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Eucs dont mind being broken or topped, they epicormic fast and within 3 to 5 years a reasonable crown is there. So in nature they can handle it, risk vs return for the tree ...
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Originally Posted by playfordtree  Ekka i was just re-reading the posts on this thread and i thought you might want to clarify this line a little.
We here know what you mean, but the average layman might get confused with this statement.  |
A trees natural response to broken parts is growing new shoots near the wound. It's natures way of trying to create balance between root mass and canopy mass, the foliage feeds the roots who in turn provide the raw resources for the leaves etc, a cycle.
This occurs in eucs easily, other species not so good like say pine trees (radiata, elliottii etc).
This is fine and dandy in the forest, if those new shoots become 50' branches and fail again .... so what, it's mulch on the forest floor and the cycle happens again. The risk to the tree of growing these shoots is that they "might" blow off later and the return is all the foliage/food it will bring. In a forest there's also natural shielding from other trees, the wind plays less havoc.
In an urban environment this regrowth is totally unacceptable. The risk is too high to have failing tree parts around people, cars etc. This is what target cutting does, reduces the probability of shoots growing. In urban environments trees are far more exposed in far more hostile soil conditions, we mow the lawn clearing all the mulch/leaves, have competing plants, hard surfaces that restrict water etc etc. Trees do it a lot tougher and adding wounds and extra failing parts isn't wise, sometimes trees just dont have the energy reserves to cope with the treatment and roots die, tree's get termites/decay and hollow etc.
How you manage a genuine bush forest and urban trees can differ. Also remember that seldom will you see forest trees with ALL the limbs busted off, usually it's one here and there, like in your pics topping cuts of the entire canopy, and most are that dumb that they make flat cuts too.