, brother. Even some of the "greenest" cities in the US refuse to cable because of thi delusional fear of liability.

We are open to liability when we prune a tree or even walk next door to one. Deal with it--you can run from liability but you cannot hide.

"I make a point of telling folks " a Cable (or bolts) WONT stop the tree from failing..It will re direct the fall"

Why do you say that? I'm no physics major but i do not understand this statement (which is commonly said).

BB is right.

I think i learnt that here? or at AS over the years..

I makes sence in that "what grows up must come down", tree are destended to fail..

Secondly around here they are mostly very old co doms with either grown in rope or chains allready holding them together. the rest are slowly falling apart and that keeps me busy..

Worse still, i tend to remove the standing half of a failed tree.. (does anyone else?)

always willing to learn more..

 

[inztrees]

Cable up hi thinn where you marked and 2 rods at the crotch powww done

 

[BostonBull]

Worse still, i tend to remove the standing half of a failed tree.. (does anyone else?)

always willing to learn more..

Depends on species, and size and degree of split/failure.

 

[treelooker]

Depends on species, and size and degree of split/failure.

True. In this case, and most, leaving one trunk uncabled is higher risk than leaving both cabled.

"Cable up hi thinn where you marked and 2 rods at the crotch powww done"

this is a common suggestion, and has merit. I will have long rods with me when i go there (it's 4 hours away and i have not seen the tree) and may do just that.

" a Cable (or bolts) WONT stop the tree from failing..It will re direct the fall"

The support won't stop the tree from failing from some other cause , but if i was not high % confident it would stop the defect from failing then i would not bother cabling.

steel low dynamic high may be good in some trees, but since a lot has to come of the small trunk it does not fit this tree.

 

[sotc]

well if you havent even seen the tree in person it may not even be an option. the angles may be waaay off for a support system to be effective

 

[arborworks1]

Assuming no decay inside the cracked area. Then Cable it and reduce both sides over the course of several years.

 

[Old Monkey]

I was asked to look at a slightly smaller sweetgum in a similar predicament last week. I offered to do what you are suggesting but also told her that given the species the chances of success would not be great. Your tree looks like a great tree but the location buggers me. If the owner is younger than forty and has no plans to move, remove and replace. If the owner is older or might move in the next few years, I'd follow your plan.

edit: What does the other side look like? You say that crack just opened up this summer? I am not certain I'd want to climb that without bracing it somehow.