The Official Work Pictures Thread

Looks like I'm just out of the mistletoe range. I don't think I've ever seen it. I've noticed Stephen does a fair amount of removal, and you mentioning it, got me to look it up. How do you get rid of that? Looks like it grows directly from the bark.
 
Looks like I'm just out of the mistletoe range. I don't think I've ever seen it. I've noticed Stephen does a fair amount of removal, and you mentioning it, got me to look it up. How do you get rid of that? Looks like it grows directly from the bark.

On smaller limbs, we just remove the whole branch. On bigger limbs and trunks, we just shave it off and hope for the best. Sometimes it grows back, sometimes it doesn't.
 
It sits right in the live bark, its "stump" just over the cambium level. It can't bore the wood, too hard, but it sets its vertical false "roots" against the wood and let them be surounded by the new wood, modifying it in the contact areas to sip the rough sap. Then, it keeps up with the growing rate, lengthening it's "roots" just at the cambium. So it ends to be deeply anchored in the wood, while pushing long horizontal "roots" both transversaly and lengthwise in the bark. Every so often, each horizontal roots sets up a new bud and a new vertical "root". A new sprout is able to grows through the dead layers of the bark beside the "mother". If something happens to the mother and her surrounding "childs", there are still plenty of hidden buds at various development stages ready to take the rellay and make the clump grows back. If you slice thin layers of bark on the bulge holding the clump, you can follow the path of the explorating roots and their strings of buds.
It's actually an hemiparasite though, as it takes only the rough sap from the sapwood and doesn't touch the elaborated sap from the bark. It makes its own sugar's suply by photosynthesis. It isn't as bad as it could be.
In return it sends hormones to take control of the wood's growth and favor the sap flow for itself.
 
We drifted the first day into the larger LZ on the opposite side since the tree was leaning so far as were just past 1/2 way across the roof anyway. Rob on the Hobbs in the big LZ and Levi on a porty opposite side in small (easier) LZ. Then set a couple more blocks to drift the wood off the shop and out of the roof cut outs. Crank it up straight. Pull with tag line via mini to free it from the roof. Drift away from roof toward neighbor tree at water tank. EVERYTHING leaning the wrong direction it seems.
 
Stephen...'eff me, but you are doing such high level work now. I remember not all that many years ago (well, maybe it's now become a somewhat significant number, but nevermind :)) when you were just beginning to spread your wings and start to fly in this treework biz.

You have my full respect, old son. I don't throw that around just willynilly, as you are surely aware.

Well done, yet again.
 
Thanks B. Could not have pulled it off with out several of you here coaching me.
Can you believe its been 16 years since we took this full time and such? I think Lilly was not quite 1 year at the GTG. She will be 13 this December.
 
Were the stumps still holding strong or were they compromised?
Did you keep the hard leaner on the left, last pick? It looks bad enough.
 
Stumps holding strong thus far. Weight was the biggest issue. And of course the metal :|: Then the winds hit. They had cut the roof back prior to accommodate the stem on the right. Ran out of room, got too heavy and broke the header on the wall. They are canyon live oak. That one would be more prone to break at the root crown believe it or not. That leaner in the last pic they are keeping for now. It is doomed. Right over the water tank and pump house. HO has been advised it needs to go.
 
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