Any arborists around?

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mcderek

mcderek

Free Flight Rocketeer
Joined
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Location
Moscow, ID
Any experienced arborists around? Sad to say my favorite tree in the backyard is in trouble. The trunk has cracked:

iDKSx85.jpg


ZVffkPB.jpg


Yes, the crack goes all the way through. I'm afraid it will split in one of our windstorms which hit somewhat frequently. I could wrap the trunk with thick chain as a precaution.
Now to figure out if I have the energy and smarts to remove the tree on my own...
 
I saved our apple tree with some 3/4" wire rope and a couple Crosby clamps. It's weathered quite a few nasty storms over the last 5 years and is doing well.
 
That's sometimes an issue with multi-stemmed trees, and why it's more desirable to get a single strong trunk early on.

James' advice on the ropes/clamps may help resist the physical stress. Pesticides may help it scab over and stay healthy. If it starts to rot it's best to remove it.
 
We had two different trees do that after an early spring storm. Run multiple pieces of threaded rod through the trunk and bolt it back together.

Sounds barbaric... but it's a fairly common practice. Lot's of video's on YouTube showing how it's done.



001a.JPG
 
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lakeroadster said:
We had two different trees do that after an early spring storm. Run multiple pieces of threaded rod through the trunk and bolt it back together.

Sounds barbaric... but it's a fairly common practice. Lot's of video's on YouTube showing how it's done.



View attachment 387707
Click to expand...
Sounds barbaric because it is barbaric. Eventually the tree will need to be cut down. If the tree has grown over the metal, those cutting it down will have no idea it's there.

At best they'll dull some chains and figure it out. At worst chain will grab and flip into the operator's face.

Starting from the outside and working your way in, cut the tree down and plant a new one. Trim it to have a strong central leader.
 
kyle said:
Sounds barbaric because it is barbaric. Eventually the tree will need to be cut down. If the tree has grown over the metal, those cutting it down will have no idea it's there.

At best they'll dull some chains and figure it out. At worst chain will grab and flip into the operator's face.

Starting from the outside and working your way in, cut the tree down and plant a new one. Trim it to have a strong central leader.
Click to expand...

Never lived on a lot with old growth natural trees, have you Kyle? There are very few "natural" perfect trees. Pretty silly to cut down a tree that can easily be saved with less than $20 worth of hardware.
 
lakeroadster said:
Never lived on a lot with old growth natural trees, have you Kyle? There are very few "natural" perfect trees. Pretty silly to cut down a tree that can easily be saved with less than $20 worth of hardware.
Click to expand...



Pretty silly to try and save a tree that looks close enough to hit / damage the fence in the back when , not if , it comes down . Pretty silly to see a 15 year old tree try and be saved , when it was already completely neglected from the get go. That tree has not been maintained properly .
 
rharshberger said:
Derek, I have a chainsaw if it cant be saved however it is a lot of work to remove safely.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the offer Rich. I think the tree is beyond saving myself. I want to stabilize it so that it doesn't split. I'm pretty sure I can take it down but it will take a while. The plan is a fire pit and water feature in it's place.
 
The tree is 20+ years old and it's unusual shape was set when we bought the house. We had it checked by an arborist the first year we were here. He said that there wasn't a way to change the branch structure without scalping the tree. We decided to leave as is and trim the outer branches as necessary. It did fine till a hard winter several years ago which broke a branch and it was impossible to get a clean cut to the truck. That weakened the tree and then this last winter was the worst in years. The crack started during the worst of the snow and continues to grow. It was a tough winter for the property.
I'll try the cable first. It should keep the trunk together till the branches can be removed. At least that's the hope:)
 
lakeroadster said:
Never lived on a lot with old growth natural trees, have you Kyle? There are very few "natural" perfect trees. Pretty silly to cut down a tree that can easily be saved with less than $20 worth of hardware.
Click to expand...

No, I haven't. But at my work we have a lot of 100-200 year old oaks and maples that are at the end of their life. We have an on-staff arborist crew, and taking down these trees always scares the hell out of them when they get to the trunks. Why? Because of the stupid things like putting metal bars in them that people did 50 years ago that the trees have grown over.

Ever load a coworker onto an ambulance with a chainsaw injury caused by metal in a tree, Lakeroadster? I have.
 
3stoogesrocketry said:
Pretty silly to try and save a tree that looks close enough to hit / damage the fence in the back when , not if , it comes down . Pretty silly to see a 15 year old tree try and be saved , when it was already completely neglected from the get go. That tree has not been maintained properly .
Click to expand...

Opinions vary, I'm more of a fix it guy then throw it away and buy another. Especially when the cost is pretty minimal.


kyle said:
No, I haven't. But at my work we have a lot of 100-200 year old oaks and maples that are at the end of their life. We have an on-staff arborist crew, and taking down these trees always scares the hell out of them when they get to the trunks. Why? Because of the stupid things like putting metal bars in them that people did 50 years ago that the trees have grown over.

Ever load a coworker onto an ambulance with a chainsaw injury caused by metal in a tree, Lakeroadster? I have.
Click to expand...

My father, Grandfather and I owned a sawmill and we logged our own trees. We bought it from some Amish folks and worked with them to learn the trade.

In all my nearly 60 years, no I have never seen an injury due to a chainsaw first hand. Wearing the proper safety equipment and being educated on how to look at trees for signs of previous damage is the best way to avoid injuries.

We did however have weekly occurrences of the mill blade hitting metal inside of logs, usually nails and fencing wire which then required resharpening of teeth on the blade or replacement of the teeth, depending on how severe the damage was.

I'm always spotting trees when we are out and about now that have tell tale signs of fencing... pretty easy to spot if you know what to look for.

1972 Sawmill 007 No Date.jpg
 
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lakeroadster said:
Cables around the outside of the tree are not the correct way to address the issue. Do some research, you'll also come to that conclusion.

https://www.arborilogical.com/tree-services/cabling-and-bracing/

https://laidbackgardener.blog/tag/dont-wrap-wire-around-trunk/
Click to expand...

Sure I get it if you want to save the tree. I'm removing the tree. All the cable is for is to keep the trunk from a catastrophic split while I prepare for the removal. It should work for that. The tree will be replaced with a fire pit and a small water feature.
 
lakeroadster said:
Opinions vary, I'm more of a fix it guy then throw it away and buy another. Especially when the cost is pretty minimal.




My father, Grandfather and I owned a sawmill and we logged our own trees. We bought it from some Amish folks and worked with them to learn the trade.

In all my nearly 60 years, no I have never seen an injury due to a chainsaw first hand. Wearing the proper safety equipment and being educated on how to look at trees for signs of previous damage is the best way to avoid injuries.

We did however have weekly occurrences of the mill blade hitting metal inside of logs, usually nails and fencing wire which then required resharpening of teeth on the blade or replacement of the teeth, depending on how severe the damage was.

I'm always spotting trees when we are out and about now that have tell tale signs of fencing... pretty easy to spot if you know what to look for.

View attachment 387727
Click to expand...


Nice. My uncle had a saw mill for many years. He worked for the power company and road crews would let him know when trees were down that he might be interested in. He would take his truck and remove the tree and mill the wood into rough planks. Originally it was for his woodworking hobby. The wood processing became his true hobby. His barn was stuffed with wood that he had milled over the years. All of it high quality. My aunt auctioned the wood off for a nice sum. Imagine 50 year old oak planks kept in optimal conditions!
 

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