Hi I am new here but would really appreciate some advice... We moved into a house last August which has an enormous tree in the back garden. All autumn was a nightmare clearing all the leaves! It has grown even bigger over the last few months and the neighbours have mentioned it to us. We called in a tree surgeon and he advised us that it was a lime tree which had already been pollarded in the past. I was hoping just to reduce the tree so that it still looked nice and 'tree-like' but he says lime trees grow back so quickly that would be pointless, and suggests taking it right back down to the main trunk (about a quarter of the height of the tree, where no small branches with leaves grow) so it will just look like a big stump.
Do you think he's right or could we have a happy medium? This will be quite expensive so I don't want to be doing it every year though! I have taken some photos if that helps, but not sure if I can post them on here?
If he is a reputable tree surgeon, I would take his advice. Lime trees are pollarded in London streets, you may have noticed them. They will grow back very quickly.
Thanks Welshonion. I'm not sure how to find out how reputable he is - I know his mother, who obviously says he is great! I find it suprising that he is free to do it at such short notice this Friday though, as usually when we need to book someone in they are booked up for weeks in advance.
Here are some pics to describe what I mean. I've put a red arrow to show where the original pollarding was, which is where he suggests taking it down to.
That's a big tree and will generate lots of growth however you manage it. Just remember the root system that will be powering all the growth. What the tree surgeon is suggesting is an age old method of managing trees for growth of new timber poles. It originated from a practice where animals were grazed in the fields with the trees. The practice of cutting at height enabled the tree's re growth to survive being eaten by deer or similar. If cut at the height he suggests it will begin to re grow long poles and will need re-doing every 5 years or so. It will look a little like a lollipop. The pollarded trees in London are usually Plane trees, but the effect will be broadly the same. His advice is good in my view, and you will be surprised how quick your lollipop returns, much to bank balances disgust! From there on in though it will be a much smaller job...
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Do you think he's right or could we have a happy medium? This will be quite expensive so I don't want to be doing it every year though! I have taken some photos if that helps, but not sure if I can post them on here?
Thanks in advance!
Thanks Welshonion. I'm not sure how to find out how reputable he is - I know his mother, who obviously says he is great! I find it suprising that he is free to do it at such short notice this Friday though, as usually when we need to book someone in they are booked up for weeks in advance.
Here are some pics to describe what I mean. I've put a red arrow to show where the original pollarding was, which is where he suggests taking it down to.
https://plus.google.com/photos/115231888316772831141/albums/6160890493888425921
That's a big tree and will generate lots of growth however you manage it. Just remember the root system that will be powering all the growth. What the tree surgeon is suggesting is an age old method of managing trees for growth of new timber poles. It originated from a practice where animals were grazed in the fields with the trees. The practice of cutting at height enabled the tree's re growth to survive being eaten by deer or similar. If cut at the height he suggests it will begin to re grow long poles and will need re-doing every 5 years or so. It will look a little like a lollipop. The pollarded trees in London are usually Plane trees, but the effect will be broadly the same. His advice is good in my view, and you will be surprised how quick your lollipop returns, much to bank balances disgust! From there on in though it will be a much smaller job...
Thanks Dan, you have settled my worries. He's booked in for tomorrow