Here's some pics of the work we recently did on two
Ficus benjamina out at Charters Towers for the Shire Council. The two were part of a planting of three figs along the road edge probably around 100-120yrs old, road renovations/resurfacing and minor landscaping planned by the council raised concerns that these trees needed work. Can't really remember now whether the feeling was they should be removed and hence the council wanted to pass the parcel...or whether residents wanted them protected (suspect now it was the former!! but thats ok as you'll see)
One of the three was very badly lopped and affected by fungal decay through the stem entirely...could push a stick right through from one side to the other..this tree is being removed by council.
The other two had large stubs from years of abuse (lopping) some problematic elongated epicormic regrowth, sunscald, some confliction low branches and impoverished soils.
DSCF8407.JPG
So we drove out there and removed all large significant deadwood with targets, lifted the lower branches where over driveways and footpath, reduced the elongation on the worst areas of the canopy where either confliction or the epicormic nature of the regrowth caused concern.
Total amount of live canopy removed 10%
.
Before
DSCF0317rs.JPG
After
DSCF0316rs.JPG
Some shots of Stephen working hard
on the pole saw reducing the length of a limb with major confliction where his feet are.
DSCF0298rs.JPG DSCF0299rs.JPG
Then based on a comprehensive soil test undertaken when the original Arboricultural report was written, we drenched the soil of the vegetation strip with water containing raw molasses, concntrated fish emulsion, dried seaweed extract, and N-Fix. (I have no photos of us doing that sorry)
The best thing about the works we undertook out at the Towers was the minimal impact on the trees, these are figs yes, and have all the genetic advantages over many other species that
Ficus have...but one of the three has already fallen to the combination of neglect and malpractice, esential with trees this age in conditions like these to measure your dose very carefully....equally important to ensure the client understands that they are not going to see mounds of cut branches and many wounds to show how hard we've been working!
The soil works carried out on these two trees is the key to their long term improvement in health and vigour..our intention is to revisit the two on our way back from treating my special friend out at Hughenden in the next month, I'll take much better pics and more of them on that trip watch this space since as some of you know Veteran trees are my main love and we have so few left in Qld...I'm referring to the Explorers' Tree Hughenden BTW.