What would you recommend to the customer?????

ARGTrees

Had a quote the other day in a well to do suburb of Brisbane. Customer wanted advise on what to do with gum. Concerned about tree falling over onto neighbours house. Gum tree is very healthy with no signs of branches dropping off, white ants or splits in the main union. One lopper had told him he would cut it half way down (hack the top off) and in my opinion ruin the tree.

Customer really likes tree and does not want to loose it. My opinion is to leave as is, monitor, what for signs of decay and then look at rectification. But why ruin a beautiful tree so early on????

Thoughts on what you would recommend????

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ARGtrees Truck and Chipper Hire Australia

Eric Frei

Always hard to tell 100% from pics however it appears to me it was previously lopped by the way it has grown those 3 leaders.

I have marked the "suss" spots in red.

The pink highlights some dead wooding and drooping branches need reduction/thinning/removal etc.

I would say the tree has poor taper for species and size (likely from lopping) and a little dense in foliage.

A good clean up, dead wood, thin and some reduction yes it would be fine.

Also right near the base in last pic I think there's something going on.

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Sean Freeman

I don't see anything that would have me rushing for the chainsaw...though pics are always iffy when it comes to definate statements. Gums hold deadwood (generally) for a very long time, still for peace of mind sure remove it.

Concentrate on the roots and soil, I agree with Eric the taper is not normal makes me think the tree has been buried during either initial civils for the subdivision or latter landscaping grade changes...new paths, roadways driveways etc... Check very closely around the base of the tree look for unusual bark textures, depressions....sound the stem, probe the soil for the root crown should be only 100-150mm deep just out approx 300mm from the stem...any deeper then grade changes have occured.
Maybe a root crown inspection would help but try to get as much info before you go firing up the compressor.

As I know you know topping Eucs is nuts and pointless unless you make money from lopping.

I personally wouldn't be cutting any live foliage from the tree unless I believed particular limbs required reduction due to the risk they posed property or persons, from the photos I don't see that, but perhaps from the ground there might be cause for some reduction.

Despite not having great form and again Eric's probably right past cutting most likely explaination, it is a very pretty tree, well worth working with the owner to find management options that serve the tree and their concerns.

treestyle

yep i agree, bit of deadwood, like Sean said roots and soil, don't forget that half the tree is underground! Mulch! if you keep the tree healthy and the roots in tact then you decrease the chances of something bad happening bove ground.

Get rid of that grass and mulch!

playfordtree

Well done ARGTrees

You didn't play the fear card and make yourself a quick buck!
(see the milliontrees scam post)

I believe there should be some good Karma comin' your way.

TrevMcRev

That they pay you $100 for the consultation.

And then that you split amongst the treeworld crew!

treeseer

Good eye on the previous topping eric, and good advice by all.

If the brick house is the main target then I would look to go up and reduce tips on that side. Small cuts all, probably done by a pole pruner. Also any drooping branches that look like they may break in storms, reduce with a clip instead of remove. Goal is to keep an even crown outline.

Eric Frei

Not bad for wankers are we.

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bigshea13

from the pictures it looks as if you could crown up to 1/4 of the canopy and still keep its symitry