“If something is wrong with a tree, you need to prune / rejuvenate it”
Have a look at our "ignorance" page; you’ll see what can happen.
"Pruning makes a tree grow"
This goes for most grasses, plants and bushes, but trees have their own rules.
"Trees are strong and can handle a lot"
Wrong; a beech’ vital parts are located just 8mm under its bark…
"The tree is dying if it’s bearing a lot of fruit"
Sounds good, but is mostly said by lumberjacks with really high mortgages.
"A tree is kaprijp"
Mostly said by lumberjacks with high monthly costs. You can recognize them by their vans marked with
“Landscaper, arborist, gardener, etc” Guys that will basically do anything if they get paid enough cash for it.
"Form pruning old trees"
This really is a moneymaker for pruners trying to earn some extra cash. This has led to many monuments disappearing; trees just don’t need this kind of work, for several reasons. Who are we to determine the shapes of trees in the first place? Second of all, their biomechanics don’t work that way. Thirdly, it causes death for various species such as beech, oak etc if the soil is precarious or if there is a drought. Either you pollard the tree when it is five years old or you just plant the tree in the right spot in the First place. The photos are taken a year after pruning, notice the difficult regeneration. The crown is also having a hard time, which means that the roots will probably die and rot.
If an arborist agrees to prune or pollard, he is not an arborist, simple.
Be sure to choose your tree expert carefully bearing in mind that such a person is committed to being responsible for any tree he treats, for ten years after treatment. His commitment is also to the tree! Therefore, he will not necessarily agree with what you would like to be done to your tree.
A year ago a client could not resist buying a pot of tree ointment to treat an old wound. The net result using the ointment for six months can be seen on the photo after the ointment had been removed. The darkening shows rot through condensation and lack of air and light, around the edges the actual wound can be seen and a keen eye can see the spots of rot where no light was able to reach the tree.
Conclusion: Leave the tree alone. If the saw-cut has been carried out in the correct way then the wound will heal providing all bio-technical procedures have been carried out.
Well meaning intervention (plaster on a cut etc.) is just not possible with a tree, therefore, no ointments, etc. Trees and humans have totally different wound treatments. |
