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Japanese Maple
Why top when proper pruning and thinning yields this? (When viewing the album in slideshow, use text under frame for full screen enlargements)
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Prevent sunburned trunks
My preference for trunk wrap: window screen double wrapped. This stays cool and allows the tree to acclimatize, because it doesn't stop all the light.
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Kerby Oregon Treehouse
For a treehouse this low, I'd recommend a stilt support to lessen damage to the tree
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Cabling silk tree - 1/16
Small 1/16" cable for small tree. An aid to prevent a "V" shape union from splitting. This is a homeowner style repair option for a small tree. Save big tree bracing for arborists.
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Portland treehouse
THis treehouse has one stilt support, and is anchored in a way to allow some future trunk expansion
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Spruce
Likely a natural graft of two trees when young. 6 miles from Seaside 100 feet from USA's largest sitka spruce
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VIDEO: Branch Removal
Removing branch with the "3 Cut" method. Note: prescribed method is that 2nd cut is farthest out. My style is different when I have a hand-hold.
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Crimping tool
Molds ferrule tight on cable
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Wrapping chain / bad idea
Damaging homeowner attempt.
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Remove chain / add cable.
Inserting anchor / far better. Cable clamps are short-term, light duty. Commercial tree repair cabling supplies are better yet.
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Aerating compact soil
Tree leaned due to soil damage
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In Tualatin
Tree rubs gutter / roof - needs redirection
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Shift canopy away
Select best "leaders", remove the leaders near building, then let canopy develop
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Girdled by staking rope
Deodar cedar vitality strangled. Rope is embedded - tiem for removal
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Flowering plum
Weak included bark is the dark areas - no bond. The cap is set on a horizontal cut. This included bark is from insufficient pruning
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Maple / previously topped
Decending brown is rot / decay. Darker brown edges of "stain" appearance is tree's attempt to isolate decay
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Leyland cypress - only 21 years old
45' wide canopy already! Not a good small area hedge tree
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Tree in deck
Don't wait until the trunk grows into wood.
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Tree in deck / same
Cut away wood to allow room for growth.
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Salvaging a tree
This tree was girdled with wire. The topping cut above the lower limbs, shows that topping can be beneficial in special cases
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Hand cut
A proper cut is outside the branch collar - should leave slight bump - cutting blade is on tree side of hand pruner
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Topiary pine tree
These need to be sheared when new needles emerge from "candles" - once stems age, new buds won't form at the cut
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Wood decay
Not always fatal - fungal growth like this, or larger, are evidence of wood decay. Big growths are called "conks
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Root preservation
Many times it is better to tunnel under a root instead of cutting it
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Excluded bark ridge
When the bark in-between leaders ridges up, that's stronger than "included bark" which enfolds
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Proper hand saw cut
Don't cut the center bark ridge when removing a co-dominant leader - the center may appear as a crease at times
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Handsaw cut
An undercut is sometimes needed. A bark ridge - wrapping the top here - should not be cut. Visible branch collars should be avoided also
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Improper cut
Left stub protrudes too far from branch collar / right stub is too long too
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hand cut
Proper pruning cuts leave a branch collar which protrudes
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branch collar on cedar
On some trees, the branch collar which must not be cut off, is easy to distinguish
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Cut on same cedar tree
A proper pruning cut, leaving the entire undamaged branch collar
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Improper branch removal
The tearing and peeling of bark here would have been prevented by removing the limbs in pieces - rather than one fast cut
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Wide branch angle
A "U" shape like this, where a branch meets the trunk is ideal for continuous layers of wood to grow and strengthen the union
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Topped tree
One name for this is hat-racking, a very damaging way to prune trees.
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Sunburn
The trunk of this tree was sunburned because other trees that shaded it were removed, allowing hot sun to scorch tissue
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Embedded hook
Don't hang plants by hooking around a branch. Thread an eye into it instead
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Bronze birch borer
Evidence of bronze birch borers are the "D" shaped holes
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Included bark
When bark enfolds like this, no good union of wood buildup will occur - just pinched bark
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A dead stub left in place
The longer it stays, the longer the new growth can't close over and seal that area of the tree - remove dead stubs
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Short video clips 1 - 2 minutes
Video clips of a few pruning needs.
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Dead birch tree pair
Mulitple deaths together are a "red flag" that something serious happened - possibly even herbicide poisoning of the soil - see article at www.mdvaden.com in "articles"
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A conk
An external growth of wood decay fungus is called a "conk"
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"V" shape union failure
A weak "V" shape union can easily split like this. Cabling can help. Proper pruning from year #1 can remove several problems like this
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Trenching for root barrier
Dig, chop, cut or grind the trench. If roots have already invaded - cut them as cleanly as possible.
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Slide barrier into trench
It's as easy as it looks. Slide it in and fill the soil back into the trench.
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Bacterial wetwood / maple
Bacterial Wetwood or Slime Flux on a maple tree. Amazingly, it causes wood to resist decay, but also hinders closure of wounds. Other trees like elm, poplar, etc. can get this - not common
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Bacterial disease in cherry
This dark amber color jell is a "red flag" symptom of bacterial canker in cherry. Not much to do about eradication
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Big cavity in large oak
It would be better if the wound was not there - but it is. The tree should be okay. A wound like this should not be filled with concrete or hollowed out with machines. Just let it be
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Oak galls
Oak apples is one figurative name for these. In the Pacific NW this is usually a reactive growth resulting from wasps laying eggs and the larvae developing - no reason for concern
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Tree staking - not needed here
Trees should only be staked if absolutely needed, such as bare root trees. Many balled and container trees develop stronger trunks when no stakes and ties are used.
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Paperbark maple
Peeling bark is not always a bad sign. Paperbark maple like these have bark that peels or flakes off. Other trees like river birch have this attribute
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Hoyt Arboretum / lightning
Douglas fir in Portland. This wound runs up the side out of sight at least 60'. Some arborists can install protection hardware if the location is susceptible
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Sunburn damage
Another photo of sunburn damage. The tissue burned, died and peeled off the sunset side of this ash tree. New tissue started to enclose but the tree declined
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Grafted tissue
One of the challenges of pruning is making a judgement as to whether the tissue is grafted and whether to cut off the entire stub or leave a grafted portion
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Rainy weather splits tree
A split sweet gum tree. This is the result of a weak "V" shape union of two trunks. Rain and mild winds on a fall day brought this trunk over. A tree like this could have been cabled and saved
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Fasciation on Flowering Cherry
Fasciation is from Latin fascia ("a band"). This is an abnormality in plant twig development that causes flattened or mishaped growth. Sometimes this is caused by pathogens. This is not a crisis when occassional fasciated twigs are discovered.
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Converting a sprout to a spur
If not too close to another branch or spur, why not leave part of a sprout?
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Cut sprout
Cut to about 1 or 2 buds long, then wait
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After a couple or few years
The same was done to this previous water sprout. Now it is ready for flowering and fruiting
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fruitspur2
Close-up
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fruitspur1
Previous 5 cuts indicated. This was not 5 years, but 2 growing seasons which included light summer thinning and training cuts
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Tree burned by hedge fire
This is one of about 4 trees that were charred by juniper hedge that ignited
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Left-overs of a V union
Another flowering plum dissected to show included bark from weak V union.
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Good mushrooms
Mycorrhizal fungi live with the tree roots. See www.mdvaden.com Articles, Tree Feeding
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Central Point House and Tree
Failure to maintain trees can be dangerous
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Bladder mites
Small mites trigger a reaction on the leaf surface. Looks bad, but not very harmful
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Tree roots and rocks
Amazing how trees adapt. But rock is inconvenient for good root growth
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This is not pollarding
Proper pollarding is not as grotesque as this amateur pruning job
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Oregon Caves
When bent, trees can naturally self-correct straightness, due to plant hormones within
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Pine pitch moth larvae
After pulling a chunk of pitch away, the larvae is visible
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