Tree Removal: A Day in the Life of a Tree Climber

At Willowglenn, the majority of the tree work we do consists of structural and maintenance pruning. When someone approaches us about tree removal, I generally try to talk them out of it.  I figure there are plenty of companies out there that will gladly take your cash to remove a tree for any reason.  By taking a conservative stand on tree removal, I hope to counterbalance their eagerness.

Tree removal is, however, a critical element of urban forest management.  Boise's moniker as the City of Trees is nice but belies the fact that our urban forest is a human construct and needs to be managed as such.

Diseased, damaged or dangerous trees obviously need to be removed but so do trees that have the potential to cause a Hatfield and McCoy style feud between neighbors.  This particular pine had been planted right up against the property line, and had a taken to leaning towards the neighbors house.

Even worse, the pine also provided ladder fuels right up to their wood shake roof.















A nice looking Red Oak was also about 10 feet away and really needs more space to develop an even canopy.  The pine had  also long since shed its lower juvenile limbs and didn't even provide the  screening that was originally intended.  It was definitely time to get rid of the tree.

View of Table Rock atop the pine

The challenge, of course, for most urban tree removal is how to do it in such a way as to not punch a hole in a roof, collapse a gazebo or flatten someone's new 30K ipe deck.  Fortunately, there was a narrow pea gravel footpath that ran directly under the tree.  So, rather than utilize a complicated rigging system, I decided to take the tree down in firewood size pieces and drop it on the path below (convenient, as it's eventually headed to our wood stove anyway).

When I bid a tree removal job, I factor in a few different things such as: what kind of tree (hardwood? softer wood?), height, high-value targets around the base of the tree, and how many leaders the tree has. Multi-leader trees take the longest because you're essentially removing multiple trees within the canopy.  This pine had five separate leaders so I knew that I was looking at a full day's worth of work for myself and a ground crew.

Aside from knowing that I'm going to smeared in sap, I usually look forward to working in pines.  An even lattice work of branches (most of the time) makes it pretty easy to move around.

The first thing I do is find the tallest leader in the tree and secure my cambium saver as high up as it will go.  This is where my climbing rope is attached to the tree.  Attaching myself to the rope requires tying on the end of one side of the rope with a termination knot and attaching midway on the other side of the rope with a friction hitch knot that allows me to self-belay.  My favorite hitch knot is called a Valdotain Tress.  With this hitch, it's easy to ascend the tree but catches you should you slip (by putting a kink in the rope).

      






I like to minimize the amount of chainsaw time as much as possible when I'm roped into a tree, so I begin by removing all the branches with a 4" caliper or smaller with a hand saw.

Once that's done, I begin using a chainsaw and a steel-core "flip line" as redundant fall protection just in case I accidentally cut through my climbing rope or my harness.














Slowly, I work my way down the shorter leaders and then move on to removing the main leader.

 

With the help of my hard working ground crew, we were able to complete the removal just as we started losing our light for the day.

Done!

Winter Tree Pruning

A few days ago a respected local gardening celebrity published an article cautioning her readers to skip winter pruning of trees because of potential freeze damage. There were many other good points made in the article but this piece of advice really stuck in my craw.

OK, full disclosure first: I'm an ISA certified arborist who also runs a full service landscape company. Why is this relevant? Mostly because of the seasonal aspect of how I make a living. My inspirational St. Crispin's Day speech for my crew this morning did little to change the fact that it was 18 degrees. When the ground takes on the characteristics of granite, tree pruning becomes our main source of work. 

So my initial reaction to the article was something along the lines of this person is trying to steal bread from my child!

Deep breath.

Most arborists I know like to prune in the winter because the tree structure (or lack thereof) can be clearly seen without a cloak of leaves, making it easier to determine pruning decisions. Personal opinions aside, it is incumbent for an arborist to prune according to ANSI A300 pruning standards (the arborist's bible).This is what the guide has to say:

The best time to prune live branches depends on the desired results. Removal of dying, diseased, broken, rubbing, or dead limbs can be accomplished any time with little negative effect on the tree.            Growth is maximized and defects are easier to see on deciduous trees if live-branch pruning is done in the winter before growth resumes in early spring. Pruning when trees are dormant can minimize the risk of pest problems associated with wounding and allows trees to take advantage of the full growing season to close and compartmentalize wounds. (Best Management Practices Tree Pruning Companion publication to the ANSI A300 Part 1: Tree, Shrub and other Woody Plant Maintenance-Standard Practices, Pruning, pg. 25 para. 1 &2)

             

For more info about winter pruning, check out these sites:

Trees Are Good
Chicago Botanic
Arbor Day
Minnesota DNR

Southern Magnolias in a Northern Town

​

As our urban forest disrobes and a steely-gray nuclear winter sky descends over Boise, I'm reminded again of how much I appreciate the glossy, evergreen foliage of the Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandilflora).

Here are some interesting tidbits about the Southern Magnolia in our climate:

• There is a wide degree of variability amongst the many available cultivars, with Edith Bogue, Victoria and Bracken's Brown Beauty consistently overwintering well in our SW Boise Zone 6 property (there are reports that Edith Bogue even grows in Chicago).
• Winter desiccation from dry, cold wind is really tough on these broadleaf evergreens. If you live in a very windy, exposed site or south of Lake Hazel, forgetaboutit.
• In our climate, Southern Magnolias drop their three year old leaves in the spring and early summer (much to the consternation of those unfamiliar with this cycle!).
• Our Southern Magnolias need no more water than an average hardwood tree and have happily grown without fertilizer of any kind in our nasty, caliche "soil".
• Fragrant blossoms begin to appear late spring and continue into mid-summer.

Here's a picture tour of Southern Magnolias around Boise:

Ruby red seeds of summer's spent flowers juxtaposed against  lush evergreen foliage.

Lake Heron planting in 2003.

Ten years later! Yes, a bit close to the foundation,  but in my defense we had just visited Georgetown where Magnolias planted within a few inches of brick walls are de rigueur

Another 2003 planting....

Same tree, today (again, in the Georgetown style).

Edith Bogue in our garden

The closely related Magnolia virginiana. Flowers have an intense citrus aroma. 

A new, apparently hardy cultivar that my friend Steven Gossett grew from a seed he harvested from Spain. He calls it Granada.

Another cultivar in Steven's nursery, -24. Fortunately, we haven't had the recent opportunity to see if it lives up to the name!

The last two are significant because they both survived -20F -22F back in the early 90's December 22nd of 1991. So those of you who think we live in Zone 5, take note (you know who you are).

Foothills East

The largest Southern Magnolia I've found in Boise is near Winstead Park. The oak behind it adds some nice contrast. The owners have told me that after -20 F -22F, the tree completely defoliated but stubbornly pushed out new leaves in the spring.

Same tree, different angle

He Likes Them Topless

Try and keep up sonny!

 
As a small business owner, I find that it's pretty easy to follow the advice that "the customer is always right" ...  right up to the point where they're wrong.

More often than not this occurs when I'm asked to provide a quote for tree care. This happened again a few days ago when I met with an older gentleman (we'll call him Mr. Smith) to chat about trimming his trees.


Maybe "mutilating" his trees would be a better word? He wants every tree on his property topped, because you know, they're pretty out of control.




The victims...

The token Ash

The ubiquitous Crabapple

The handsome Japanese Maple

And finally there's a Weeping Cherry he wants pruned under the window (any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated).

After 20+ years in the biz, I've finally figured out that self-righteous monologues berating the prospective client doesn't make me any new friends. I just stuck with thoughtful nods and a forced smile or two. The fact that this was the father-in-law of a valued new client helped keep me on my best behavior too.

Still, a Certified Arborist can't be seen out and about making freaky head cuts on trees so what's a guy to do?  Conveniently, there is ISA approved  "Crown Reduction" pruning. Instead of performing topping cuts mid-branch, we can reduce a tree by pruning it down to lateral branches that are large enough to assume the new leadership opening.

I certainly wouldn't call this necessary pruning, but if it prevents something like this from happening I think I've done my job.

Kiva

The ruins of a 500 year old kiva was recently unearthed in the Boise foothills...

OK, well maybe not, but that's the feel we're going for on a new landscape construction project in the El Paseo Subdivision on the west side of Warm Springs Mesa.

Granted, the Pueblo culture didn't make it up anywhere near Idaho, but it's interesting to think how they would have used our local rock in their distinctive architectural style.



It wouldn't be the first time I've looked to the southwest for inspiration in our hardscape construction.

Four Corners region

Highlands in Boise

The Boise foothills is full of its own history though- this home is being built within a stone's throw of  Trail #14, which runs along the course of a tram that was once used at the Table Rock quarry. You can still see some of the dry stacked sandstone walls that were built over a 100 years ago.

Installing Andesitic Idaho Flagstone

Helleborus orientalis  First flowers in our garden!

     

I get as excited about spring flowers as the next enlightened, sensitive guy, but the thing that really tells me the season has started is when we get our first flagstone installation for the season.

This flagstone walkway I built for a  bungalow in the North End took me the better part of of last Monday to complete. There is truth in the term "hardscape".

The coolest thing about the walkway, other than the fact that our
client paid us instantly (thanks Beth!), is that all the stone comes from an easy drive's distance from Boise.

The downside of using this local stone is that while one side of the stone is generally pretty flat, the other side isn't. The stone also doesn't have a uniform thickness like Arizona sandstone, or some of the other rock quarried in Idaho. This makes installation of our local stone a little tricky.

Dreaming of flat bottomed pavers

Pavers and stones with even thickness are pretty straightforward to install. You have to...

- excavate the site
- install a course base and compact
- install a compacted & screed sand base

...and then you're ready to lay down your flagstone. If you've done a good job with your prep work, this last step can be completed pretty quickly.

Our local stone requires a couple more steps.

I use thicker pieces as a "keystone" within the patio to lock in thinner pieces of flagstone.
This requires you to excavate a bit of the sand you've worked so hard to compact.

I lock in the rocks by using a rock hammer to compact sand around and under the stones.

And then add another rock...

And then another 80 or so pieces until either I'm done or I can no longer hold on to my rock hammer.

I finish up each flagstone project by sweeping sand over the top of the rocks, filling in any voids to prevent stones from rocking.

Happy hammering.

Fruit Tree Pruning

People are indignant when I refuse to discuss fruit tree pruning in my basic tree care classes. Ornamental tree care couldn't be more different than pruning for fruit production so I rarely bring up the topic in the course of my presentations. These folks leave my classes disappointed and usually a little angry. Such is the life of a public speaker.

But I think any arborist should be at least a little uncomfortable uttering phrases like "reduction cuts" and (even worse) "heading cuts", so I'll start these instructions with the caveat: don't do this to shade trees. Really. Because I'll have to hunt you down if you do.

I keep my fruit tree pruning goals pretty simple:

1. Reduce the crown of the tree to short(ish) laterals that,
     a. are accessible from the ground or a short ladder and,
     b. reduce the possibility of branch failure under fruit load.

2. Keep the center of the tree open for good air circulation (and because it's hard to get fruit from the interior of the tree anyway).

3. Train the lateral branches to form an open lattice work to allow adequate light to the fruiting branches.

4. Remove dead, diseased and wounding crossing branches

Upright branches are vigorous in their growth, but laterals are better fruit producers.

Upright branches before pruning.

Half of an apple tree pruned to lateral branches.

Another shot of half the tree pruned.

First completed apple tree

Another completed apple tree at the same property

Another shot of the same tree.

Hey, did I happen to mention that if you do this to an ornamental tree I'll break your knee caps?

Next week I'm going to write about what happens when you do this to an ornamental (to the tree, not you) and the restorative pruning needed to, um, restore it.