So here's a medium sized Ficus benghalensis at the same sports reserve where we reomved the A. lebbeck the other day. This tree, the fig we've been looking after for about 18mths, was originally slated for removal on the advice of one of our local professional loppers "dangerous tree mate full of rot and fungi it'll kill someone we'll get rid of it".
Well cut a long and self aggrandising story short, we pursuaded the management of the reserve to retain the tree, after soil and root treatment and some reduction pruning and recommended they fence the tree to prevent any targets being present under the canopy. As you'll see the fence was never built, but they did build some mounds for seating and shade structures for spectators along the edge of the footy field next to the tree...great! To make matters a little worse the tree is showing continued decline in the grafted limbs holding two leaning prop roots and the canopy they support. You can see the structures I'm talking about in this photo
So I wrote a short report advising them of the changes in the tree and importantly in the targets under the tree, recommending that the two leaning section be removed ASAP. The tree as some might know has a very attractive spreading proped habit, I feel that in 5/10 yrs if it is looked after it will have grown out beyond the position of these leaning parts we are removing.
Me taking small canopy sections off
Messing about with two TIPs whilst Tim works hard on the ground
Even more messing about, hasn't he noticed I've stopped cutting yet?
Now some fun for the fella triple scarf and back cuts
Will put the last bits and the final look in the next post