Trippy Old Silver Maple we saved!

looks like a removal to me. whhy cover the cavities with wire mesh...your eliminating valuable habitat
 
Butch, the customer isnt a tree worker. We are supposed to be the professionals. The customer consulted 4 companies. 3 obviously felt the tree was a hazard in all forms. The 4th thought they could shine shit. Foolish/misled customer. I dont subscribe to giving the customer whatever they see fit. I dont tell the doc the best way to operate on me, I dont tell the mechanic how to replace the tranny, and I dont tell the accountant how to file my taxes. Those 3 folks also dont tell me whats best in matters of trees.

I listen to customers, I hear their concerns and ideas. So long as their concerns and ideas are logical and safe, I do it. If it isnt that way, I make recommendations based on knowledge and experience. My knowledge says silver maples rot like crazy once they get started, and my experience tells me that they love to crumbled and fail once they are at that point.
 
I guess Im being a bit of a jerk here. Im going to tone it back as well. I take pride in my trade and the work I do. I do whats right, or i dont get the job. But at a minimum, I leave the potential customer with an honest suggestion on what will serve them best.
 
I walked away from an estimatie on friday. Dude wanted to remove half of a Hickory Codom. each lead was 18" or so........but three away was a brand new septic tank..in fact two. I recommended removal since the tree might fall over. .....He said he will find some one to do it......and he will. you cant fix stupid
 
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  • #36
No_Bivy said:
looks like a removal to me. whhy cover the cavities with wire mesh...your eliminating valuable habitat
Click to expand...

Only the large cavities where covered to keep Racoons and squirrel out. There are a few holes for birds and bats left open.
Habitat is encouraged, so I saved a tree and provided habitat to micro n macro flora/fauna and micro biota plus maintained carbon, plus shading and coolinng etc etc you all new spiel.
 
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  • #38
sotc said:
I agree with a little add on.
I also agree, you now own it and the liability,
This is not meant to bash on you by any means but don't just blow off anyone that disagrees. Also, hard to tell from pictures but it still looks like alot of weight and leverage on those types of wounds. And just because you over thin a tree in dormant season doesn't prevent the sun from burning the thin bark and phloem
Click to expand...

I climbed all over the tree to prune it and make sure it is safe. What it looks like and what it is are two different things.
I wish you all can experience the tree the way I did, it will definetely change your mind about the removal.

Sunscald is not an issue when exposure to the sun was present before pruning! Thin before and reduce after! Is that help with the sunscald issue.
 
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  • #39
Tucker943 said:
I guess Im being a bit of a jerk here. Im going to tone it back as well. I take pride in my trade and the work I do. I do whats right, or i dont get the job. But at a minimum, I leave the potential customer with an honest suggestion on what will serve them best.
Click to expand...

I completely agree with you! On all accounts. Plus what serves the tree best. Oh I don't think you are a jerk.
I sense you really care about the situation and I greatly appreciate everyones thoughtfullness and input into the our act of saving what is obvious to everyone, a challenging tree.

I feel good about it and so do many others and in the end feeling good is important.
I will do my best to insure this tree will not harm any one.
Thanks y'all for caring!
 
sotc said:
I also agree, you now own it and the liability,....
Click to expand...

Willie, first let me state that I quoted you but my comments are for all that use this phrase and accept it. DON'T!!! Why should we? Nobody and I mean nobody else, doctors, mechanics or accountants, nobody, accepts this level of responsibility. That this has become commonly spoken of and written about, even by the leaders of our own industry, sucks big time. The reason is when/if you find yourself in court, all these statements will be used to make you pay. There have already been judgments against arborists on trees that have failed, even though they were not even asked to access that tree.
Nobody can predict when a tree will fail but all trees will fail at some point in time. This is the truth but it will not matter if we accept or write otherwise.

Dave
 
"It's cheaper to remove than to prune"

I know at least one person in my area who would try to sell that job using the above statement.

Probably because they have monstrous overhead.
 
I agree, Dave. In the end, the owners choose the management option. Ropearmour simply provided an alternative service which he was comfortable doing given apparent experience, understanding and research. It gives me pause for thought. I think we have all removed a tree or two that we thought was worse off than it actually was, after we see it dismantled and bucked up. Some have been worse than we thought too. I would have liked to have seen some more footage of the root crown and cultural conditions around the tree, however.

Did you radial trench, compost or mulch the crz?
 
RopeArmour, I stand by everything i said. BUT, a little thought on the matter allowed me to realize it was your job, your customer, and your decision how to handle it. Not mine. I would being willing to bet money that Ive made choices on trees that the next fella would look at on the net and throw stones at me for.
 
I know of a certain orange tree in my portfolio of things I would have rather not done what the customer wanted but did because it was her tree and not mine. :)
 
From my experience with silver maples I think that thing will be ok. The whole tree probably won't fail and those decayed limbs will probably break but not detach. Of course when it starts to break up its time to go....
 
My recommendation of removal was not based on the tree being a hazard. It looks like it has been the victim of bad pruning over its life and while that might make it "interesting," I think it has begun its downward spiral. I think progressively elevating silver maples into vase shapes makes them more prone to breakage and over thinning them dooms their branches to suns scald, followed by rot, followed by breakage.
 
I know what your saying Dave, but at the same time, if three companies reccomend removal, and one guy says "no, with a little pruning, this tree will be safe till your kids have kids". That person should take on part of the responsibility. On the other hand if they state in writing that is acknowledged by the tree owner in writing that "I recomend removal but as long as your ok with the high risk this tree poses to life and property, I would be willing to do so and such in an effort to minimize the risk" Or something to that effect.

Rope armour, you will find that we are very opinionated here but also understand that pictures don't really show how things are
 
My folks have two huge ones in their yard, no real pruning done, just cleaned up after storms and some deadwoding. They are in rough shape, many hollow leaders, lots or rot on the bark, every time we have a windstorm I fear for them. Mom loves them and insists they are safe, I disagree. One hangs over one of the garages with a large leader. But still they hold up year after year.
Just saying you can't always judge a book by it's cover. Myself, I'd recommend removal of that one, but I don't know the weather where you are that well and that makes a big difference in things as well.
 
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