A quick tip that may save a life. If you noticed how when he was dropping the stem, they stacked all those logs to use as a crash pad, to stop any damage underneath. I’ve used the technique for years. One day we went to apply this technique, we didn’t make the crash pad long enough, when the tree fell over on top of it, it spat one of the logs out like a cannon, directly at myself ( I was pulling the rope to assist the fall ) it smashed both my shins, no bone breakages. But I could barely walk for a month. So many years of using this technique. I’ll never use it again, because of this one instance
@Cousin Eddie Agreed because laying them out just right is important. I have seen the worst side of the trick a few times, thankfully not by me but some I worked with. Still, I wouldn't deter from using that technique if in a time pinch. As long as you take your time at the right time. IBEW-
I've never seen such a setup before. Loppers here in Auss just cut the tree into manageable parts not large enough to cause damage in the first place. Didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to do it any other way.
@@xaracen7207 Yeah, can't figure it out, the only thing I can think of is a teeter totter mechanism that will send a log end over end perpendicular to the tree possibly but launching straight out and at significant velocity I don't understand
@@arboristBlairGlenn Hey Blair, I have a cherry that had been topped in the past for easier access to fruit and to encourage fruiting. How resistant is a fruiting cherry tree to topping-induced decay?
My grandparents had a Sugar Maple topped quite severely. It held on for maybe another 15 years, until we took it down. We turned it into firewood. I couldn't believe how extensive all the rot was around each old topping wound. And, every cut had around 5-8 suckers growing at it.... much like you showed in this video.
this is a really useful video that people should see before cutting any tree. we seem to forget that trees are a living organism and that trimming is literally amputation which leave open wounds that will get infected and decay
Always breaks my heart to see topped trees. Many times they cut off so many limbs that they end up with a tall bizarre-looking stump in the yard that barely grows or just doesn't grow at all
Trees on my street got completely reduced to stumps a few years ago, luckily they've managed to fully regrow to giant bushy trees. I was amazed how fast they came back. I worry it will rot hard now though
This is a great video to show to customers who want their tree topping. You try to explain stuff like this people and often see the blank expression come across their face. If you don't understand what will happen after heavy topping you can't see the future problems. My thoughts are usually just remove the tree - you want the tree topping because it is the wrong tree in the wrong place! Remove and replace with something more appropriate to the setting. thanks for making this video :)
@@arboristBlairGlenn the other tree guys around me are the most substantial threat to the trees around here. even worse than the emerald ash borer. you look around town and almost all the old maples are topped already. most are severely dangerous now and everyone is starting to hate having trees because they loose big limbs every time the wind blows. we just had a few huge maples fall through some buildings and everyone thinks its from the abnormally high winds. forgetting to realize that its really cause someone destroyed the tree years ago and the roots finally turned to mush. or like mine the gas company cut apart the roots on 3 sides of the tree to run a line to the house. I tell people all the time not to top their trees but most can't fathom the idea that it's cheaper and safer to just remove it or let it be. I loose out on some jobs because I don't automatically just top the tree.
No, people want them topped because companies charge absolutely batshit amounts of money to remove trees or properly prune them, while charging less to top them. People would love to take better care of trees, but who the hell can afford to lay out the thousands upon thousands upon thousands of dollars?
The second one, with it holding water, what people don't realize is, this is a prime breeding ground for certain species of mosquitoes. My parents had a large southern red oak next to their house. When we sold the house, found out that the roots had messed up the septic tank. It had to be replaced.
Super impressed with how you dropped the trunk across the walkway. Your experience and wisdom are definitely showing through in all parts of this video.
@ BG - I follow a few arbourists on YT and you consistently provide the most educational content. I'm bookmarking this video for the next time someone asks why I recommend against topping. Ty for sharing your expertise and the content.
Thats got to be infuriating. To continue seeing a practice being done that is well known for harming the tree and putting peoples property and lives at risk. I swear no matter how often a lesson is taught people never learn!
We bought a house in a new development about 7 years ago, and the builders put a burr oak in most of the front yards. My neighbor has been top trimming his tree every year for the last 3-4 years, and our tree is now more than twice as tall as theirs. I just can't wrap my head around it.
I bought a property with a beautiful cherry tree that produces well but it was topped on all main 4 trunks already looking like the tops you ve showed. thanks to your videos over the years i know now that the mushrooms i see growing out of the place where it was cut many years ago the tree probably must go. I will very much enjoy probing how deep the decay goes. Thanks Sir
@@themightycrixus1131 I used to gather mushrooms. Tons of mushrooms grow naturally near trees. A group of mushroom species grow *on* wood, but only some of them grow on dead/rotting wood, while some require live wood. It depends on tree species and mushroom species.
Great video!!! I have had many people in the past ask me to top their trees and I refuse to do it. I have seen the damage that it does even though it's not apparent to the lay person. These were really good examples. Thank you.
One thing that you did not mention in your video that I think is important that when trees are topped or even cut back very hard the sprouts that originate from those cuts are not attached to the center of the trunk as are original branches making them very weak and more prone to snap off.
I have 4 and a 1/2 acres of trees that I've grown from seed or very small seedlings over the last 47 years. It is interesting and educational to watch how the trees have responded to my pruning over this time period. Sometimes things that you thought were the best choices turn out not to be so 20 or 30 years down the road. All we can do is learn from our mistakes and try and do a better job as time goes forward. Some of these trees are now 60 to 70' tall, which is a big tree for the arid West where I live. They require constant irrigation. If you ever make a trip out to the West you would be welcome to stop by and see what I have done. Many trees that started out doing well after 20 or 30 years prove not to be good choices for this climate and soil. Many turn out to be better choices than I thought as time goes on ,such as some of the pines. Thank you for your work and your response to my replies.
I had a Silver Maple that nature topped during a severe thunderstorm. The results were disastrous as it suckered from the 3 topped branches into a disaster of weakness. Eventually the tree had to be removed.
I have a silver birch that was topped about 20 years ago. I just climb up every year and cut down to hard wood and form a little roof profile to stop water standing. It mostly seems pretty healthy although last summer was so dry that it shed some leaves early. Time will tell 😅🙏
@@AlexanderBC42 I think I'd still have to cut it to check it wasn't rotting away beneath the surface. I guess it might mean I could cut a bit less off each time but I don't really want the tree getting any taller anyway
The city has some silver maples across the street from my house. They topped them in the late 90s (I bought my house in 2000). In June of 2001 we had a superstorm (derecho and flooding rains) that took brittle regrowth branches off those same silver maples and made missiles out of them. One hit the back of my mother's pickup truck (just above the back window) and then it became airborne again and took out a window in our second story utility room. Huge dent on the truck, 2 broken windows on the house. Luckily insurance covered it.
Excellent educational content. We had a crew top six birch that were between 50-60ft, and until now, I wasn't aware of the consequences. I take full responsibility--I should have done my homework, but instead put blind trust in the crew to inform their customer. It's definitely a pro-con situation as we needed more light on our property to help smaller species grow, and reduce birch growth and leans without costly ($$$$) annual visits. We'll put together a plan to maintain what we have as economically as possible, while thinking about planting new saplings in adjacent areas of mature trees that might decay.
if you can, get an arborist out soon to tell you if the trees are this bad, because there are ways to stop it especially if you catch it early. good trimming can definitely thin out the trees so you can have more light. just make sure it’s a licensed arborist with a good reputation. lots of cities actually have them on staff or if not, may be able to point you to a good one for residential property. like the second tree in this video, with proper maintenance, you can save them.
In Australia a lot of our trees are a lot more resistant to this but one that isn't too resistant is paper bark but the plus side to paper bark is and they can be hollowed out completely and just sort of live mostly fine because when they fall it's from the roots being damaged usually because of wet soil which is where they grow
The innate weakness of the types of hollow trees that the South Island Short-tailed bat chooses as roosts has likely served to shape the unique Short-tailed Bat Batflies that are associated with their roosts- most Batflies are blood-feeding parasites but those associated with the Short-tailed bat have developed a colonial social structure with morphological division of labour, and having entirely lost their wings, becoming essentially blind and their vestigial wing muscles serve only to produce angry buzzing sounds when trampled by bats, the larger individuals serving as guards to guide bats away from the arrays of eggs on long stalks that lay dormant while the bats are torpid and hibernating while their parents die off. If the tree is damaged or falls, which it often does the bat colony will usually seek a new home, and since the Batflies have absolutely no means to find a new colony on their own their only option for transport is to perform phoresy and have gravid females grip onto the bats' fur at all times ready to move in when they're active in case they don't come back. Usually they live in very hot, humid conditions in bat guano which made it interesting for the researchers- they had to keep them in tupperware in their airing cupboard to keep them alive and I bet they smelled something fierce.
Nice post. Trees in a domestic setting can often give rise to 'issues'. 'Wrong' species, wrong place (like the first one; too big, planted too close). But people love them, so a common and understandable response is to try to keep them. Crown reductions done well look 'natural' in very short order as the tree (with the majority of its resources and all of its root system intact) puts on a spurt of growth. It is easy to 'sell' the advantages of a reduction, but less easy to 'sell' the need to do repeated cuts at regular intervals thereafter. I'm in the UK and, as an ecologist, one of my interests is ancient trees. The UK has a large number of these, especially pollard oaks. The kind of rot and holes you point out can have great value as niches for specialised species (bats, beetles, moths, flies) and in the right context, cause little public safety issues. Unfortunately on this crowded isle, houses and infrastructure get built in close proximity to pre-existing trees and the tree inevitably has to give way to 'safety' or the needs of the integrity of the new build. I have seen houses built within a few yards of 350-plus year old pollarded oaks and the pollards later removed. I hope many people see this post and it acts to address some of the ignorance around trees and their care.
@@arboristBlairGlenn I'm an ecologist with a special interest in trees and woodlands. I don't climb, but I work with climbers as a groundie - run my own saws when I do.
@@arboristBlairGlenn Sixty next birthday, so getting a bit elderly to start that game now. Getting paid to do scuba dived marine biological surveys is strenuous enough for me! No issues with heights - have a shufti at this? ua-cam.com/video/LnXjrqp3x5Y/v-deo.html
Always found it fascinating that tou could graft different species onto one another and cloning by air layering blew my mind. Sure would be something if someone developed a technique for grafting new bark over a cut. Or some process for promoting rapid bark growth to heak over wounds.
The typical customer won't know about the damage from topping. The typical arborist won't know how. The cost. You'd need to know about the grafting, know very advanced arborist, and have lots of money. Sadly.
This is a very impressive video, and you seem like you love the trees. I appreciate you sharing this information. I love trees, but I don't want anyone to get hurt from limbs breaking off and landing on them. It is amazing how much a small branch can weigh even! Thank you for sharing!
Those who pay attention to the details can see deeper. Those who listen to the subtle pieces of the puzzle, hear more. Those who take the time to feel and touch trees, sense the life within.
@OSTOTD Blair was saying the first tree in the video, a Liquid Amber, was topped 3 years ago (the tree he removed). The tree you're saying that looks like it was topped 10 years ago is a Silver Maple, your guess is probably pretty close for that tree. Edit: I notice the person I responded to before my comment has deleted his comment.
Great job on the rope drop! I like that style. Not so great on the silver maple. I'd have tried to convince her to take more of it down or just plant a shorter tree. My silver maple stands 20+ feet over the height of the rest of my canopy. Now I know they grow taller, thanks to this video. I thought it was just older. The lady owner before me tied thin ropes around a lot of my trees and I'm deciding that some of them just aren't worth fighting with. the ropes grew into the trees and some seem to have weathered the damage while others are just suffering. I need to put them out of their misery.
Your sentence structure is confusing. They were topped in the 70s and 80s due to rot? OR you removed them because of the rot? I think I can guess the right answer but your composition skills suck.
Had just the same at a recent job. Customer wanted the sprouts cut off of his Silver Maple. Climbed up it to inspect it because it already had some decay showing. And it was bad. The main leaders already gave some way with just me on them and I was just half way. So came down and discussed the situation with the owner. He really likes the tree and wants to keep it for as long as possible. And there is no immediate danger for personal harm, just material. But something has to be done in the near future. So for this year I hired a spiderbucket and cut off the sprouts. And next time round I'll cut off a decent portion of the main leaders back to sound wood so it can sprout again and the customer can enjoy the tree for some more years. Not the cheapest option, but that is what customer wants. So also a good example of communicating with your customer and explaining the pro's and con's. Just sad that he made the decision in the past to top it.
I wish we would do more of what is good for the tree and care less about the needs of the customer. Most trees will out live us given we don't do something to change that. I always think of myself as the short term custodian of the trees in my yard. Obviously if they're dangerous you need to to do something but I never understand why people move to a wooded development and cut all the trees down, stay 3-5 years and move again.
It does depend on the species, but as an experienced horticulturalist/ arborist my general rule is to never make cuts larger than 6 inches without very good reason (4 for sycamore, 10 for oak). If you must do it leave an extra 2-3 feet of sprag to die back, it will not look as neat but the tree will be happier in the long term. If you top a conifer hedge like leylandii do not cut the sides in the same year, trim lightly next year.
I recently was put in charge of a yard that has been untouched for almost 10 years. The amount of dead limbs standing is overwhelming, and as I don't have the money to hire cleaners or even arborists I am teaching myself how to clean it. Yesterday I took a limb off a tree that was dead without realizing the limb that was twined with it was rotten too, so I ended up taking them both down, the rot is there already even if it was invisible before, sad to say I do not know how long the tree will last. Thank you for this, I subscribed!!! Many thanks!
I’ve had numerous “tree surgeons” knocking on my door suggesting I top a tree growing in my front lawn. A few have got angry when I’ve refused the offer. One left saying “I hope it falls on your house” Even more reasons to defend my tree!
It kinda seems like this makes the case for applying a sock of some kind to the top, if topping. This is commonly used by people selling small plants in food stores, having some sort of wax or plastic knob on the top to protect the stem while that stem decides what to do with itself.
I think when it comes to trees more and more they're finding its best chance of recovery is no intervention. We used to apply tar to open wounds or other applications but it turns out they do more harm than good sadly.
Honest and highly informative. I dont know a thing about trees, nor do I watch any videos on them, but some how I came across your video. I dont regret watching it in it's entirety to be captivated by your expertise lol
Nice trick and cool points. I've been there. Add in 3 phasee bare primary, non coated secondaries, strung under service lines, ect. ect. It adds a new dimension of it has to get done, especially while in a frozen White Pine. Holly trees were some of my favorites to climb, and vines can be real killers or damage dealers as well. Nobody grow Wisteria anymore, please, and thank you.
Nice video! I learned a lot about cutting and topping trees. I will make sure to have a professional like you determine this in the future for my trees. Thanks!
Hard topping in the past was done to create long straight poles for building purposes. Sawmills were not a thing. Pit saws were slow. Interesting that the pollarding of trees started out as a purpose driven process and ended up with people thinking that is the right way to prune!
there is a dogwood near my house that was severely topped a few weeks ago. I was disgusted at just how much of that very nice dog wood they pruned away, at least 7 large branches of the tree were cut off entirely leaving mostly just a stump and maybe 2 feet of each branch left. I hope the tree doesn't die because of that.
Awesome stuff as always. Even in Southern Illinois, I see the same issues with the same two trees. I don't know why people would rather pay a tree service to regularly cut their tree than to rake the gum balls for a few hours. Sad stuff.
I love the explanation where the expression "High Maintenance tree" has been created as the result of topping. You've just described Asplundh and Davey Tree's successful business model. 😳
Have you ever read "One Straw Revolution"? The author talks about ruining a previously pruned orchard vs growing a new one and never pruning. I feel like your video just made that click for me. Cutting gives all of those shoots! I knew that, but feeling the knowledge is different. Thanks for this!
for the second one, there are covering paste you can put on there with anti fungals and bacterials if you find where its healthy and cut all the way back there and then treat it carefully and properly it could maybe have been saved theres an entire medical science for trees thats severely underused sadly tho that would probably require years of careful help and the landlord just wants money now its always sad to see trees left to die
Tree sealant, also known as wound dressing or pruning sealant, is a substance that is applied to the exposed surface of a tree wound intended to protect the tree from decay and infection. The idea is that by sealing the wound, moisture and other contaminants are kept out, which hopefully might help to prevent decay. However, research has shown that sealing wounds with tree sealant is not necessary, and in some cases, it can actually do more harm than good. For example, in certain species of trees, such as oaks and elms maples and birch, sealing a wound can trap moisture and create a favorable environment for decay-causing fungi. In general, the best approach to preventing decay in trees is to promote overall tree health through proper pruning, watering, and mulching practices, and to avoid damaging the tree in the first place. If a tree does sustain a wound, it is best to simply clean the wound and allow it to heal naturally, without the use of sealant.
A great video and excellent info. Interestingly lopping Eucalyptus can have similar features as these trees shown but often the long growth from the topping have a very poor attachment to the cut branch. These can grow very tall and often much faster then the trees normal growth, it can end up making things more expensive to manage.
Yep. Because the sealant will fail fairly quickly. All it takes is a pin prick for water to infiltrate and with the sealant over it it will trap in the moisture and accelerate the rot then if you didn't use it. Plus the sealants slow down the trees ability to grow over the wound.
Tree sealant, also known as wound dressing or pruning sealant, is a substance that is applied to the exposed surface of a tree wound intended to protect the tree from decay and infection. The idea is that by sealing the wound, moisture and other contaminants are kept out, which hopefully might help to prevent decay. However, research has shown that sealing wounds with tree sealant is not necessary, and in some cases, it can actually do more harm than good. For example, in certain species of trees, such as oaks and elms maples and birch, sealing a wound can trap moisture and create a favorable environment for decay-causing fungi. In general, the best approach to preventing decay in trees is to promote overall tree health through proper pruning, watering, and mulching practices, and to avoid damaging the tree in the first place. If a tree does sustain a wound, it is best to simply clean the wound and allow it to heal naturally, without the use of sealant.
Great examples! The second tree? Unless I had done prior work for this client, I would have refused anything but a take-down. Reputation is too hard to garner.
Great work! We, unfortunately run into topper trees constantly. In fact almost every tree that is prunes in the area has been topped instead of having a crown reduction or thinning done to keep it healthy and safer. We had the honor of climbing and doing a restorative pruning job for a massive silver maple in town. It had been topped terribly twice. And topped down to around 20 feet. So we suggested leaving where the wounds were for now and letting them heal as best as they can, but taking all the length off the new growth down to decent laterals. Basically taking the weight off the damaged areas. We never recommend this harsh pruning techniques. Too many people want to sling a saw and not actually learn about the best industry practices.
Happy for your comment. You are now part of this community and adding insight to other questions can help others to better understand the mistakes. I believe that the ignorance of the bad practices comes from the owners of the tree companies not caring enough and not training.
I found this fascinating bc it's the same when you top a hemp plant😉 so you can top it early & it basically divides into 2 stalks which you can cut them too & make it bushy🙃
Very different dealing with small plants especially if intended for harvest. In trees, it is about long term effects from mistakes shortening the life of the tree.
good to know about this sort of topic random it may be but that's the yt algorithm for ya but I am left with a question, how should one top a tree? i looked on YT for some videos about the subject but it was mostly explaining on why its bad to top trees unless so and so reason but id like to be further informed and well prepared with the knowledge on this to how would one go about topping a tree? tips and tricks, more ways on how one finds out if a tree needs topping etc adding other things only an expert such as yourself can share so to the less informed. So basically a step by step guide for dummies haha. love the content, best of luck to you and your family.
Since joining your broadcasts I’ve learned so much about trees and all things related to them Just got up in the middle of the night and see a 24 hour news item about California You’ve kept me informed with your freak weather systems of late However I’ve just found out all that rain and snow has started a new gold rush Could this lead to a follow up on the old 49 ers Let us know what you are hearing Enjoy all of your videos 👍👍👍👍🇬🇧
The rains are indeed washing more gold into not our gold country creeks. My brother was an avid gold miner. You might enjoy this. He passed away a few years ago. ua-cam.com/video/fr0vMpqS8WM/v-deo.html
What about topping younger, specifically fruit trees? That seems to be common practice from a lot of nursery's and guides. Would love to know if I need to airlayer some fresh saplings before they get any worse. Thank you for this very informative video!
Yes, I had the same question. Nut trees too. We're planting pecan trees this year and they can get over 50 feet tall. I figured we would eventually top them, but now maybe I need to do more research.
@@kellyriddell5014 we’ve never cut our pecans, except some light thinning of lower branches. They do great as they are, and we usually just shake the limbs (or send a kid up to shake the limbs) and then collect the ripe pecans from the ground. It also depends on the type of pecan- if you got pure native pecans, then they’ll be taller. If you got some bred for nuts, then they’ll be shorter with a nice, friendly arbor.
For fruit trees, they come pre-cut from the nursery (or catalogue) when you buy them, so you have to trim them because they’ll sprout every year. Once something has been trimmed, you can’t get it back to its “natural” state (no crazy sprouting). For fruit trees, this is generally ok because 1) they’re short (comparatively) and 2) regular trimming produces more sprouts with buds, as he shows in the first part of the video. You want that branching for more fruit, and you can coax it into the best shape for your tree. We tried a few years of not trimming our pears and apples, but didn’t get good results.
@@maryl8614 Thank you for sharing that information! We have a mature mulberry tree already and we have a big hook tool to shake the limbs. Hopefully that will work for the pecans, too. They're young trees so I have years before I get to enjoy trying to harvest them but I'm brand new to nut trees so I'm trying to figure out the best way to care for them before I get to that point.
In the case of fruit and nut trees, you wouldn't be topping them like this when they're adult trees, but would rather trim them when they're younger to encourage horizontal branch growth - like another comment said, if you're getting them from a nursery they'll already have taken care of that
Wound dressing has been studied extensively by Dr Alex Shigo and his team of scientists and it is now understood that wound dressing does not stop decay or prevent insects. The angle is a theory that makes sense if the wound is in a location that allows it.
@@arboristBlairGlenn ... Ok thanks. So what is your opinion then of wanting to cut a tree shorter so as to still keep part of the tree, but stop its potential from falling over & damaging a house because it is so tall & close? Should the owner just cut it entirely down altogether (ground level tree stump)? I am in that situation. We don't have tornadoes (random guess, but I would say maybe 1 tornado every 50+ years), but something else could make that tree fall over, who knows. Our handyman said years ago that cutting a tall tree at the top one third or one fourth can still keep that tree alive. Anything beyond one third will kill it.
@@robwebnoid5763 when people refer to a 25 or 30% reduction maximum, it means the buds/leaves. 30% of the height would likely be 60-100% of the canopy. when assessing the danger it is tempting just to assess the physics without the biology. the canopy maintains the health and strength of the structure so i see it as physics vs biology and a small reduction can be whats needed. I believe a 10% reduction has shown to increase the safety factor by 2.2 ... basically the staw that saves the camels back.
@@arboristBlairGlenn From the document you linked: > Yikes! Think about this stuff - a petroleum-based product. Does this sound like a substance that would be beneficial to a living tissue? Would you use it to treat a cut on your own skin? If the idea repels you, carry that feeling over to plant health care. Many people do use petroleum jelly on skin wounds, and it's often recommended over medicated ointments because the antibiotics used (usually neomycin, bacitracin, and polymyxin B) tend to irritate the skin and delay healing. > For some inexplicable reason, some people are compelled to “manage” a process that plants have evolved over millions of years. Evolution is pretty good, but if I have a serious wound I want it to be managed by a medical professional. Unfortunately the treatments developed for certain species in the kingdom Animalia don't necessarily work on members of kingdom Plantae. It's worth studying how to prevent rotting when trees are exposed like this, and whether clean tools and hands are important to tree surgery. In the meantime it's probably best to just show people this video (and remind them of the other issues with tree topping).
Not a fan of the Sweetgum! We had one along the ditch behind our house. The root system was destroying our yard and the suckers popping up were a real pain. Then there were all those (*&^% seed pods! The tree has been gone for about a year now and still dealing with the roots and suckers.
VERY informative video. I have a 30-foot tree between my neighbor's house and mine (I think it is a maple tree). It does look very healthy. However, it sits on the bank of a drainage ditch that runs between us and I'm concerned about it eventually falling due to erosion of the dirt around it. 80% of the directions it would fall would be disastrous. I was wondering if it was feasible to take it down 50% so that it would not be a danger to houses if it fell. Sounds like that would be a very bad idea. My only option looks like just removing it. Hate to remove a beautiful healthy tree, but like I said, if it falls most likely one of the houses would sustain severe damage.
It sounds to me like it might be an idea to plant some reeds which can help hold the base of the tree or something? How much dirt has to be gone for a tree to fall over?
coming from a past tree service worker. i cant believe the size of that cavity and how much weight was above it as you cleaned it and your knee was braced at the point of where that tree should have snapped on a windy day. gotta love maples
Now if your objections be is to train the tree to keep it smaller, then the smaller wounds are going to be easier on the tree. The large wounds are the bigger problem.
@@arboristBlairGlenn Yes actually lol. My family is in agroforestry and I think it’s great that you’re contributing to literacy on how to live with the flora around us :)
I'm a sustainable food forest manager, if we top of a food tree (on average, say it decays well...) would placing a jar, or bucket upside down on top of the cut aid in healing by keeping water and additional spores out? Or hinder healing by keeping a warm and potentially humid environment underneath?
Tree sealant, also known as wound dressing or pruning sealant, is a substance that is applied to the exposed surface of a tree wound intended to protect the tree from decay and infection. The idea is that by sealing the wound, moisture and other contaminants are kept out, which hopefully might help to prevent decay. However, research has shown that sealing wounds with tree sealant is not necessary, and in some cases, it can actually do more harm than good. For example, in certain species of trees, such as oaks and elms maples and birch, sealing a wound can trap moisture and create a favorable environment for decay-causing fungi. In general, the best approach to preventing decay in trees is to promote overall tree health through proper pruning, watering, and mulching practices, and to avoid damaging the tree in the first place. If a tree does sustain a wound, it is best to simply clean the wound and allow it to heal naturally, without the use of sealant.
Thanks very much we were going to get a large tree toped. local council would not let us do it. A couple of tree loppers would not give us a quote. neither the council or the tree loppers told us why. now I understand thanks.
I'm using this very thing with my apple trees. You cut the top at about 3m height and it sprouts a dozen smaller branches with more fruit on them and they're easier to pull down with weights or ropes. Although you have to paint the cut to prevent the rot.
I had 3 Norway? maples on my old property. By the time I sold it, I had 1 maple. 60ish years old, rotten from the core, almost like clockwork. My new property has a bunch of old oak trees and others. I already am looking at what needs to go and what needs work. What your take on branches that have been pruned back, but just kinda hanging there 4-5ft. Lop em off? or just leave them and clear off growth?
I have a big 24 inch black oak on my property that got topped during a hurricane about 10 years ago. I have worried about that tree for years, but the tree has thrived! I won't cut down trees unless they are dying or dead and this tree has defied all odds.
We used to live in a small town called Perham in Minnesota. Many of the elder folks there every year would have their trees sheared. I thought it was shocking how severe they cut back. But every year, come fall zip theyd get the buzz. The trees were gorgeous. I asked one of the elders why is it cut so? She said we want the trunk to be strong and the roots.
I use a small chain saw to remove the decay, then dry out the socket, and finally fill it with cement and create a crown or dome to shed the water. I got this idea from watching my brother fill cavities (you can tell when the decay is removed because like a dental pick a long pointed rod no longer sticks in the bottom of the socket; you can feel it hitting hard wood).
No on cement or foam. (See Shigo) Tree sealant, also known as wound dressing or pruning sealant, is a substance that is applied to the exposed surface of a tree wound intended to protect the tree from decay and infection. The idea is that by sealing the wound, moisture and other contaminants are kept out, which hopefully might help to prevent decay. However, research has shown that sealing wounds with tree sealant is not necessary, and in some cases, it can actually do more harm than good. For example, in certain species of trees, such as oaks and elms maples and birch, sealing a wound can trap moisture and create a favorable environment for decay-causing fungi. In general, the best approach to preventing decay in trees is to promote overall tree health through proper pruning, watering, and mulching practices, and to avoid damaging the tree in the first place. If a tree does sustain a wound, it is best to simply clean the wound and allow it to heal naturally, without the use of sealant.
I bought a house many years back and there was a Silver Maple that had been removed from the front yard just prior to us purchasing it leaving the front yard absolutely barren. The back yard has this gigantic silver in the back but the last few years storms have started pulling large branches off of it and I'm starting to get worried about how much longer it will hold up before we have to take it down. My husband and I were thinking of getting an arborist out to see if we could prolong it with some trimming but now I see that's not really feasible. Now what!?
We have a large sugar maple that’s taller than our house. We want to keep it but it’s too large. Should we top some of it just to keep it around for a few more years ? Could we put some sort of sealant on the topped parts ?
I love your advice, I would love to see a video on limb failures with an autopsy type of explanation showing source and type of weaknesses. I once saw a treeman on uk tv defending a hollow tree saying there was nothing stronger than the form of a tube "ask an architect". I suspect this is dependent on the type of tree and stresses on the form and a form only being as strong as it's weakest point. Thanks for your videos.
I have lots of videos in my collection here where I cut open old wounds. Can a hollow tree live on? In the woods, ok. In an urban setting, well-risky. Every tree decays and dies and turns into soil. Safety around living space is a reason to adjust your thinking. I clean up so many failed trees.
Tubes can be better at resisting falling over than solid poles as they retain a lot of strength but lower the weight. There is some thought that very old trees become more resistant to falling over by hollowing out. It really depends of the shape of the hollowing, whether it’s just the core getting eaten out very slowly or it looks like the growth layer is rotting and/or something is going to peal off. There’s also a difference between dropping branches and tree falling over. A hollow trunk may make a tree resistant to falling over but won’t stop it dropping a branch.
@@chaos.corner many do, it just takes them a while to hollow out. The hollowing out would help more for taller species of trees and only when they reach a height were they reach the canopy. Bamboo although not a tree grows hollow and as it grows tall so quickly getting rid of the upper weight quickly is important for it. Your also assuming evolution always leads to the best design.
Tree sealant, also known as wound dressing or pruning sealant, is a substance that is applied to the exposed surface of a tree wound intended to protect the tree from decay and infection. The idea is that by sealing the wound, moisture and other contaminants are kept out, which hopefully might help to prevent decay. However, research has shown that sealing wounds with tree sealant is not necessary, and in some cases, it can actually do more harm than good. For example, in certain species of trees, such as oaks and elms maples and birch, sealing a wound can trap moisture and create a favorable environment for decay-causing fungi. In general, the best approach to preventing decay in trees is to promote overall tree health through proper pruning, watering, and mulching practices, and to avoid damaging the tree in the first place. If a tree does sustain a wound, it is best to simply clean the wound and allow it to heal naturally, without the use of sealant. Angled cuts still decay. Possibly not as fast but that needs to be proven
nice work. sometimes you have to make hard calls when it comes to correcting damage and maintaining value. silver maple pipe trees are strong until the tree loses its last vigor, and then the decay sets in on the living bits, and you have the whole thing cumbling rather quickly
@@arboristBlairGlenn nothing questionable here my friend. when someone starts the topping, all we can do is react. id prefer a live re-topped tree to nothing.
You are painting with a wide brush. Grafting is toping a tree. Coppice in England, taillis in French. Germany, India, Japan, and many other nations have different similar methods. You kind of touched on it, a little indirectly. People used to cover and fill minor voids on trees. Sometimes even paint and cement.
A bit unrelated, but the decay from topping the tree reminds me of the TP top utility poles that were installed half a century ago. They cut a slant on the top of the poles under the idea that it would help water runoff the top. Instead it created a point of decay and they've been replacing them whenever they get the chance.
![Lp. Последняя Реальность #107 РОДНОЙ ДОМ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IK3QKzKUlHM/mqdefault.jpg)
A quick tip that may save a life. If you noticed how when he was dropping the stem, they stacked all those logs to use as a crash pad, to stop any damage underneath. I’ve used the technique for years. One day we went to apply this technique, we didn’t make the crash pad long enough, when the tree fell over on top of it, it spat one of the logs out like a cannon, directly at myself ( I was pulling the rope to assist the fall ) it smashed both my shins, no bone breakages. But I could barely walk for a month. So many years of using this technique. I’ll never use it again, because of this one instance
Crash pads are fine but you must do your do diligence
@Cousin Eddie Agreed because laying them out just right is important. I have seen the worst side of the trick a few times, thankfully not by me but some I worked with. Still, I wouldn't deter from using that technique if in a time pinch. As long as you take your time at the right time. IBEW-
I've never seen such a setup before. Loppers here in Auss just cut the tree into manageable parts not large enough to cause damage in the first place.
Didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to do it any other way.
this made my legs hurt just reading it
@@xaracen7207 Yeah, can't figure it out, the only thing I can think of is a teeter totter mechanism that will send a log end over end perpendicular to the tree possibly but launching straight out and at significant velocity I don't understand
I love hearing from experts in a field that is completely unknown to me. I really admire your expertise!
Thank you. UA-cam has become an amazing medium for understanding through video.
@@arboristBlairGlenn Hey Blair, I have a cherry that had been topped in the past for easier access to fruit and to encourage fruiting. How resistant is a fruiting cherry tree to topping-induced decay?
@@queenvagabond8787 I have seen a LOT of rotting cherry trees, sorry
@@arboristBlairGlenn Right, I'll keep an eye on it then!
If it's "completely" unknown to you, how do you know they're an expert?
My grandparents had a Sugar Maple topped quite severely. It held on for maybe another 15 years, until we took it down. We turned it into firewood. I couldn't believe how extensive all the rot was around each old topping wound. And, every cut had around 5-8 suckers growing at it.... much like you showed in this video.
why did you take it down?
@@peppermeat8059 Are you serious??
@@ELTABULLO oh i didnt read that properly. there was rotting wood?
mine are dead
this is a really useful video that people should see before cutting any tree.
we seem to forget that trees are a living organism and that trimming is literally amputation which leave open wounds that will get infected and decay
Always breaks my heart to see topped trees. Many times they cut off so many limbs that they end up with a tall bizarre-looking stump in the yard that barely grows or just doesn't grow at all
Amen
To prune an apple tree vs. battling with a dying giant.
Unless it’s a elm I think
Bonsai!
Trees on my street got completely reduced to stumps a few years ago, luckily they've managed to fully regrow to giant bushy trees. I was amazed how fast they came back. I worry it will rot hard now though
This is a great video to show to customers who want their tree topping. You try to explain stuff like this people and often see the blank expression come across their face. If you don't understand what will happen after heavy topping you can't see the future problems. My thoughts are usually just remove the tree - you want the tree topping because it is the wrong tree in the wrong place! Remove and replace with something more appropriate to the setting. thanks for making this video :)
Please do so. I also will forward this to my clients
I hope this video gets viewed often and may make a small dent in the problem.
@@arboristBlairGlenn the other tree guys around me are the most substantial threat to the trees around here. even worse than the emerald ash borer. you look around town and almost all the old maples are topped already. most are severely dangerous now and everyone is starting to hate having trees because they loose big limbs every time the wind blows. we just had a few huge maples fall through some buildings and everyone thinks its from the abnormally high winds. forgetting to realize that its really cause someone destroyed the tree years ago and the roots finally turned to mush. or like mine the gas company cut apart the roots on 3 sides of the tree to run a line to the house. I tell people all the time not to top their trees but most can't fathom the idea that it's cheaper and safer to just remove it or let it be. I loose out on some jobs because I don't automatically just top the tree.
No, people want them topped because companies charge absolutely batshit amounts of money to remove trees or properly prune them, while charging less to top them. People would love to take better care of trees, but who the hell can afford to lay out the thousands upon thousands upon thousands of dollars?
@@RvLeshrac and that’s where my channel comes in. EDUCATION!
The second one, with it holding water, what people don't realize is, this is a prime breeding ground for certain species of mosquitoes.
My parents had a large southern red oak next to their house. When we sold the house, found out that the roots had messed up the septic tank. It had to be replaced.
Water pockets are a breeding spot for mosquitos. I have heard a few drops of oil will resolve that if you can reach the pockets.
@@arboristBlairGlenn if you even know they're there.
A tree filled with water is also one heck of a lightning rod
@@dizzysdoings thermal camera will help you spot water pockets if you get bored
@@spiderpickle3255 That's not how lightning works...
Super impressed with how you dropped the trunk across the walkway. Your experience and wisdom are definitely showing through in all parts of this video.
Fifty years and still climbing. Thanks
Holy moly, that's only 3 years? I work in a retail nursery and don't often get to see old trees like this and how fast they can grow. Nice video!
California has a lot of sunlight and a long growing season so trees behave differently in our state.
@ BG - I follow a few arbourists on YT and you consistently provide the most educational content. I'm bookmarking this video for the next time someone asks why I recommend against topping.
Ty for sharing your expertise and the content.
I do these videos for folks just like you. Never too old to learn!!
I learned this over 30 years ago when I took some courses in tree trimming and landscaping and I still see this happening all over the place today.
Thats got to be infuriating. To continue seeing a practice being done that is well known for harming the tree and putting peoples property and lives at risk. I swear no matter how often a lesson is taught people never learn!
We bought a house in a new development about 7 years ago, and the builders put a burr oak in most of the front yards. My neighbor has been top trimming his tree every year for the last 3-4 years, and our tree is now more than twice as tall as theirs. I just can't wrap my head around it.
Should we top fruit trees? I read that we should.
@@Jason-VoluntaryDe-Occultist I would look up each specific tree. Nothing worse than destroying a great source of food, especially now.
@@brazil7028 Thank you 👍
I bought a property with a beautiful cherry tree that produces well but it was topped on all main 4 trunks already looking like the tops you ve showed. thanks to your videos over the years i know now that the mushrooms i see growing out of the place where it was cut many years ago the tree probably must go. I will very much enjoy probing how deep the decay goes. Thanks Sir
You learn a lot when you dissect the wounds.
Yes any mushrooms on a tree are BAD NEWS. Especially around the base
@@themightycrixus1131 Erm, this very much depends on the tree.
@@paulie-g its a prime indication of root rot which means your tree is nothing but a liability. I spent 7 years working for an arborist
@@themightycrixus1131 I used to gather mushrooms. Tons of mushrooms grow naturally near trees. A group of mushroom species grow *on* wood, but only some of them grow on dead/rotting wood, while some require live wood. It depends on tree species and mushroom species.
Honestly just clicked on this video because I wanted to see why you would give top to a tree in the first place.
I don’t understand what your understanding of the term “top” refers to. In the states, topping a tree is cutting it hard.
Great video!!! I have had many people in the past ask me to top their trees and I refuse to do it. I have seen the damage that it does even though it's not apparent to the lay person. These were really good examples. Thank you.
I wish more tree workers were like you
One thing that you did not mention in your video that I think is important that when trees are topped or even cut back very hard the sprouts that originate from those cuts are not attached to the center of the trunk as are original branches making them very weak and more prone to snap off.
@@GregFreeman-jb8ww good catch Greg. Episodic sprouts or shoots are very different than wood from the structure that developed naturally.
I have 4 and a 1/2 acres of trees that I've grown from seed or very small seedlings over the last 47 years. It is interesting and educational to watch how the trees have responded to my pruning over this time period. Sometimes things that you thought were the best choices turn out not to be so 20 or 30 years down the road. All we can do is learn from our mistakes and try and do a better job as time goes forward. Some of these trees are now 60 to 70' tall, which is a big tree for the arid West where I live. They require constant irrigation. If you ever make a trip out to the West you would be welcome to stop by and see what I have done. Many trees that started out doing well after 20 or 30 years prove not to be good choices for this climate and soil. Many turn out to be better choices than I thought as time goes on ,such as some of the pines. Thank you for your work and your response to my replies.
I had a Silver Maple that nature topped during a severe thunderstorm. The results were disastrous as it suckered from the 3 topped branches into a disaster of weakness. Eventually the tree had to be removed.
I have a silver birch that was topped about 20 years ago. I just climb up every year and cut down to hard wood and form a little roof profile to stop water standing. It mostly seems pretty healthy although last summer was so dry that it shed some leaves early. Time will tell 😅🙏
POS MUTHA
why not just put some sort of wax or polymer glue on it yearly?
@@AlexanderBC42 I think I'd still have to cut it to check it wasn't rotting away beneath the surface. I guess it might mean I could cut a bit less off each time but I don't really want the tree getting any taller anyway
Next time you cut it, graft a healthy side-ways growing branch into the cut.
Wrap it and seal it properly. Problem solved.
The city has some silver maples across the street from my house. They topped them in the late 90s (I bought my house in 2000). In June of 2001 we had a superstorm (derecho and flooding rains) that took brittle regrowth branches off those same silver maples and made missiles out of them. One hit the back of my mother's pickup truck (just above the back window) and then it became airborne again and took out a window in our second story utility room. Huge dent on the truck, 2 broken windows on the house. Luckily insurance covered it.
Hopefully it would be the city's insurance! They own the tree
Understanding trees begins with seeing clearly and knowing how the react to hard cuts.
Excellent educational content. We had a crew top six birch that were between 50-60ft, and until now, I wasn't aware of the consequences. I take full responsibility--I should have done my homework, but instead put blind trust in the crew to inform their customer.
It's definitely a pro-con situation as we needed more light on our property to help smaller species grow, and reduce birch growth and leans without costly ($$$$) annual visits. We'll put together a plan to maintain what we have as economically as possible, while thinking about planting new saplings in adjacent areas of mature trees that might decay.
if you can, get an arborist out soon to tell you if the trees are this bad, because there are ways to stop it especially if you catch it early. good trimming can definitely thin out the trees so you can have more light. just make sure it’s a licensed arborist with a good reputation. lots of cities actually have them on staff or if not, may be able to point you to a good one for residential property.
like the second tree in this video, with proper maintenance, you can save them.
i usually opt to bottom the tree. after all, it is the one with the long wood
Stupid comment
I very much appreciated how you brought the tree down over the pathway. Very nicely done.
Thanks
I don't top trees because last time I did I got splinters in some very unfortunate places.
In Australia a lot of our trees are a lot more resistant to this but one that isn't too resistant is paper bark but the plus side to paper bark is and they can be hollowed out completely and just sort of live mostly fine because when they fall it's from the roots being damaged usually because of wet soil which is where they grow
The innate weakness of the types of hollow trees that the South Island Short-tailed bat chooses as roosts has likely served to shape the unique Short-tailed Bat Batflies that are associated with their roosts- most Batflies are blood-feeding parasites but those associated with the Short-tailed bat have developed a colonial social structure with morphological division of labour, and having entirely lost their wings, becoming essentially blind and their vestigial wing muscles serve only to produce angry buzzing sounds when trampled by bats, the larger individuals serving as guards to guide bats away from the arrays of eggs on long stalks that lay dormant while the bats are torpid and hibernating while their parents die off.
If the tree is damaged or falls, which it often does the bat colony will usually seek a new home, and since the Batflies have absolutely no means to find a new colony on their own their only option for transport is to perform phoresy and have gravid females grip onto the bats' fur at all times ready to move in when they're active in case they don't come back.
Usually they live in very hot, humid conditions in bat guano which made it interesting for the researchers- they had to keep them in tupperware in their airing cupboard to keep them alive and I bet they smelled something fierce.
Great addition to this community of like minded tree lovers
Damn dude wet soil? You mean swamp land
Nice post. Trees in a domestic setting can often give rise to 'issues'. 'Wrong' species, wrong place (like the first one; too big, planted too close). But people love them, so a common and understandable response is to try to keep them. Crown reductions done well look 'natural' in very short order as the tree (with the majority of its resources and all of its root system intact) puts on a spurt of growth. It is easy to 'sell' the advantages of a reduction, but less easy to 'sell' the need to do repeated cuts at regular intervals thereafter.
I'm in the UK and, as an ecologist, one of my interests is ancient trees. The UK has a large number of these, especially pollard oaks. The kind of rot and holes you point out can have great value as niches for specialised species (bats, beetles, moths, flies) and in the right context, cause little public safety issues. Unfortunately on this crowded isle, houses and infrastructure get built in close proximity to pre-existing trees and the tree inevitably has to give way to 'safety' or the needs of the integrity of the new build. I have seen houses built within a few yards of 350-plus year old pollarded oaks and the pollards later removed. I hope many people see this post and it acts to address some of the ignorance around trees and their care.
Thank you for your well composed reply. I’m guessing you are an Arborist in the U.K. ?
@@arboristBlairGlenn I'm an ecologist with a special interest in trees and woodlands. I don't climb, but I work with climbers as a groundie - run my own saws when I do.
@@anemone104 learn to climb👍🏻
@@arboristBlairGlenn Sixty next birthday, so getting a bit elderly to start that game now. Getting paid to do scuba dived marine biological surveys is strenuous enough for me! No issues with heights - have a shufti at this? ua-cam.com/video/LnXjrqp3x5Y/v-deo.html
So sad. Our island is becoming so overbuilt now.
Always found it fascinating that tou could graft different species onto one another and cloning by air layering blew my mind. Sure would be something if someone developed a technique for grafting new bark over a cut. Or some process for promoting rapid bark growth to heak over wounds.
It has been tried with some success
The typical customer won't know about the damage from topping. The typical arborist won't know how. The cost.
You'd need to know about the grafting, know very advanced arborist, and have lots of money. Sadly.
oil based paint on the cut and move on.
Didn't they used to fill the cavity with concrete to support the tree and reduce future rot?
Or cut on a slope so rain doesn’t pool up
This is a very impressive video, and you seem like you love the trees. I appreciate you sharing this information. I love trees, but I don't want anyone to get hurt from limbs breaking off and landing on them. It is amazing how much a small branch can weigh even! Thank you for sharing!
Understanding is key
@@arboristBlairGlenn Yes but I think love is there too.
Those who pay attention to the details can see deeper. Those who listen to the subtle pieces of the puzzle, hear more. Those who take the time to feel and touch trees, sense the life within.
@OSTOTD Blair was saying the first tree in the video, a Liquid Amber, was topped 3 years ago (the tree he removed).
The tree you're saying that looks like it was topped 10 years ago is a Silver Maple, your guess is probably pretty close for that tree.
Edit: I notice the person I responded to before my comment has deleted his comment.
Yes!
You're a poet too!!! 🎉❤🎉❤
@@acmhfmggru chill out
Are there any methods that control height to avoid these problems?
Great video, subbed.
It is so nice to hear a guy sharing is lifetime experience.
I've learned a lot, thank you very much
Thumbs up
Thank you Alex
Great job on the rope drop!
I like that style.
Not so great on the silver maple. I'd have tried to convince her to take more of it down or just plant a shorter tree.
My silver maple stands 20+ feet over the height of the rest of my canopy. Now I know they grow taller, thanks to this video. I thought it was just older.
The lady owner before me tied thin ropes around a lot of my trees and I'm deciding that some of them just aren't worth fighting with. the ropes grew into the trees and some seem to have weathered the damage while others are just suffering. I need to put them out of their misery.
when i worked in the tree business i cant tell you how many trees we had to remove because they were topped in the 70s and 80s due to rot.
Your sentence structure is confusing. They were topped in the 70s and 80s due to rot? OR you removed them because of the rot? I think I can guess the right answer but your composition skills suck.
@@bfboobie maybe you suck at reading, go play some minecraft
Had just the same at a recent job. Customer wanted the sprouts cut off of his Silver Maple. Climbed up it to inspect it because it already had some decay showing. And it was bad. The main leaders already gave some way with just me on them and I was just half way. So came down and discussed the situation with the owner. He really likes the tree and wants to keep it for as long as possible. And there is no immediate danger for personal harm, just material. But something has to be done in the near future. So for this year I hired a spiderbucket and cut off the sprouts. And next time round I'll cut off a decent portion of the main leaders back to sound wood so it can sprout again and the customer can enjoy the tree for some more years. Not the cheapest option, but that is what customer wants. So also a good example of communicating with your customer and explaining the pro's and con's. Just sad that he made the decision in the past to top it.
I wish we would do more of what is good for the tree and care less about the needs of the customer. Most trees will out live us given we don't do something to change that. I always think of myself as the short term custodian of the trees in my yard. Obviously if they're dangerous you need to to do something but I never understand why people move to a wooded development and cut all the trees down, stay 3-5 years and move again.
It does depend on the species, but as an experienced horticulturalist/ arborist my general rule is to never make cuts larger than 6 inches without very good reason (4 for sycamore, 10 for oak). If you must do it leave an extra 2-3 feet of sprag to die back, it will not look as neat but the tree will be happier in the long term. If you top a conifer hedge like leylandii do not cut the sides in the same year, trim lightly next year.
I recently was put in charge of a yard that has been untouched for almost 10 years. The amount of dead limbs standing is overwhelming, and as I don't have the money to hire cleaners or even arborists I am teaching myself how to clean it. Yesterday I took a limb off a tree that was dead without realizing the limb that was twined with it was rotten too, so I ended up taking them both down, the rot is there already even if it was invisible before, sad to say I do not know how long the tree will last. Thank you for this, I subscribed!!! Many thanks!
Hope you find time to explore my past videos too.
I’ve had numerous “tree surgeons” knocking on my door suggesting I top a tree growing in my front lawn. A few have got angry when I’ve refused the offer. One left saying “I hope it falls on your house”
Even more reasons to defend my tree!
A lot of tree workers don’t understand and many don’t care to learn.
How unprofessional and disgusting to say. Wow.
It kinda seems like this makes the case for applying a sock of some kind to the top, if topping. This is commonly used by people selling small plants in food stores, having some sort of wax or plastic knob on the top to protect the stem while that stem decides what to do with itself.
I think when it comes to trees more and more they're finding its best chance of recovery is no intervention. We used to apply tar to open wounds or other applications but it turns out they do more harm than good sadly.
@@robw1571 "Tar" sounds toxic? :x
Lime is best
Honest and highly informative. I dont know a thing about trees, nor do I watch any videos on them, but some how I came across your video. I dont regret watching it in it's entirety to be captivated by your expertise lol
Welcome! Let’s see if I can reel you in with this one!
Tree job from Hell
ua-cam.com/video/hznKUoCsaUs/v-deo.html
Nice trick and cool points. I've been there. Add in 3 phasee bare primary, non coated secondaries, strung under service lines, ect. ect. It adds a new dimension of it has to get done, especially while in a frozen White Pine. Holly trees were some of my favorites to climb, and vines can be real killers or damage dealers as well. Nobody grow Wisteria anymore, please, and thank you.
Thank you for the knowledgeable, informative, & educational content.
I hope you find value in my efforts
Yelawolf supporter! 👀
ngl, when the tumbnail showed me a hole with the name being, why you don't top trees, I was expecting something entirely different
Did you learn something?
Nice video! I learned a lot about cutting and topping trees. I will make sure to have a professional like you determine this in the future for my trees. Thanks!
Thank you
Great video!
Reminds me of one Modern History TV did about the medieval practice of topping smaller trees for straight limbs.
Hard topping in the past was done to create long straight poles for building purposes. Sawmills were not a thing. Pit saws were slow. Interesting that the pollarding of trees started out as a purpose driven process and ended up with people thinking that is the right way to prune!
there is a dogwood near my house that was severely topped a few weeks ago. I was disgusted at just how much of that very nice dog wood they pruned away, at least 7 large branches of the tree were cut off entirely leaving mostly just a stump and maybe 2 feet of each branch left. I hope the tree doesn't die because of that.
It’s life has been shortened
Awesome stuff as always. Even in Southern Illinois, I see the same issues with the same two trees. I don't know why people would rather pay a tree service to regularly cut their tree than to rake the gum balls for a few hours. Sad stuff.
Most folks hate the Liquidambar
It would be ok far from a house on a rural property. Suburbs though, ugh no thanks.
great work and interesting video. Thanks for sharing your experience & knowledge :)
I love the explanation where the expression "High Maintenance tree" has been created as the result of topping. You've just described Asplundh and Davey Tree's successful business model. 😳
That “model” is how the big companies keep profits high. Care about trees? Uhh
Have you ever read "One Straw Revolution"? The author talks about ruining a previously pruned orchard vs growing a new one and never pruning. I feel like your video just made that click for me. Cutting gives all of those shoots! I knew that, but feeling the knowledge is different. Thanks for this!
Just checked it out as an audio book
Neglected trees are generally better off than abused trees! A bad haircut grows back but a bad tree cut his forever
for the second one, there are covering paste you can put on there with anti fungals and bacterials
if you find where its healthy and cut all the way back there and then treat it carefully and properly it could maybe have been saved
theres an entire medical science for trees thats severely underused sadly
tho that would probably require years of careful help
and the landlord just wants money now
its always sad to see trees left to die
Can you provide reference to this paste? What kind of medical science are you referring to? Thanks in advance
No, tree sealants do not work.
Tree sealant, also known as wound dressing or pruning sealant, is a substance that is applied to the exposed surface of a tree wound intended to protect the tree from decay and infection. The idea is that by sealing the wound, moisture and other contaminants are kept out, which hopefully might help to prevent decay.
However, research has shown that sealing wounds with tree sealant is not necessary, and in some cases, it can actually do more harm than good. For example, in certain species of trees, such as oaks and elms maples and birch, sealing a wound can trap moisture and create a favorable environment for decay-causing fungi.
In general, the best approach to preventing decay in trees is to promote overall tree health through proper pruning, watering, and mulching practices, and to avoid damaging the tree in the first place. If a tree does sustain a wound, it is best to simply clean the wound and allow it to heal naturally, without the use of sealant.
Another great video, thank you so much, I learn so much from your videos!!
Thanks Ben
A great video and excellent info. Interestingly lopping Eucalyptus can have similar features as these trees shown but often the long growth from the topping have a very poor attachment to the cut branch. These can grow very tall and often much faster then the trees normal growth, it can end up making things more expensive to manage.
A topped Euc can create fifty foot shoots that are difficult and dangerous to climb. I have refused some of these.
i have a question, will the top-cut also rot away if you treat it with the tree-sealant?
Yep. Because the sealant will fail fairly quickly. All it takes is a pin prick for water to infiltrate and with the sealant over it it will trap in the moisture and accelerate the rot then if you didn't use it. Plus the sealants slow down the trees ability to grow over the wound.
Tree sealant, also known as wound dressing or pruning sealant, is a substance that is applied to the exposed surface of a tree wound intended to protect the tree from decay and infection. The idea is that by sealing the wound, moisture and other contaminants are kept out, which hopefully might help to prevent decay.
However, research has shown that sealing wounds with tree sealant is not necessary, and in some cases, it can actually do more harm than good. For example, in certain species of trees, such as oaks and elms maples and birch, sealing a wound can trap moisture and create a favorable environment for decay-causing fungi.
In general, the best approach to preventing decay in trees is to promote overall tree health through proper pruning, watering, and mulching practices, and to avoid damaging the tree in the first place. If a tree does sustain a wound, it is best to simply clean the wound and allow it to heal naturally, without the use of sealant.
This was a great video and your skill and knowledge really shine. Thank you!
Thanks. Help spread the knowledge
I like how a clear signal was given to "start pulling" (@4:23) and man, that was a clean drop.
Great examples! The second tree? Unless I had done prior work for this client, I would have refused anything but a take-down. Reputation is too hard to garner.
She received all the options
Great work!
We, unfortunately run into topper trees constantly. In fact almost every tree that is prunes in the area has been topped instead of having a crown reduction or thinning done to keep it healthy and safer.
We had the honor of climbing and doing a restorative pruning job for a massive silver maple in town. It had been topped terribly twice.
And topped down to around 20 feet.
So we suggested leaving where the wounds were for now and letting them heal as best as they can, but taking all the length off the new growth down to decent laterals.
Basically taking the weight off the damaged areas.
We never recommend this harsh pruning techniques.
Too many people want to sling a saw and not actually learn about the best industry practices.
Happy for your comment. You are now part of this community and adding insight to other questions can help others to better understand the mistakes. I believe that the ignorance of the bad practices comes from the owners of the tree companies not caring enough and not training.
Top of the line arborist work and educational content! Thank you
Thanks Spencer
I found this fascinating bc it's the same when you top a hemp plant😉 so you can top it early & it basically divides into 2 stalks which you can cut them too & make it bushy🙃
Very different dealing with small plants especially if intended for harvest. In trees, it is about long term effects from mistakes shortening the life of the tree.
I wouldn’t want to bottom for a tree either 😅
Stupid comment
He's definitely a tree bottom lol. Good comment, way to weed them out for us
good to know about this sort of topic random it may be but that's the yt algorithm for ya but I am left with a question, how should one top a tree? i looked on YT for some videos about the subject but it was mostly explaining on why its bad to top trees unless so and so reason but id like to be further informed and well prepared with the knowledge on this to how would one go about topping a tree? tips and tricks, more ways on how one finds out if a tree needs topping etc adding other things only an expert such as yourself can share so to the less informed. So basically a step by step guide for dummies haha.
love the content, best of luck to you and your family.
Topping leads to decay especially in larger wounds. If you need to keep a tree small, start when it’s young making small cuts.
Since joining your broadcasts I’ve learned so much about trees and all things related to them
Just got up in the middle of the night and see a 24 hour news item about California You’ve kept me informed with your freak weather systems of late However I’ve just found out all that rain and snow has started a new gold rush Could this lead to a follow up on the old 49 ers
Let us know what you are hearing
Enjoy all of your videos 👍👍👍👍🇬🇧
The rains are indeed washing more gold into not our gold country creeks. My brother was an avid gold miner. You might enjoy this. He passed away a few years ago.
ua-cam.com/video/fr0vMpqS8WM/v-deo.html
What about topping younger, specifically fruit trees? That seems to be common practice from a lot of nursery's and guides. Would love to know if I need to airlayer some fresh saplings before they get any worse. Thank you for this very informative video!
Yes, I had the same question. Nut trees too. We're planting pecan trees this year and they can get over 50 feet tall. I figured we would eventually top them, but now maybe I need to do more research.
@@kellyriddell5014 we’ve never cut our pecans, except some light thinning of lower branches. They do great as they are, and we usually just shake the limbs (or send a kid up to shake the limbs) and then collect the ripe pecans from the ground.
It also depends on the type of pecan- if you got pure native pecans, then they’ll be taller. If you got some bred for nuts, then they’ll be shorter with a nice, friendly arbor.
For fruit trees, they come pre-cut from the nursery (or catalogue) when you buy them, so you have to trim them because they’ll sprout every year. Once something has been trimmed, you can’t get it back to its “natural” state (no crazy sprouting). For fruit trees, this is generally ok because 1) they’re short (comparatively) and 2) regular trimming produces more sprouts with buds, as he shows in the first part of the video. You want that branching for more fruit, and you can coax it into the best shape for your tree. We tried a few years of not trimming our pears and apples, but didn’t get good results.
@@maryl8614 Thank you for sharing that information! We have a mature mulberry tree already and we have a big hook tool to shake the limbs. Hopefully that will work for the pecans, too. They're young trees so I have years before I get to enjoy trying to harvest them but I'm brand new to nut trees so I'm trying to figure out the best way to care for them before I get to that point.
In the case of fruit and nut trees, you wouldn't be topping them like this when they're adult trees, but would rather trim them when they're younger to encourage horizontal branch growth - like another comment said, if you're getting them from a nursery they'll already have taken care of that
What about tree wound dressing? And also cutting at an angle so that rain slides off faster/better to keep it from standing water?
Wound dressing has been studied extensively by Dr Alex Shigo and his team of scientists and it is now understood that wound dressing does not stop decay or prevent insects. The angle is a theory that makes sense if the wound is in a location that allows it.
s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/wound-sealer.pdf
@@arboristBlairGlenn ... Ok thanks. So what is your opinion then of wanting to cut a tree shorter so as to still keep part of the tree, but stop its potential from falling over & damaging a house because it is so tall & close? Should the owner just cut it entirely down altogether (ground level tree stump)? I am in that situation. We don't have tornadoes (random guess, but I would say maybe 1 tornado every 50+ years), but something else could make that tree fall over, who knows. Our handyman said years ago that cutting a tall tree at the top one third or one fourth can still keep that tree alive. Anything beyond one third will kill it.
@@robwebnoid5763 when people refer to a 25 or 30% reduction maximum, it means the buds/leaves. 30% of the height would likely be 60-100% of the canopy.
when assessing the danger it is tempting just to assess the physics without the biology. the canopy maintains the health and strength of the structure so i see it as physics vs biology and a small reduction can be whats needed. I believe a 10% reduction has shown to increase the safety factor by 2.2 ... basically the staw that saves the camels back.
@@arboristBlairGlenn From the document you linked:
> Yikes! Think about this stuff - a petroleum-based product. Does this sound like a substance that would be beneficial to a living tissue? Would you use it to treat a cut on your own skin? If the idea repels you, carry that feeling over to plant health care.
Many people do use petroleum jelly on skin wounds, and it's often recommended over medicated ointments because the antibiotics used (usually neomycin, bacitracin, and polymyxin B) tend to irritate the skin and delay healing.
> For some inexplicable reason, some people are compelled to “manage” a process that plants have evolved over millions of years.
Evolution is pretty good, but if I have a serious wound I want it to be managed by a medical professional. Unfortunately the treatments developed for certain species in the kingdom Animalia don't necessarily work on members of kingdom Plantae.
It's worth studying how to prevent rotting when trees are exposed like this, and whether clean tools and hands are important to tree surgery. In the meantime it's probably best to just show people this video (and remind them of the other issues with tree topping).
As a bottom, it's crazy what you tops get up to when we're not around
Stupid comment
Magic of UA-cam. Learning all kinds of subjects for all.
If you like learning about trees, check out my channel
Thats crazy how the trees rot from topping. Good Video. Thank you for the information, greatly appreciated.
Education has become my give back to society. UA-cam has made understanding so much better
Not a fan of the Sweetgum! We had one along the ditch behind our house. The root system was destroying our yard and the suckers popping up were a real pain. Then there were all those (*&^% seed pods! The tree has been gone for about a year now and still dealing with the roots and suckers.
Most people don’t like them because of the mess BUT, I know some amazing sweet gums!
@@arboristBlairGlenn It was a beautiful shade tree. BUT :>)
First of all, why are you assuming that the tree is even a bottom?
Wow! That fall was awesomely done!
Thanks
I appreciate that you cut right to the chase with the silent intro showing one of the reasons for the question in the title.
Learning UA-cam is a game
also it just looks stupid when a tree has been topped
I will only bottom trees from now on.
Stupid comment
VERY informative video. I have a 30-foot tree between my neighbor's house and mine (I think it is a maple tree). It does look very healthy. However, it sits on the bank of a drainage ditch that runs between us and I'm concerned about it eventually falling due to erosion of the dirt around it. 80% of the directions it would fall would be disastrous. I was wondering if it was feasible to take it down 50% so that it would not be a danger to houses if it fell. Sounds like that would be a very bad idea. My only option looks like just removing it. Hate to remove a beautiful healthy tree, but like I said, if it falls most likely one of the houses would sustain severe damage.
It sounds to me like it might be an idea to plant some reeds which can help hold the base of the tree or something? How much dirt has to be gone for a tree to fall over?
The natural form of a tree is lovely and beautiful and cannot be improved on.
TLDR. because trees aren't very submissive.
the title 💀💀
What does “top” mean to you? I don’t understand
coming from a past tree service worker. i cant believe the size of that cavity and how much weight was above it as you cleaned it and your knee was braced at the point of where that tree should have snapped on a windy day. gotta love maples
I was aware of the weakness
I just got a young maple tree (not sure what kind) and was advised to cut it while it's young. Glad this video came up in my feed.
Now if your objections be is to train the tree to keep it smaller, then the smaller wounds are going to be easier on the tree. The large wounds are the bigger problem.
My buddy never tops trees, he strictly bottoms them.
I gravely misunderstood this title. I’ve never felt more like a dumb zoomer
But did you learn something?
@@arboristBlairGlenn Yes actually lol. My family is in agroforestry and I think it’s great that you’re contributing to literacy on how to live with the flora around us :)
I recently bought a 3' tall maple tree that looks like it was topped and/or had the main branch cut. Should I be concerned or is this ok long-term?
I'm a sustainable food forest manager, if we top of a food tree (on average, say it decays well...) would placing a jar, or bucket upside down on top of the cut aid in healing by keeping water and additional spores out? Or hinder healing by keeping a warm and potentially humid environment underneath?
Tree sealant, also known as wound dressing or pruning sealant, is a substance that is applied to the exposed surface of a tree wound intended to protect the tree from decay and infection. The idea is that by sealing the wound, moisture and other contaminants are kept out, which hopefully might help to prevent decay.
However, research has shown that sealing wounds with tree sealant is not necessary, and in some cases, it can actually do more harm than good. For example, in certain species of trees, such as oaks and elms maples and birch, sealing a wound can trap moisture and create a favorable environment for decay-causing fungi.
In general, the best approach to preventing decay in trees is to promote overall tree health through proper pruning, watering, and mulching practices, and to avoid damaging the tree in the first place. If a tree does sustain a wound, it is best to simply clean the wound and allow it to heal naturally, without the use of sealant.
Thanks very much we were going to get a large tree toped. local council would not let us do it. A couple of tree loppers would not give us a quote. neither the council or the tree loppers told us why. now I understand thanks.
Thank you for telling this example
I'm using this very thing with my apple trees. You cut the top at about 3m height and it sprouts a dozen smaller branches with more fruit on them and they're easier to pull down with weights or ropes. Although you have to paint the cut to prevent the rot.
Painting wounds does not prevent decay
@@arboristBlairGlenn it gets the tree the time to redirect nutrients elsewhere and plug the cut fibers
I had 3 Norway? maples on my old property. By the time I sold it, I had 1 maple.
60ish years old, rotten from the core, almost like clockwork.
My new property has a bunch of old oak trees and others. I already am looking at what needs to go and what needs work.
What your take on branches that have been pruned back, but just kinda hanging there 4-5ft. Lop em off? or just leave them and clear off growth?
So with these tree's would you not top them at all or would it be possible to do so when its much younger to prevent the decay?
I have a big 24 inch black oak on my property that got topped during a hurricane about 10 years ago. I have worried about that tree for years, but the tree has thrived! I won't cut down trees unless they are dying or dead and this tree has defied all odds.
It's most likely hollow
As long as it is far enough away from your house
Thank you so much sir. I have a silver maple that looks quite diseased and have to make a decision soon on whether to take it down
Dude, this guy should have his own show!
Thanks, I do! It’s called Arborist Blair Glenn😊
We used to live in a small town called Perham in Minnesota.
Many of the elder folks there every year would have their trees sheared.
I thought it was shocking how severe they cut back.
But every year, come fall zip theyd get the buzz.
The trees were gorgeous.
I asked one of the elders why is it cut so?
She said we want the trunk to be strong and the roots.
Clearly, they don’t understand.
I use a small chain saw to remove the decay, then dry out the socket, and finally fill it with cement and create a crown or dome to shed the water. I got this idea from watching my brother fill cavities (you can tell when the decay is removed because like a dental pick a long pointed rod no longer sticks in the bottom of the socket; you can feel it hitting hard wood).
No on cement or foam. (See Shigo)
Tree sealant, also known as wound dressing or pruning sealant, is a substance that is applied to the exposed surface of a tree wound intended to protect the tree from decay and infection. The idea is that by sealing the wound, moisture and other contaminants are kept out, which hopefully might help to prevent decay.
However, research has shown that sealing wounds with tree sealant is not necessary, and in some cases, it can actually do more harm than good. For example, in certain species of trees, such as oaks and elms maples and birch, sealing a wound can trap moisture and create a favorable environment for decay-causing fungi.
In general, the best approach to preventing decay in trees is to promote overall tree health through proper pruning, watering, and mulching practices, and to avoid damaging the tree in the first place. If a tree does sustain a wound, it is best to simply clean the wound and allow it to heal naturally, without the use of sealant.
I bought a house many years back and there was a Silver Maple that had been removed from the front yard just prior to us purchasing it leaving the front yard absolutely barren. The back yard has this gigantic silver in the back but the last few years storms have started pulling large branches off of it and I'm starting to get worried about how much longer it will hold up before we have to take it down. My husband and I were thinking of getting an arborist out to see if we could prolong it with some trimming but now I see that's not really feasible. Now what!?
This is fascinating. Thank you
Thanks Jay. Help spread the efucation
We have a large sugar maple that’s taller than our house. We want to keep it but it’s too large. Should we top some of it just to keep it around for a few more years ? Could we put some sort of sealant on the topped parts ?
I love your advice, I would love to see a video on limb failures with an autopsy type of explanation showing source and type of weaknesses. I once saw a treeman on uk tv defending a hollow tree saying there was nothing stronger than the form of a tube "ask an architect". I suspect this is dependent on the type of tree and stresses on the form and a form only being as strong as it's weakest point. Thanks for your videos.
A tube is just a hollow rod so the rod will be stronger. The UK has fairly mild weather and strong winds are rare so bear that in mind.
I have lots of videos in my collection here where I cut open old wounds. Can a hollow tree live on? In the woods, ok. In an urban setting, well-risky. Every tree decays and dies and turns into soil. Safety around living space is a reason to adjust your thinking. I clean up so many failed trees.
Tubes can be better at resisting falling over than solid poles as they retain a lot of strength but lower the weight. There is some thought that very old trees become more resistant to falling over by hollowing out. It really depends of the shape of the hollowing, whether it’s just the core getting eaten out very slowly or it looks like the growth layer is rotting and/or something is going to peal off. There’s also a difference between dropping branches and tree falling over. A hollow trunk may make a tree resistant to falling over but won’t stop it dropping a branch.
@@gulliverdalton8680 True. But if it was generally beneficial to trees, they would grow hollow.
@@chaos.corner many do, it just takes them a while to hollow out. The hollowing out would help more for taller species of trees and only when they reach a height were they reach the canopy. Bamboo although not a tree grows hollow and as it grows tall so quickly getting rid of the upper weight quickly is important for it. Your also assuming evolution always leads to the best design.
Great video! This was very informative.
Thank you. Now help spread this education that can save trees
Dropping the tree onto the limbs so it didn't smash the path...masterful. Well done.
Thanks. Glass greenhouse? No problem😳
Does tree wound sealer help with the damage? Or making cuts as an angle so water is a bit less likely to pool? Or Both?
Tree sealant, also known as wound dressing or pruning sealant, is a substance that is applied to the exposed surface of a tree wound intended to protect the tree from decay and infection. The idea is that by sealing the wound, moisture and other contaminants are kept out, which hopefully might help to prevent decay.
However, research has shown that sealing wounds with tree sealant is not necessary, and in some cases, it can actually do more harm than good. For example, in certain species of trees, such as oaks and elms maples and birch, sealing a wound can trap moisture and create a favorable environment for decay-causing fungi.
In general, the best approach to preventing decay in trees is to promote overall tree health through proper pruning, watering, and mulching practices, and to avoid damaging the tree in the first place. If a tree does sustain a wound, it is best to simply clean the wound and allow it to heal naturally, without the use of sealant.
Angled cuts still decay. Possibly not as fast but that needs to be proven
4:31 gotta love when your physics is in point
nice work. sometimes you have to make hard calls when it comes to correcting damage and maintaining value. silver maple pipe trees are strong until the tree loses its last vigor, and then the decay sets in on the living bits, and you have the whole thing cumbling rather quickly
And I often question some of my decisions
@@arboristBlairGlenn nothing questionable here my friend. when someone starts the topping, all we can do is react. id prefer a live re-topped tree to nothing.
What do you do then when a tree is very tall and near to a house ? My Dad has a very large Ash tree near to his house ?
You are painting with a wide brush. Grafting is toping a tree. Coppice in England, taillis in French. Germany, India, Japan, and many other nations have different similar methods. You kind of touched on it, a little indirectly. People used to cover and fill minor voids on trees. Sometimes even paint and cement.
If you study Shigo, you will learn that tree sealant or cement is of no value.
@@arboristBlairGlenn life
Reason #1: it would hurt a lot
A bit unrelated, but the decay from topping the tree reminds me of the TP top utility poles that were installed half a century ago. They cut a slant on the top of the poles under the idea that it would help water runoff the top. Instead it created a point of decay and they've been replacing them whenever they get the chance.
Thanks for commenting