Mellow
BCMA
Pollarding is done every one to two years, not every ten years. And the cuts are made at the same place every time. It's more of a European thing so you guys should know this better than a damn Yankee.
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Intervals can be longer, according to species and growth rate.
(And the owners economy). Most tilias are done with 6-8 year intervals.
Here you will often see very old pollards where some new top have been allowed to go above the old ones as a way to rejuvenate them.
(And the owners economy). Most tilias are done with 6-8 year intervals.
Here you will often see very old pollards where some new top have been allowed to go above the old ones as a way to rejuvenate them.
biggun
Monkey for Hire
That tree is in Belgium apparently.
Trees like that have been in working woodlands for centuries.
Check out Burnham Beeches or the Beeches of the Basque country. There are loads of similar examples.
biggun
Monkey for Hire
Mellow
BCMA
If you want to call Mick's hackery pollarding, then so be it.
biggun
Monkey for Hire
Pollarding as a form of woodland management, it is like coppicing at height.
The trees are a crop of sorts. It done at a height to stop animals nibbling at the new shoots. What would be the point in trying to harvest beech timber if you were to do it every 2 years? Have you seen how much regrowth a Beech puts on over 2 years? Surely an Arborist should know that. Google can help if you don’t know these things.
The regrowth tends to be tall, straight and useable, hence the delayed cutting. As I mentioned in an earlier post, try Google and search for Basque Country Beech forests or Burnham Beeches in the UK.
The trees are a crop of sorts. It done at a height to stop animals nibbling at the new shoots. What would be the point in trying to harvest beech timber if you were to do it every 2 years? Have you seen how much regrowth a Beech puts on over 2 years? Surely an Arborist should know that. Google can help if you don’t know these things.
The regrowth tends to be tall, straight and useable, hence the delayed cutting. As I mentioned in an earlier post, try Google and search for Basque Country Beech forests or Burnham Beeches in the UK.
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biggun
Monkey for Hire
Learning from Basque ancient pollards - Forestry Journal
Learning from Basque ancient pollards - Forestry Journal
www.yumpu.com
Mick!
TreeHouser
Call it what you want, doesn’t bother me, it’s a difference in how we manage trees in Europe compared to the US.
Those trees are in a location where they can’t be allowed to develop to a mature size and have been trimmed/topped/pollarded since the second World war, they’re still there and will probably see the both of us out.
What’s you’re suggestion? Fell and replace? Would that be preferable?
pete mctree
Treehouser
Where is Oliver ? (logologist was his name I think) He sorted out the topping debate I seem to remember 😂
biggun
Monkey for Hire
The trees outside Micks place must have been pollarded, if they had been topped they would have died, wouldn’t they?
Mellow
BCMA
Ahh, I didn't realize he was harvesting these for timber. I stand corrected. Carry on.
pigwot
M's, Juniper's, Lowen’s, and Inge’s Grandpa
Haha!
Paul, I actually spent a seven hour day at this friend's shop cleaning the day before!
He has "horizontal surface disorder", as do I !!!
biggun
Monkey for Hire
There is a great thread on Arbtalk. Started by the guy who had a hand in the article, David Humphries.
Trasmochos (pollards) of the Basque
A return to the trees of northern Spain Beech pollards at the Urkiola Monastery October 2017 Context A 10 year project sharing experience from the UK, Sweden & Spain on the ecology, cultural importance and vulnerability of pollarded trees across Europe. The Basque area (as well as similar UK ...
arbtalk.co.uk
gf beranek
Old Schooler
Sycamores and Mulberry are the most common pollards in my parts. Metro and urban areas. It slows the trees down that's for sure. Keeps them contained in limited space. The trees look great during the active growing season and the practice really doesn't appear to cause major harm. The trees just keep on going.
Because pollarding is done at 'mostly' regular intervals I've always referred to it as a system of rouge prunning.
Back around 03 or so some young arbs at the Tree Buzz tore into some Brits after they posted some images of pollarding The response was fast and furious and the young punks soon realized they were up against something (a cultural practice) much bigger and older than they ever realized. They were taught a lesson real fast.
History keeps repeating itself.
Because pollarding is done at 'mostly' regular intervals I've always referred to it as a system of rouge prunning.
Back around 03 or so some young arbs at the Tree Buzz tore into some Brits after they posted some images of pollarding The response was fast and furious and the young punks soon realized they were up against something (a cultural practice) much bigger and older than they ever realized. They were taught a lesson real fast.
History keeps repeating itself.
Mellow
BCMA
Here's a crape myrtle that I topped recently. The picture is old but we've topped this one every year for the last 20 - 25 years or so. Oh, wait. Topping kills trees!
Vive la différence!
Vive la différence!
Mellow
BCMA
I'm being intentionally obtuse. Seems to be the theme around here lately. Forgive, s'il vous plait.
SeanKroll
Treehouser
I just did my one pollard, a catalpa, last week.
Locally, an insurance agency has pin cushions for pollard heads as their central landscaping, where the landscapers could do a good job, simply by cutting everything 1-2" shorter. Only looks bad 6 months a year.
Locally, an insurance agency has pin cushions for pollard heads as their central landscaping, where the landscapers could do a good job, simply by cutting everything 1-2" shorter. Only looks bad 6 months a year.
Jed
TreeHouser
I’m gonna report All yous guys to the ISA. Topping just isn’t right. I don’t care who you are or WHERE you’re from.😂
Jed
TreeHouser
I’d halfta say yes... probably... goats (well, I suppose all ruminants) are enormously benefited from all the vitamins in that stuff.
Redskins ate all that stuff up too until only quite recently. We gotta go back, not forward.
Redskins ate all that stuff up too until only quite recently. We gotta go back, not forward.
ruel
TreeHouser
It's been really interesting observing the different tree work/ pruning across America. Im currently in Carmel CA, and a bunch of the parking lot "utility" trees are pollarded. In Louisiana and Texas, many trees were just topped, with awful flush cuts.
Pollarding is really just super aggressive reduction pruning, and certainly has its place. To my eye it spoils the aesthetic of the tree, but in many places it makes sense from a maintenance perspective.
A saying at my old job in Boston was "no one looks up". Said to justify wicked hard reductions on big declining trees to preserve the bole. They had been maintaining basically hollow shells on the Boston commons for decades using that approach. Sometimes it's either a removal or Pollard/ reduction
Pollarding is really just super aggressive reduction pruning, and certainly has its place. To my eye it spoils the aesthetic of the tree, but in many places it makes sense from a maintenance perspective.
A saying at my old job in Boston was "no one looks up". Said to justify wicked hard reductions on big declining trees to preserve the bole. They had been maintaining basically hollow shells on the Boston commons for decades using that approach. Sometimes it's either a removal or Pollard/ reduction
