Competing Trees

Therrin

While doing an assessment at a client's house the other day, I came across this problem. These two are competing with eachother, and are starting to become tangled.

I'm pretty sure that they're improperly positioned as per proximity to one another, and that something needs to be done now, before it gets worse.

I was intending to deadwood and slightly thin the larger, multi-leadered elm. The smaller (an ash?) is a nicer tree for that spot, but wasn't sure if it would just end up a constant problem in that area.

What advice would you all offer?

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Ken Fessia
I.T.S.A. Tree Service
(661) 916-4703

Sean Freeman

Therrin there are always significant ongoing and increasing maintenance issues with subordinated trees even small to medium sized ones. Now this doesn't necessarily mean they have to be removed...so long as the tree woner is made aware of what the most likely outcome down the track will be sure the tree can be managed.

You would expect much more deadwood production in a suppressed tree, somewhat weakened growth with greater suceptability to many pest and diseases due to reduced vigour.

The situation in your example is made more problematic by the proximity of the house..more deadwood over the roof..noise and debris, leaning growth to get away from the dominant tree...even mre leaf debris over the roof (not an issue at all for me but might be for the tree owner)

supression.JPG

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Sean

Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky,
We fell them down and turn them into paper,
That we may record our emptiness.
- Kahlil Gibran

D Mc

Therrin, don't you just love getting jobs where it is virtually impossible to make everything right? And the client always seems to say something like "just make it look good"!

For what it's worth, here are our suggestions.

Knock the dead stump portion out of the Siberian elm and check to see what's going on there. The base of that tree doesn't look that great from the pics. (Included bark and slime flux, typical elm stuff.) Deadwood removal is good and then structure with an eye toward reduction to encourage more lateral, lower growth. You are not going to be able to separate the two trees entirely, but that endeavor should be guiding your choices.

Same with the ash (maple? so hard to tell in the pic). Both trees are too leggy. Neither tree is a good enough specimen to recommend as a stand alone (one over the other). (In our humble opinion.)

Good luck.

D and S Mc

azrael

My humble opinion is 100% co-inciding with the above...and I see some scope to reduce the canopy bias in the subordinate tree ..... perhaps staged...and definately not anything severe...just formative.
As for the other dominant...the above also goes...(ie satisfy yourself first that it is not intrinsically defective).

azrael

Therrin
Additional comments relating to optimising the longer-term retention potential and conditions in these trees.....based on the pics provided

There appears to be root-area encroachment on the side where the Hot-tub is located (well it looks like it's a Hot-tub). That tub is set on a pad of impervious concrete(?) which will have required some excavation (and some likely-hood of root-area damages both physical and chemical....from the lime).

This cant be fixed per se but .... I would be recommending the installation of bark-chip mulch in the remaining under-canopy area (to a distance equivalent to the length to the longest branch) ...7-8cm depth and preferably of site generated material.

Also advice to the owner abt. the detrimental effect excavation can have on trees ... even for seemingly insignificant hard-landscape installation...it may prempt future root-area damages to the tree(s).
In other words, & IMO, any more insults/encroachment would be unacceptable....and I hope that tub is not ever drained out near the trees.

treeseer

Excellent comments so far. When 2 trees compete, I prune to favor the longer-lived asset, which is probably NOT the siberian elm. I'd go clear to the top and remove or reduce anything on the elm that prevents the ash/maple from growing vertical.

Agree that full risk/phc assessment is job 1, and I hope you are being paid for that and not sucked into the "free estimate" trap.

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Guy Meilleur | Forensic Arborist | Better Tree Care

Therrin

He was my boss years ago. I'm trying to promote my service in the area, and, since I'm not a "qualified arborist"... I'll let the assessment profit slide for now. I guess some of you are against that kind of thing, but from the look of all of the topped trees in the area, I'm not under the opinion that anyone else is losing out from my not charging for an assessment.

If they wanted a full blown report on all 16 of their trees, that'd be different.

But I'd likely call a consulting Arb for that anyhow.

__________________
Ken Fessia
I.T.S.A. Tree Service
(661) 916-4703

treeseer

Hey, it's all relative. On some jobs my qualifications are lacking.

Anyhoo, looks like cabling the elm and mulching are high on the list, but a 2nd look at the other tree shows basal issues. How about taking the dirt off the stem and sending a picture of the root crown?

If you are certified, you should be able to charge a modest hourly fee.

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Guy Meilleur | Forensic Arborist | Better Tree Care