This is a career that we are proud of. We get angry when we see so much improper work being done and people being cheated. It usually boils down to the cheapest bid gets the job, but if the cheapest bid, costs you your trees, how much did you save?
Hey Blair, I’ve watch a bunch of your videos the past few weeks and you’ve single handedly opened my eyes to understanding trees. You have an excellent vocal rhythm when talking, and your explanations are always rooted in some logic when you explain. As a teacher myself, I’m impressed with your teaching skills. I hope you’re doing some side work teaching at some arbourist school in California! Keep up the great work.
Sometimes the customer asks for something you have to do it because they are paying you to work, not to tell them what not to do to the tree. That said, I’d agree that most of this work is total shit. Trouble is a lot of my customers do not care about what I tell them, they listen then ignore and tell me what to do. Sad
Hi Glenn, I'm a newly qualified tree surgeon. A long way to go knowledge wise, er, and rope work and rigging but I'm trying to do it right by the trees not the clients. What's you're opinion of these? My first 2 tree maintenance jobs www.dropbox.com/sh/kldcl8o4fk7ba3j/AABf6EkI5J8hnyYwO8lpS_Fda?dl=0 www.dropbox.com/sh/go3zqvtjrvrius3/AAAftsckqoh5MXQsp3O0-UmVa?dl=0
Dude you’re awesome! I’ve found lots of great info on climbing and cutting etc on TH-cam… But it until I found your channel I kept having unanswered questions about all this type of stuff, and it’s amazing to just be able to click a video and have you explain causes and effects and decision-making and stuff like that. This is the stuff I want to know before I even do anything or touch a tree, or even think I know what I’m about to do to it. Thank you so much!!
I maintain fruit trees both commercial and residential. We always prune, just today I pruned darn near 30% off over 20+ small fruit trees. The types of trees in this video are a totally different scope, with different rules. I am really glad this video has taught me that I WILL NOT PRUNE THESE TYPES OF TREES🌲🌳! You know that over confident guy talk, I could easily see myself at some point saying "ohh yeah, I pruned many fruit trees, of course I can top and shape your _____ tree." And totally murder one of these beauties. Thank you so much for saving me from that fate! I will show many people this video, I hope it goes viral. Although the tree trimming industry will feel that big hit.
Since you trim fruit trees...I have a question for you if you wouldn't mind. If you were to let the fruit tree grow with one main trunk wouldn't it top out (stop growing taller) at some point? Is the only reason that fruit trees are pruned is to make harvesting easier? Is it also to make the tree produce less but you can harvest it all? I am super curious.
@@MrsMika I'm not a tree pruner, but besides keeping the fruit trees to a convenient size, pruning the tree prevents the tree from becoming apically dominant. This forces more regenerative growth (fruit production) instead of vegetative growth. I know of one person however, Masanobu Fukuoka, who prefered not to prune and let the tree grow to its natural potential and got great results, but I assume it takes longer and the harvesting is less feasible for industrial agriculture (which is fine depending on your perspective on agriculture).
Another great informational video. This is why its important for tree service owners to become actual certified arborist with the ISA. About 90% of the trees we get called to prune have been topped, once youre up there you can see, HOW bad the decay is.
When I started my business here in Western Montana 1993, the only other tree services we're advertising tree topping in the Yellow Pages and the newspaper. I knew then that the valley needed my service, and I have done quite well. Now I am old and mentoring three young men. I always tell people the reason we should prune is because the trees are not in the forest where they naturally develop a single strong central leader. I prune to mitigate the fact that the trees are not in the forest by managing the diameters of branches. It is important to keep branches from becoming too large. This is accomplished through pruning, rarely removing more than 20% of a trees live vegetation. Everything that I have learned over the last 45 years of tree pruning I have learned from the forest and forest trees. Nature is our best teacher. I urge people to go to the forest and observe. Thank you for your excellent video Glen, ignorance is rampant
We are still in a severe drought in my part of Australia, and all the trees that shouldn't have been planted around here are all dying or dead. My son's school is about 150 years old and there "was" a row of very old crepe myrtles out the front that could well have been over a century old. Well the maintenance man thought he would cut those trees right back to about a 3rd of their height last winter, and come spring they looked very healthy. By mid summer after relentless heatwaves they were all dead because there's been no rain to support all that new fresh growth and they hadn't kept up with the watering. Those trees untouched had been through many severe droughts. They didn't look great because they grew to the conditions which meant a much sparser canopy, but at least they weren't dead and didn't require much help. Idiots let loose on trees with cutting implements really annoy the hell out of me.
Ah sad. My Grandad and Great Grandad were horticulturalists in Canberra and Sidney, and they took great pride in scientific reasoning and life-long research. True they were part of European colonizers that brought non-native species and planted them in very different environments. But, as you say, once those trees were established they became somewhat acclimatized and survived hardships as long as the original maintenance routines were respected. Sadly we live in a time of technological revolution where the past and history isn't as respected as it has been at other times. The original maintenance records for those trees (historical assets) were probably lost through staff turn over during the past 40 years too.
It's a simple fact that once a tree is on a homeowner's radar because of dead falling branches or just a fear of its sheer size, location and potential for damage, it's the beginning of the end for that tree. Pruning to keep the tree, albeit shorter or reduced in canopy as you say will increase the maintenance right up until they drop the hammer and say 'yeah ok, take it out' but at least it's had a bit more life before it's been taken down. As long as the homeowner has had that process explained to them you can only go one of two ways. Is it better to recommend it come out from initial inspection or go through this end of life tree care period? Plenty of tree guys have conflicting views on it but ultimately it's the owners decision, preferably an informed decision, whether to keep or remove this tree and hopefully replant with a new smaller species so that they can have the enjoyment of growing a tree in their property and it's a case of you've really got to think how close should you be planting this potential monster to your house?
My grandparents had a Sugar Maple in their small urban yard, very similar "hack-job" to the last tree you showed in this video. Well, we cut the tree down when it got really bad, but was still very much "alive". We proceeded to cut and split the entire thing into firewood. The huge massive chunks at the top were a mangled mess of new growth with extensive amounts of rot inside and throughout. There was a stark contrast between what appeared to be new vibrant growth, mere fractions of an inch away from massive pockets of absolute rot that you could break apart in your fingers.
I recall a TH-cam video about coppicing and pollarding. The video was about producing firewood (or poles for staves or wattle and daub, etc.) from those shoots. Coppicing is done close to the ground. Pollarding is done higher up to keep the shoots out of the reach of deer or cows while they are still tender. The shoots at a few inches diameter are easy to harvest safely and regenerate relatively quickly. Obviously, the limb weight doesn't become a problem, and the trees are grown for the purpose of being so harvested and replaced. Coppicing is also a way to grow a hedgerow. I've always had a negative reaction to seeing pollarded trees in the winter, though.
Awesome video! I really learned a lot! Trees would be a lot less dangerous and natural and beautiful, if people just left them alone and only prune them the proper way, when it’s nessisary. People should really learn how to prune and care for a tree properly.
Unfortunately I have seen many examples of bad pruning in my country (Spain). Trees are pruned radically, especially sycamore trees. Thanks for showing us how to treat trees properly, by your comments one can notice you love trees.
This is such a great video! I’m an aspiring arborist and I’ve been learning so much from all your content. I really appreciate your knowledge and experience. Thank you so much!
This kind of tree care is my personal pet peeve. If a tree needs to be topped, it needs to come down. Glad you are trying to spread the word about basic tree care. Too many fly-by-night crooks lying to customers about topping etc.. There're tree cutters that know only how to take down a tree and there are those that can prune. The later is a skill and art in of itself. Thank you for doing this video.
J F topping is wrong but sometimes it is needed. A past topped tree that is failing, might need continued harder pruning to keep it safe. Key is not to start the mistake.
Thanks for this. I’m in Virginia and trying to improve the ecosystem in my suburban lot. The trouble as you noted is peer pressure- folks want you to “clean” your yard and trees and ironically it’s destroying our neighborhood ecosystem. Love that you share your experience here. Can you make a video showing what pruning of a river birch may be okay (versus the bad examples you show here)?
I show more bad examples because that is what people need to see to understand the problems. A well trimmed tree doesn’t look look like much has been done. Looks clean. No deadwood. No crossover limbs. Maybe a bit of separation from the other trees or buildings. That’s it! They are supposed to look, well, just like a tree!
Your a great carer and lover of trees a good lesson and video and refreshing to see a tree surgeon who takes care and pride in his work unlike some who hack and chainsaw away with little regard with only money as a forethought .
arboristBlairGlenn thank you for your videos. I have checked several of you videos over the past couple of years. What I am writing about is wanting to talk about how we can help fix it. In my town even the city ISA arborist does bad cuts and lion tails. I can give you examples that will make you want to cry.
Bradley Beckner A well known, and very profitable tree care firm has a recipe for success. It started with the statement that "every tree needs service". This company, which will remain nameless, worked their sales staff hard, pushing the attitude that they must make sales at every level. The strategy was this; first push the trim job for all it’s worth. Then push the fertilizer because "all trees need to be fed". With all that fertilizer, the trees push out more growth than ever and in many cases, the aphid population flourished as well as all the other leaf eating insects. Most leaf eating insects are attracted to the masses of succulent new growth. Now that the insects are here, sell a spray job. This of course becomes a maintenance contract. The next year the same trees will need to be trimmed again and fertilized and sprayed, .etc. That is the secret to making money in the tree business. Ok, what’s wrong with this story? It is not in the best interest of the trees and certainly not in the best interest of your pocketbook. Here is the truth. Most trees decline due to people pressure and the efforts by people to "make things better". Decay is one factor that leads to the premature decline and death in trees. Most decay is caused by the wounds in trees. Most wounds are caused by people with chainsaws and people using heavy equipment. Trees in the forest do fine without any help. Here is another truth. Most tree workers do not do a proper job pruning trees. Most tree trimmers do most of the work with a chainsaw because it gets the job done fast. Most trimmers think it is better to make a few big cuts and move on. Most trimmers are too lazy to work with hand saws and hand pruners because it is not fast. Here is an important truth that you need to understand. It takes longer to do the job right but if the tree is pruned correctly, you will not need to do it as often. The tree’s health will improve with a proper pruning but a (quick chainsaw job) will cause long term decline. Even if the tree looks like it sprouted out fine, the poor cuts lead to internal decay that will cause early decline. Often the decay leads to limb or whole tree failure.
Now 39 thumb down but, i added a thumbs up to counter react the thumb downs. My believe if you do not like the big tree cut it down and start new. Pruning a tree is all right if done to help the tree but, over pruning a tree just makes them look ugly. This is my back ground exlogger. I have seen many healthy trees and sick trees in the woods believe it or not man has been part of sick trees even in the woods. Stupidity is not only in the cities.
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Many youtube posters see a bunch of immediate thumbs down. Whether it's bots, or haters, or just foolish folks I suggest that you ignore any & all negative issues. You, Mr. Glenn, have no negative issues, only excessive tree love. Like kids, I love trees when they belong to someone else. Beautiful, but too much trouble
BIG KID This is a career that we are proud of. We get angry when we see so much improper work being done and people being cheated. It usually boils down to the cheapest bid gets the job, but if the cheapest bid, costs you your trees, how much did you save?
So sad. I bought a home having two huge mulberry trees with a history of being topped so they will produce long, straight branches like a giant shade umbrella. Every year people in town with mulberries and other trees do this. I hate it. I tried to help my trees to re-grow normal branches like my neighbor's mulberries, which have never been pruned. I hasn't worked. Mine just grew more long, straight branches, but His looked like real trees. After 18 years, I have had to give up. My mulberries are both rotting away, and I will remove them soon. My neighbor died. The new owner chopped up those nice, pristine mulberries to try to turn them too into bizarre shade umbrellas. It didn't work. His trees have only produced little tufts around the butchered branches and shoots from the roots. Your vid makes so much sense. I will replace my huge, rotting mulberries with other trees with less aggressive roots, etc., but I will educate myself, including all of your videos, to make sure the new trees stay healthy. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
raymae60 thanks for your interesting story. I rarely see mulberry trees that have not been butchered. I do know of one huge mulberry that has never been chopped and it has maxed out in size. The people still complain that they don’t get enough sun! Can’t win.
I live in London England where london plane trees are used as street trees. These are generally pollarded annually to prevent contact with traffic. But in central London parks and squares we have trees, several hundred years old, which have never been pruned. As a bonsai growing amateur I understand the benefits and dangers of pruning. I have seen many trees killed by poor pruning ,both bonsai and fullsize trees. With so many infections in trees sterilizing of tools is often overlooked by amateur and professionals.
Mikey Thrussell A well known, and very profitable tree care firm has a recipe for success. It started with the statement that "every tree needs service". This company, which will remain nameless, worked their sales staff hard, pushing the attitude that they must make sales at every level. The strategy was this; first push the trim job for all it’s worth. Then push the fertilizer because "all trees need to be fed". With all that fertilizer, the trees push out more growth than ever and in many cases, the aphid population flourished as well as all the other leaf eating insects. Most leaf eating insects are attracted to the masses of succulent new growth. Now that the insects are here, sell a spray job. This of course becomes a maintenance contract. The next year the same trees will need to be trimmed again and fertilized and sprayed, .etc. That is the secret to making money in the tree business. Ok, what’s wrong with this story? It is not in the best interest of the trees and certainly not in the best interest of your pocketbook. Here is the truth. Most trees decline due to people pressure and the efforts by people to "make things better". Decay is one factor that leads to the premature decline and death in trees. Most decay is caused by the wounds in trees. Most wounds are caused by people with chainsaws and people using heavy equipment. Trees in the forest do fine without any help. Here is another truth. Most tree workers do not do a proper job pruning trees. Most tree trimmers do most of the work with a chainsaw because it gets the job done fast. Most trimmers think it is better to make a few big cuts and move on. Most trimmers are too lazy to work with hand saws and hand pruners because it is not fast. Here is an important truth that you need to understand. It takes longer to do the job right but if the tree is pruned correctly, you will not need to do it as often. The tree’s health will improve with a proper pruning but a (quick chainsaw job) will cause long term decline. Even if the tree looks like it sprouted out fine, the poor cuts lead to internal decay that will cause early decline. Often the decay leads to limb or whole tree failure.
I really don't like to see trees be chopped up to nothing but a tall stump with a few sticks that have no leafs left. The trees should be left alone, and only pruned properly when they need it to prevent failures. Fortunately the majority of the trees at my dad's house have been left alone, so they never drop branches, except for maybe a few very small branches.
I used to be in the tree business and I've seen so much of what he's showing here. It's disgusting how so many "professionals" who slaughter trees like that.
Leon Visser the history of pollarding is interesting. Going way back in time, harsh cutting of trees was done to create long straight shoots for fencing and building. Over time, people thought it was the right way to prune. Certain species are more tolerant of harsh cutting while others decay rapidly. All pollards start with butchering a tree. Continued pollarding is best with lots of small cuts rather than large chainsaw wounds. You learn a lot when you cut open an old pollard stub.
I have seen many instances of the neighbours putting pressure on the tree owner to cut back a tree. Particularly in the UK where houses are crammed in like Sardines in a tin. Often the neighbours will chip in to remove or top a tree because it blocks their light or drops leaves on their plastic artificial lawn which they have to clear up. The home owner feels obliged then to get the work done. I agree the large prune is bad for the tree, but is it the lesser of two evils if the alternative is to cut it down? Great channel Blair and info. Thank you.
I agree when there is no alternative, hard sitting is better than removal but the big however is understanding what the tree’s future will become. Many people really care about the longevity and health of the tree over human needs.
I just planted trees on my property, one thing I noticed and couldn't get away from is all of the nurseries had topped all the trees for transport. I spent hours trying to find ones that were not so damaged.
Do you have any recommendations on how to find someone who knows what they're doing? I have a tree that has seen better days, and something needs to be done, but I don't want to hire someone that is just going to guarantee its destruction. Is there any learning materials for this kinda stuff? I wouldn't mind investing in being able to take better care of our trees (or make sure they're being properly taken care of).
This video does make me laugh, this is normal practice in London with these sorts of pollards, the trees are now 100s of years old doesn't have to much of an issue dealing with this type of pruning.
My father is an arborist with a lot of passion for nature and a lot of experience. He is always keeping his customers right and refusing to compromise trees. Many "arborists" will because either they don't know or they just want the money. It may be the case you make more money this way, I don't really know. But I can attest to the fact that respect and reputation are a huge factor in succeeding in not only being an arborist but.. being a human.
Even before day 1 when the trees are brought to site and planted, you must be sure the tree will be a proper fit for the location that is being proposed. On small lots you cannot have huge trees; select ornamentals then that when mature compliment the house and surrounding area. Off topic from that, we planted a Korean Pear 28 years ago in Michigan. One harsh winter, the ice storm just annihilated it and it shattered. In the early spring, it was going to be taken down by me. I dismantled it limb by limb, and the only part that remained was the main trunk, and two secondary but short limbs. It looked like a desert cactus with three limbs only. I got busy and never found the time to cut the base to rid of it. In three years it sprouted from those three limbs about 7 feet straight up, and in an oval pattern...oval! Now it might not last another 20 years, but this anomaly of a tree when leafed out looks like a perfect specimen, and we love it more than the crazy Korean pear it was in the past. It looks just like a perfect oval lollipop. Crazy as it seems, now its right sized for the front lawn. I agree it's contrary to what a Korean pear should be, and against what Blair is trying to convey in this video, but my heart will shatter when we loose this quasi specimen because it's everything this newfound specimen should be; smaller, fuller, right sized, and appreciated. In this case, we just got lucky.
Luck has nothing to do with it. The right tree in the right spot and a tree will thrive. Part of a trees survival is coming back from the type of damage you described. The Eastern White Pine is an excellent example of this. Ice or wind storms cause them to shed branches but the tree remains. This is opposed to Silver Maple which may uproot in similar conditions.
To me it is very obvious that people plant trees without thinking about how big they might get one day. Then, years later when they are completely shading the garden, threatening to destroy the roof, or possibly come down on the house in a storm, they decide to cut the tree down to half its size, rather than fell the tree once and for all. I see this kind of mistake very often, and when i bought and moved into my current house about three years ago there was 60 year old oak tree roughly 4-5 yards away from the house. Some of the branches were already causing damage to the roof tiles, and this tree was obviously still only a 'youngster' that would eventually grow much bigger, and potentially cause dramatic damage to the house. I felled the tree last year, which was probably just in time before the root network could start causing any potential damage to the foundation of the house (the rotting away of huge root networks under foundations can cause the land, and the foundation to sink). I was not proud of my decision but I actually blame it on whoever was foolish enough to plant an oak tree only 4-5 yards from the house in the first place. In place of the oak tree I have now planted an ornamental crab apple tree, a couple of extra yards away from the house. This is a suitable tree for such a location and it can live to its maximum size without causing any issues whatsoever. My bottom line with all this is that while some tree owners do stupid things with their trees, possibly because they simply do not know any better, the actual mistake is typically made when the wrong type of tree is bought and planted in a location that is just not not suitable.
The elm you show at the end, i have a few like this i left the industry for 4 years and went back to carpentry. Im now back cutting trees i have driven past a few of mine which are no topped. Absolutely gutting
Hello I have a very tall white birch planted 30th an ago. I brought it from up north in Muskoka. It’s a fantastic tree but my neighbour want it pruned as he feels the branches will break and damage his property. During an ice storm this was the only tree that survived as it b my over with the weight whilst other trees just snapped. I’d love ke to send you a picture as I need advice on where to trim this beautiful tree.May I pls have your email sir.
My mom had her trees done right. She told them to do it as they would. She came home and hated it, but it was done right. She was mad and had another guy come in and do it like she wanted. It's gonna be a mess now. Decay pockets everywhere. She made the call.
@@arboristBlairGlenn I'm pretty sure you have pointed out it's a little late for her maples. I pulled in and liked what the first bunch did. Couldn't believe what the second bunch did. She likes it for now. Lol. Low and bushy.
Its ironic and all too common that 'loppers' (or 'hacks' as we call them here) are called in to minimize a hazard actually create many of them. The issue in Australia is that the industry is unregulated, anyone with a little knowledge and some gear can operate. If someone needs electrical or gas work done it must be carried out by a certified electrician or plumber. It's a shame tree work isn't similarly regarded (or at least trees over a specified DBH). And as result with many new developments where I am sadly trees are viewed as a liability that owners don't even want on their properties these days.
That same attitude is also over here in the states. A lot of hacks (cowboys), ruin trees and clients don’t know any different. There in lies the purpose of this channel. Education.
Awesome video Blair as always. A question if I may? IF a BIG tree is in the wrong place and needs to be reduced due to other houses and power/phone lines how do you go about reducing in a safe way for the TREE. I know no tree should be topped or harshly reduced but what are your options if the tree is in the wrong place? I know this is a very complicated question and you have no details but any help would be great. Many thanks. Chris. It's an English Sycamore with a preservation order between a row of houses and blocks of flats.
Christopher Glover best to train the tree as it develops but your situation is not unusual. On a positive note, London plane trees tolerate harder cuts better than most other species. Without seeing your tree, it would be wrong to advise.
@@arboristBlairGlenn 👍 I’m sure we talked about it some time before No worries you must get so many comments Stay safe Blair We got Covid Omicron bad again in uk 🇬🇧 Shame about Ukraine 🇺🇦💀☠️💀 💕🕊 for me All the time 👍👍👍
Could you show how to properly contain the height of a sequoia, that you can't let grow to whatever height it desires to become? I love the tree (it's currently ~5 meters) and it has ample space to grow... i can't however let it get to 30m, so at some point i will have to stop it. How can i go about doing this properly?
Proper is not the right word as this species is intended to grow tall. However, if you treat it like a big bonsai, you can slow it down. I have a client with a redwood hedge. Every year we reduce it AND use a sharp spade to cut roots. Harsh but the row of redwoods are still only ten feet high after 20 years. They do require enough water to keep them going. Shape it like they shape Christmas trees but once you start it, you need to keep up on it. The root severing should be about 25% but about five feet from the trunk if it’s 5 meters tall now. Should have planted a smaller species.
HI, I came across your channel about pruning and it is very helpful to understand what NOT to do. I have a River Birch that I removed some limbs at the trunk last springtime but when I made the cuts the tree lost sap for days and it just broke my heart to see this happen. It was as if a faucet was turned on. I was wondering if there is a safe way to make any cuts that would keep the tree from losing sap again? Also is there any suave that should be put on the cut to help it heal? I assume that taking a limb off back to the trunk line is the best way to make any cuts and not just in the middle of large limb. Thank you for your information.
I don't have online classes as these video efforts are quite time consuming. However, if you work your way through my collection, I touch on a lot of good topics. What do you do for a living?
cttreeclimber This is a career that we are proud of. We get angry when we see so much improper work being done and people being cheated. It usually boils down to the cheapest bid gets the job, but if the cheapest bid, costs you your trees, how much did you save?
thank you for replying to my comment about wound dressings/paint. This is one of the sources I came across in researching the spread of Oak Wilt. I am looking into the subject a little more. Welcome to Texas Oak Wilt (taken from their on line publication as indicated below) The Texas Oak Wilt Partnership is a collaborative project between the Texas A&M Forest Service and the Forest Health Protection branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service with the goals of delivering oak wilt education to the general public " Regardless of season, all pruning cuts or other wounds to oak trees, including freshly-cut stumps and damaged surface roots, should be treated immediately with paint to prevent exposure to contaminated insect vectors. Any type of paint (latex, oil-based, spray-on, brush-on, or wound dressing) will suffice." This was taken from an on line publication which resulted from and online google search regarding "Oak Wilt". As I mentioned, I was trained to not use dressings or paints. I know this disease is devastating the Oak population in the US and is at the border with Canada as of 2019. We just lost most of our Ash trees and now the Oaks! Alan McDonald
What about topping off when you have cleared an area for buildings etc. in a wooden area, the tree is very tall standing by itself, living in hurricane area?
Nature have pruned trees for millions of years too ;) Half the time a dear or moos get hungry, it start to prune young trees. That is actually one of the main reasons that the forest does not regrow in Ireland.
Blair, does it ever make sense to “thin” a tree. I was told in our North Texas wind, thinning would lessen the danger of limbs being blown down.( not to the degree of the “lion-tailing you showed ).
Gary McCoy thinning is really about how a tree looks. Excessive thinning can lead to “lionstailing”. Heavy winds can break the healthiest of trees but proper end weight reduction by “drop crotching” can help.
CaseHeads G it’s a process that starts with an understanding of the species. Evaluate past pruning, clear structures as needed, check for rubbing limbs or damaged branches. Then you take out the dead, light thin for appearance, lighten up any heavy limbs. Done!
We call improper/harmful tree pruning and topping "Vandalism for hire." It's so sad that people are not aware of the genuine harm that can be done to the tree, not to mention the creation of a hazard tree that they paid someone to create.
@@arboristBlairGlenn Absolutely can post and forward video. But it's going to take a bigger effort to educate a larger population of people. Topping and Lion's tailing are the most obvious form of pruning to the untrained and uneducated, so it's the pruning method that far too many people think is the proper way to care for trees. Hmmmm... until this moment I hadn't thought about it, but wouldn't it be great to have the ISA put together PSA's for tv and other media to educate the public? How would we get them to do that?
@@arboristBlairGlenn Sad but true. I live in Reno and there is a big news story this morning of a mature tree (I think Siberian Elm) that came down directly in the middle of a mini van last night due to those lovely high winds we are experiencing. Thank God it wasn't on the house. The tree was obviously lion's tailed and probably had significant root death. But the news states, "The tree was healthy!" People certainly care when damage is done, but they don't care, or at least realize, that the damage was precipitated by abuse to the tree in the form of harmful pruning practices. Ugh.
Arborist love trees in their natural state and I do too. When they grow or are planted too close to homes their root system expands and can do tremendous damage to foundations, fences and roofs not to mention falling on houses and killing people. When it comes to letting a tree grow unchecked and endangering my life and property I vote to cut it back. In nature, fires are started by lightening and those that run National Parks with large numbers of trees actually say it is good for these actions to take place. I wish Blair well, because I do like trees in my yard. If I am threatened by a tree the tree will have to go. I agree that chop jobs are hideous too.
We have had to top a few trees but for good reason, to are black locust trees, one had completely fallen over in the wind and the other one was just about to go as well, we absolutely butchered them, I mean left nothing but 6 and 10 ft tall stump, and then cabled them to other tree to pull them back up, twenty years later they have branched out beautifully and I am glad we put the effort into saving them, I know that the new branches on a topped tree are supposed to be significantly weak but we just had 70 mile an hour winds blow through here and both trees held up fine despite being back to least 50 ft tall, but then again we are talkin about black locust, one of the most resilient trees I know of, I do not think any other tree could lose 80% of their height, 100% of their limbs and 100% of their foliage and and then not only survive but grow back out into a full tree. The other case is a pair of eighty-year-old Modesto Ash and both had begun to drop limbs large enough to smash our chain-link fence, they were a to threat anything within reach, in addition to that this kind of tree has been affected by a disease that has spread through the area and is untreatable so they were both old and weak, so the decision was made to cut them back severely to take the reach out of them and let their shotened limbs grow back into bushy things to still shade the house from the harsh evening sun, this was done just over a year ago and so far they have decently grown back out.
PS another reason why the totally topped trees did so well is it's black locust, it takes like 100 to rot, there is still a little bit of the deadwood showing where it branched out but it's not rotten, so there was never any of that weakness from a hollowed-out cavity to take into consideration with them
As arborist myself I cringed at every topping picture. I live in Maryland where topping is illegal but as soon as I come across the Pennsylvania line I see all these terrible hat racks.
Come to Houston HUGE live oaks under power lines MASSACARED everyday! And the landscapers plant more all the time under the lines because they then get another job of making a huge V cut to make way for power lines PISSES ME OFF!!!!
Eddie Novak This is a career that we are proud of. We get angry when we see so much improper work being done and people being cheated. It usually boils down to the cheapest bid gets the job, but if the cheapest bid, costs you your trees, how much did you save?
Pruning like this shows a complete lack of respect for trees. Trees are not just "things" to be controlled and manipulated. These creatures live, respire, communicate and defend themselves from attack; much like their human counterparts. Trees have been on the planet far longer than humans, and have evolved into perfectly efficient organisms that harness light, water and nutrients in order to manifest a structure that is fully equipped to face wind, snow and ice with minimal damage. Ignorance is a prevalent disorder among humans, and the current state of the environment is evidence of this. Arborists should be invited into schools through an environmental mandate, to better educate young people as to trees, their benefit, and care in urban environments.
You are not emphasizing strongly enough the weak attachment points of the new growth. The certain breakage and the risk to the future arborist that has to go up those weak branching attachments. I hated to climb , and risk my life, on those limbs emanating from those topping cuts.
This is a terrific video. But I have one request: PLEASE can someone teach Americans that there are THREE syllables in "foliage". IT is not "fol-age" it is "fol i age". OK? PLEASE!
This is my favourite of your videos, so far. I am curious what you think of Coppicing or Pollarding on small-medium shrubs such as willow? Thank you for sharing your knowledge Glenn
Let’s call it what it is. HARD pruning to contain a plant. Is is good for the plant? No. Is it needed for the plant owner? Possibly. Choosing the correct species of a plant from the start is always best. People plant so many wrong species in wrong spots. So when the alternative is removal, cut it hard. Do many species tolerate hard pruning better? Yes. But remember that decay is what generally brings a tree down and decay is infection of wounds. Can we treat the wound? Years ago, everyone painted cuts with tree sealant (tar), in the belief that it kept water out and fungus out and insects out. That has been proven wrong and in many cases the wound sealant actually makes things worse. Study Dr Alex Shigo’s work.
@@arboristBlairGlenn Thank you Glenn. I called it coppicing because the book I learned about it in calls it that. I definitely agree that people should just choose a plant that suits their needs.
@@arboristBlairGlenn That makes sense, I was actually planning to research hard pruning for lumber production. I intend to start milling my own lumber. The choices are very limited up here in the Alberta aspen parkland
Removal by installments... that's what i personally call topped trees. And it seems you can find it all over the world. It doesn't matter wehre you are... you see another tree with big rotten flush cut wounds with yardwise ripped of bark and a lot of long green sprouts coming out of there. Once i came along on such a tree while it was topped. I asked one of the guys why they do that and if they don't know the consequences. I got a very harsh answer that i have not to care about other peoples trees and it will grown back faster than i can look. And as long as it grows back the tree would be healthy and if not they will come back and remove it. He also said I just wanted to steal this job. That's why it seems to me like most people still think a tree is just a big green thing standing outside thier house producing filth, stealing light or being dangerous just by being big. And as long as people haven't understood that a tree is a living individual and not just a big green thing standing in the way and growing back if you cut something of, there will still be topped trees. Just sad.
Dennis Nolte This is a career that we are proud of. We get angry when we see so much improper work being done and people being cheated. It usually boils down to the cheapest bid gets the job, but if the cheapest bid, costs you your trees, how much did you save?
@@arboristBlairGlenn Exactly. But i stopped being angry about improper done jobs, it only burdens me unnecessarily. I just try to give people advice about thier trees. And if they don't want to understand ... ok it's fine. Well, not for the tree, but i won't do that job. I always keep in mind all trees i worked on have been done properly and it always will be. And the customers are all happy even it cost a bit more. But they understood it is the money worth because every single tree i worked on is still there without any big signs of rot. While some of the neighbours trees are already gone because of rot, even though they were pruned years after i worked for my customers. I 'm not an arborist, just a landscaper. But i got myself educated in tree care. All the stuff i learned so far was ISA proved and i will definitly continue keeping myself educated to do the best for both... the customer and the tree.
Your thumbnail says "Most People Don't Know This Is Wrong" and your title is "Why Prune?". While your titles are accurate it would have been more useful to give information on the correct way to trim trees. I was too scared to trim my trees for years because of all the scary arborist advice full of doom and gloom. Just like yours. Then I just did it. I now have preferences. As you say, sometimes trimming fails and often it looks great when it regrows. I trim my own trees for 3 - 4 hours every week. I cut well in excess of a thousand branches a year. Let ME articulate. If possible, prune all the way back to the trunk. Or at least a Y. The three cut method (well documented on TH-cam) works well. If I'm using a pole saw this turns into the two cut method, the undercut not being feasible. I never use a chain saw over shoulder height. I never stand on a ladder with a chain saw. I use all appropriate chain saw safety gear. I use pole saws extensively, even if they are manual. If you must cut down a small or medium tree use the notch-backcut-holding wood method. Also well documented on TH-cam. I think of this in terms of the wood being compressed or expanding. Your cut the compression side first, so your saw don't get trapped, and the expansion side last, which won't trap your saw. The holding wood keeps the top heavy tree from rotating about it's center of gravity and knocking you down. Physics 101 left a lasting impression on my life. Leave big trees to professionals. I have professional experience with big heavy objects and they can cause serous injury or death. Big heavy things deserve respect, especially if they can fall on you. I can be criticized because I actually said something, a danger you completely avoid. Go ahead, tell me the right way to do it. People will actually learn something.
camgere A well known, and very profitable tree care firm has a recipe for success. It started with the statement that "every tree needs service". This company, which will remain nameless, worked their sales staff hard, pushing the attitude that they must make sales at every level. The strategy was this; first push the trim job for all it’s worth. Then push the fertilizer because "all trees need to be fed". With all that fertilizer, the trees push out more growth than ever and in many cases, the aphid population flourished as well as all the other leaf eating insects. Most leaf eating insects are attracted to the masses of succulent new growth. Now that the insects are here, sell a spray job. This of course becomes a maintenance contract. The next year the same trees will need to be trimmed again and fertilized and sprayed, .etc. That is the secret to making money in the tree business. Ok, what’s wrong with this story? It is not in the best interest of the trees and certainly not in the best interest of your pocketbook. Here is the truth. Most trees decline due to people pressure and the efforts by people to "make things better". Decay is one factor that leads to the premature decline and death in trees. Most decay is caused by the wounds in trees. Most wounds are caused by people with chainsaws and people using heavy equipment. Trees in the forest do fine without any help. Here is another truth. Most tree workers do not do a proper job pruning trees. Most tree trimmers do most of the work with a chainsaw because it gets the job done fast. Most trimmers think it is better to make a few big cuts and move on. Most trimmers are too lazy to work with hand saws and hand pruners because it is not fast. Here is an important truth that you need to understand. It takes longer to do the job right but if the tree is pruned correctly, you will not need to do it as often. The tree’s health will improve with a proper pruning but a (quick chainsaw job) will cause long term decline. Even if the tree looks like it sprouted out fine, the poor cuts lead to internal decay that will cause early decline. Often the decay leads to limb or whole tree failure.
Excellent information! I often worry that I'm trimming the tree to what I want, not what the tree wants. Once an area of the tree has new access to sunlight, it will grow very well (assuming water, nutrients, etc...) Trimming away areas that no longer have access to sunlight (often the bottom or inner branches) and are just dying may actually be helping the tree.
Bad pruning jobs you showed us are the examples of uneducated and unaware people that have snatched chainsaw and did what they did. On the other hand, headline should be "Don't prune this way", because I expected to see benefits of pruning, not the disaster of it. If you wish to go viral, always find a corresponding title, because this way you are misleading. I understand your emotion about this problem, but choosing the right title makes the viewer happy :-D
Witty Spirit I pondered this title and decided on “Why Prune” for the same reason. Maybe a bit misleading but not intentional. Ahh, the game of TH-cam.
@@arboristBlairGlenn When I have doubts, and I often have a lots of them, I usually ask my wife about the first impression on something and she never failed me by criticizing :-) 'Keep it simple' seems to work every time, but I often forget that method.
I've been examining & dealing with previously topped trees for years. When you top a branch, the tree's defense is to throw 10 water sprout to that location. The limb can not support all the sprout, so it selectively kills a few. If these are not removed immediately, they leave a cavity & it starts to retain water & introduces rot! Great video
Blair, a lot of your videos should have gone viral already, but apparently a lot of people would rather watch stuff that is stupid and silly and that adds nothing to their lives, rather than actually gain some knowledge about the Natural world around them and about trees that they most likely have in their own yards. Sad...real sad. I have well over 100 trees of at least 10 or more species here at my place of about 3 1/4 Acres and I have learned a lot from you. You deserve to have a much bigger following. But I'm sure glad that you keep doing what you do...a lot of us really appreciate it.
marbleman52 Good on you for tending that many trees. I have a personal goal to plant 100 trees either here on my property (1 acre) in So. Cal. or at our local community garden. I’m at about 60 currently and looking to put in several fruit trees this Spring.
I have watched your videos for years. I was the ignorant person before finding your channel. Now I notice trees and think about their health everywhere I go. Thank you for the knowledge. Your dissecting of tree failures is my favorite part of your videos. I will say the pruning situation seems much worse in your area than it is in Mississippi where I live. Only trees that get butchered here are power company victims. Residents let their trees grow for the most part.
As you have said before. Some in the Silicon Valley have more money than they know what to do with. Cost might be an issue for some but I think the main factor is the correct trees have been planted in the right places. Plus trees don’t grow near as fast as they do there.
I recently bought and planted 10 Cypress trees and everyone starts telling me to prune prune prune and my gut instinct always says let them grow naturally and they will be stronger. Thanks for reinforcing my better judgement.
@ben nichols it's a special case, because trees are living things, and we should treat living things with care. people who don't love the things they work with should never be surgeons for those things.
@ben nichols so ur saying u would throw ur ethics out of the window for paper money LOL. He still have costumers so y do he have to do something thats not him?
I'm seeing more and more of this butchery these days, not just the crepe myrtles. I can't fathom the reasons for doing so. Thanks for showing the problem for what it is.
When you talked about those disastrously pruned trees; I instantly thought about my dad’s garden...😭😣 He pruned everything excessively every year. I’ve shared this video with him; hopefully he’ll watch & gain some knowledge 🤞🏻 Thank you very much for sharing
In this suburban area where I find myself unfortunately marooned for almost 20 years it is quite remarkable how the people here have a positive mania about disfiguring trees by cutting them back severely. Most of my neighbors, who often on their tiny lots are lucky to have one or two trees for shade, are constantly calling in the landscape people to work the tops down. The results are uniformly hideous and of course they weaken the trees so mishandled. At least from having been brought up on a farm and owning farmland later on I had some basic knowledge of how to handle trees which saved me both money and the lives of the trees themselves.
Unfortunately even with the proper pruning knowledge most of us have these days, the art of topping will continue. Simply because the home owners are dead set on getting it done and we all want the work. So if you turn down the job trying to be the "better Arborist" you know someone else is going to take the job. So the practice continues
Coil's Tree Service are you part of the solution or part of the problem? Understanding the tree is key. Teaching correct tree care will only make you a better Arborist. Anybody can screw up a tree.
@@arboristBlairGlenn My son and I spend a whole lot of time trying to teach our potential customers why they should not and why we will not top their trees. Sometimes they get it but more often than not I feel like a fool after about 10 minutes of explaining proper techniques and collar cuts and I look in their eyes and I know that they don't care they just want what they want they want for as cheap as they can get it and we're not going to get the job but we just wasted a bunch of our time. My previous comment is out of frustration. We had one guy in town Last Summer who had 2 big red oak trees that had never been touched before. He was adamant about having those trees 30 feet shorter! We try to explain to him why that was horrible. And we further explained what we wanted to do which was thin raise & deadwood them. We refused to destroy those oaks. Well he didn't like it. But luckily our reputation is such that his neighbors talked him into listening to us and we finally got the job 2 months later. But more often than not we lose those customers. So I don't know, I'd like to think we were part of solution but if you drive around Dallas you're going to see a whole bunch of destroyed trees. That's all I'm saying my friend
Part of the reason for making these videos is to clearly show my clients what happens. When you open up a past topped tree, and clearly see all the decay, that becomes the proof that you understand. When you do a removal, open up the old wound with you chainsaw. Keep a small example in the truck and use that to show your “Un educated” clients.
I went to see a GP last year. Their car park had had a variety of beautiful trees. Sadly, someone butchered all of them, a few weeks before my visit. Every cut was close within an inch or two of the supporting branch. If you had not provided videos such as this one, I wouldn't have seen anything wrong with that. Thanks for the education, Blair.
People only prune trees when the tree negatively impacts it's surroundings: blocking of light, threat to foundations, etc. I'm afraid the welfare of trees is secondary.
Fantastic video! Echoes the sentiment of so many of us tree guys in the UK. Absolutely no end of shoddy sub-standard work here, council funded and to high amenity trees and carried out by well respected companies! It’s shocking. Cheers for taking the time to make this. Aiken
My parents have a maple that was planted as a sapling and it lived it's first ten years or so having to compete with two large trees for light and then another 15 with no competition at all. So at 25 years or so it had formed a big ball of foliage. Some arborist talked themselves into a job saying that it wasn't shaped naturally, that it should have skyward reaching trunks. My response was that a tree growing in a forest competing for light would look like that but growing in the environment that it has it's natural form is exactly as it is.
Good lecture/light rant. Like in forestry, you need to look and think a lot before you grab a tool. Knowledge of your tree or bush is important. When not to make a pollard of a pine or a box hedge of a row of birch. 👍
This is a career that we are proud of. We get angry when we see so much improper work being done and people being cheated. It usually boils down to the cheapest bid gets the job, but if the cheapest bid, costs you your trees, how much did you save?
arboristBlairGlenn vary much agree sir.
Hey Blair, I’ve watch a bunch of your videos the past few weeks and you’ve single handedly opened my eyes to understanding trees. You have an excellent vocal rhythm when talking, and your explanations are always rooted in some logic when you explain. As a teacher myself, I’m impressed with your teaching skills. I hope you’re doing some side work teaching at some arbourist school in California! Keep up the great work.
Sometimes the customer asks for something you have to do it because they are paying you to work, not to tell them what not to do to the tree. That said, I’d agree that most of this work is total shit. Trouble is a lot of my customers do not care about what I tell them, they listen then ignore and tell me what to do. Sad
ali ray the world is full of ignorant people who don’t care to hear the truth.
Hi Glenn, I'm a newly qualified tree surgeon. A long way to go knowledge wise, er, and rope work and rigging but I'm trying to do it right by the trees not the clients. What's you're opinion of these? My first 2 tree maintenance jobs www.dropbox.com/sh/kldcl8o4fk7ba3j/AABf6EkI5J8hnyYwO8lpS_Fda?dl=0
www.dropbox.com/sh/go3zqvtjrvrius3/AAAftsckqoh5MXQsp3O0-UmVa?dl=0
Dude you’re awesome!
I’ve found lots of great info on climbing and cutting etc on TH-cam… But it until I found your channel I kept having unanswered questions about all this type of stuff, and it’s amazing to just be able to click a video and have you explain causes and effects and decision-making and stuff like that.
This is the stuff I want to know before I even do anything or touch a tree, or even think I know what I’m about to do to it.
Thank you so much!!
Thanks Tony. A LOT of videos on my channel
I maintain fruit trees both commercial and residential. We always prune, just today I pruned darn near 30% off over 20+ small fruit trees.
The types of trees in this video are a totally different scope, with different rules. I am really glad this video has taught me that I WILL NOT PRUNE THESE TYPES OF TREES🌲🌳! You know that over confident guy talk, I could easily see myself at some point saying "ohh yeah, I pruned many fruit trees, of course I can top and shape your _____ tree." And totally murder one of these beauties.
Thank you so much for saving me from that fate! I will show many people this video, I hope it goes viral. Although the tree trimming industry will feel that big hit.
❤️
Since you trim fruit trees...I have a question for you if you wouldn't mind. If you were to let the fruit tree grow with one main trunk wouldn't it top out (stop growing taller) at some point? Is the only reason that fruit trees are pruned is to make harvesting easier? Is it also to make the tree produce less but you can harvest it all? I am super curious.
@@MrsMika I'm not a tree pruner, but besides keeping the fruit trees to a convenient size, pruning the tree prevents the tree from becoming apically dominant. This forces more regenerative growth (fruit production) instead of vegetative growth. I know of one person however, Masanobu Fukuoka, who prefered not to prune and let the tree grow to its natural potential and got great results, but I assume it takes longer and the harvesting is less feasible for industrial agriculture (which is fine depending on your perspective on agriculture).
Another great informational video.
This is why its important for tree service owners to become actual certified arborist with the ISA.
About 90% of the trees we get called to prune have been topped, once youre up there you can see, HOW bad the decay is.
When I started my business here in Western Montana 1993, the only other tree services we're advertising tree topping in the Yellow Pages and the newspaper. I knew then that the valley needed my service, and I have done quite well. Now I am old and mentoring three young men. I always tell people the reason we should prune is because the trees are not in the forest where they naturally develop a single strong central leader. I prune to mitigate the fact that the trees are not in the forest by managing the diameters of branches. It is important to keep branches from becoming too large. This is accomplished through pruning, rarely removing more than 20% of a trees live vegetation. Everything that I have learned over the last 45 years of tree pruning I have learned from the forest and forest trees. Nature is our best teacher. I urge people to go to the forest and observe. Thank you for your excellent video Glen, ignorance is rampant
We are still in a severe drought in my part of Australia, and all the trees that shouldn't have been planted around here are all dying or dead. My son's school is about 150 years old and there "was" a row of very old crepe myrtles out the front that could well have been over a century old. Well the maintenance man thought he would cut those trees right back to about a 3rd of their height last winter, and come spring they looked very healthy. By mid summer after relentless heatwaves they were all dead because there's been no rain to support all that new fresh growth and they hadn't kept up with the watering. Those trees untouched had been through many severe droughts. They didn't look great because they grew to the conditions which meant a much sparser canopy, but at least they weren't dead and didn't require much help. Idiots let loose on trees with cutting implements really annoy the hell out of me.
Jedda73 good story, thanks
Ah sad. My Grandad and Great Grandad were horticulturalists in Canberra and Sidney, and they took great pride in scientific reasoning and life-long research. True they were part of European colonizers that brought non-native species and planted them in very different environments. But, as you say, once those trees were established they became somewhat acclimatized and survived hardships as long as the original maintenance routines were respected. Sadly we live in a time of technological revolution where the past and history isn't as respected as it has been at other times. The original maintenance records for those trees (historical assets) were probably lost through staff turn over during the past 40 years too.
Jedda73
The “idiot” is the right term
. Really bother me how some people let loose with pruner
It's a simple fact that once a tree is on a homeowner's radar because of dead falling branches or just a fear of its sheer size, location and potential for damage, it's the beginning of the end for that tree. Pruning to keep the tree, albeit shorter or reduced in canopy as you say will increase the maintenance right up until they drop the hammer and say 'yeah ok, take it out' but at least it's had a bit more life before it's been taken down. As long as the homeowner has had that process explained to them you can only go one of two ways. Is it better to recommend it come out from initial inspection or go through this end of life tree care period? Plenty of tree guys have conflicting views on it but ultimately it's the owners decision, preferably an informed decision, whether to keep or remove this tree and hopefully replant with a new smaller species so that they can have the enjoyment of growing a tree in their property and it's a case of you've really got to think how close should you be planting this potential monster to your house?
My grandparents had a Sugar Maple in their small urban yard, very similar "hack-job" to the last tree you showed in this video. Well, we cut the tree down when it got really bad, but was still very much "alive". We proceeded to cut and split the entire thing into firewood. The huge massive chunks at the top were a mangled mess of new growth with extensive amounts of rot inside and throughout. There was a stark contrast between what appeared to be new vibrant growth, mere fractions of an inch away from massive pockets of absolute rot that you could break apart in your fingers.
Patrick Wagz when you opened up the tree, it was an “ahh ha “ moment?
@@arboristBlairGlenn For sure, really drives home all the points you made in the video. One cut can turn into 10+ suckers that grow like weeds.
I recall a TH-cam video about coppicing and pollarding. The video was about producing firewood (or poles for staves or wattle and daub, etc.) from those shoots. Coppicing is done close to the ground. Pollarding is done higher up to keep the shoots out of the reach of deer or cows while they are still tender. The shoots at a few inches diameter are easy to harvest safely and regenerate relatively quickly. Obviously, the limb weight doesn't become a problem, and the trees are grown for the purpose of being so harvested and replaced. Coppicing is also a way to grow a hedgerow.
I've always had a negative reaction to seeing pollarded trees in the winter, though.
Awesome video! I really learned a lot! Trees would be a lot less dangerous and natural and beautiful, if people just left them alone and only prune them the proper way, when it’s nessisary. People should really learn how to prune and care for a tree properly.
BG Tech we need to understand trees better to know how to make fewer mistakes.
Unfortunately I have seen many examples of bad pruning in my country (Spain). Trees are pruned radically, especially sycamore trees. Thanks for showing us how to treat trees properly, by your comments one can notice you love trees.
We need trees for our survival.
This is such a great video! I’m an aspiring arborist and I’ve been learning so much from all your content. I really appreciate your knowledge and experience. Thank you so much!
Thanks Logan! Hope you find time to work your way through the collection. Some good stuff in here!👍🏻
This kind of tree care is my personal pet peeve. If a tree needs to be topped, it needs to come down. Glad you are trying to spread the word about basic tree care. Too many fly-by-night crooks lying to customers about topping etc.. There're tree cutters that know only how to take down a tree and there are those that can prune. The later is a skill and art in of itself. Thank you for doing this video.
J F topping is wrong but sometimes it is needed. A past topped tree that is failing, might need continued harder pruning to keep it safe. Key is not to start the mistake.
Thanks for this. I’m in Virginia and trying to improve the ecosystem in my suburban lot. The trouble as you noted is peer pressure- folks want you to “clean” your yard and trees and ironically it’s destroying our neighborhood ecosystem. Love that you share your experience here. Can you make a video showing what pruning of a river birch may be okay (versus the bad examples you show here)?
I show more bad examples because that is what people need to see to understand the problems. A well trimmed tree doesn’t look look like much has been done. Looks clean. No deadwood. No crossover limbs. Maybe a bit of separation from the other trees or buildings. That’s it! They are supposed to look, well, just like a tree!
Your a great carer and lover of trees a good lesson and video and refreshing to see a tree surgeon who takes care and pride in his work unlike some who hack and chainsaw away with little regard with only money as a forethought .
Well I see at least 35 thumbs down from folks who believe I’m wrong. Then again, some people still believe the world is flat!
arboristBlairGlenn thank you for your videos. I have checked several of you videos over the past couple of years. What I am writing about is wanting to talk about how we can help fix it. In my town even the city ISA arborist does bad cuts and lion tails. I can give you examples that will make you want to cry.
Bradley Beckner send him my video and ask him what he thought of it.
Bradley Beckner A well known, and very profitable tree care firm has a recipe for success. It started with the statement that "every tree needs service". This company, which will remain nameless, worked their sales staff hard, pushing the attitude that they must make sales at every level. The strategy was this; first push the trim job for all it’s worth. Then push the fertilizer because "all trees need to be fed". With all that fertilizer, the trees push out more growth than ever and in many cases, the aphid population flourished as well as all the other leaf eating insects. Most leaf eating insects are attracted to the masses of succulent new growth. Now that the insects are here, sell a spray job. This of course becomes a maintenance contract. The next year the same trees will need to be trimmed again and fertilized and sprayed, .etc. That is the secret to making money in the tree business.
Ok, what’s wrong with this story? It is not in the best interest of the trees and certainly not in the best interest of your pocketbook.
Here is the truth. Most trees decline due to people pressure and the efforts by people to "make things better". Decay is one factor that leads to the premature decline and death in trees. Most decay is caused by the wounds in trees. Most wounds are caused by people with chainsaws and people using heavy equipment. Trees in the forest do fine without any help.
Here is another truth. Most tree workers do not do a proper job pruning trees. Most tree trimmers do most of the work with a chainsaw because it gets the job done fast. Most trimmers think it is better to make a few big cuts and move on. Most trimmers are too lazy to work with hand saws and hand pruners because it is not fast. Here is an important truth that you need to understand. It takes longer to do the job right but if the tree is pruned correctly, you will not need to do it as often. The tree’s health will improve with a proper pruning but a (quick chainsaw job) will cause long term decline. Even if the tree looks like it sprouted out fine, the poor cuts lead to internal decay that will cause early decline. Often the decay leads to limb or whole tree failure.
Now 39 thumb down but, i added a thumbs up to counter react the thumb downs.
My believe if you do not like the big tree cut it down and start new.
Pruning a tree is all right if done to help the tree but, over pruning a tree just makes them look ugly.
This is my back ground exlogger. I have seen many healthy trees and sick trees in the woods believe it or not man has been part of sick trees even in the woods. Stupidity is not only in the cities.
Many youtube posters see a bunch of immediate thumbs down. Whether it's bots, or haters, or just foolish folks I suggest that you ignore any & all negative issues. You, Mr. Glenn, have no negative issues, only excessive tree love. Like kids, I love trees when they belong to someone else. Beautiful, but too much trouble
If you don't like tall trees, plant trees that are naturally short.
Adrian J Nyaoi understanding is key
Spoken like a true communist! :-)
Adrian, who are you? What is your channel? How did you get YT verified?
Thank you for your time and energy put into these videos!
Sad, to see these practices!😢
BIG KID This is a career that we are proud of. We get angry when we see so much improper work being done and people being cheated. It usually boils down to the cheapest bid gets the job, but if the cheapest bid, costs you your trees, how much did you save?
What is so different about pruning a fruit tree?
I really enjoy and appreciate your videos and you sharing your knowledge with us.
The job of a fruit tree is to produce fruit. Proper pruning will promote fruit production.
Thank you for posting this...I see the same situations around me as well...i hope your video goes viral.
Nichola pollock up to 28 thousand views so I’m starting a small movement.
So sad. I bought a home having two huge mulberry trees with a history of being topped so they will produce long, straight branches like a giant shade umbrella. Every year people in town with mulberries and other trees do this. I hate it. I tried to help my trees to re-grow normal branches like my neighbor's mulberries, which have never been pruned. I hasn't worked. Mine just grew more long, straight branches, but His looked like real trees. After 18 years, I have had to give up. My mulberries are both rotting away, and I will remove them soon. My neighbor died. The new owner chopped up those nice, pristine mulberries to try to turn them too into bizarre shade umbrellas. It didn't work. His trees have only produced little tufts around the butchered branches and shoots from the roots. Your vid makes so much sense. I will replace my huge, rotting mulberries with other trees with less aggressive roots, etc., but I will educate myself, including all of your videos, to make sure the new trees stay healthy. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
raymae60 thanks for your interesting story. I rarely see mulberry trees that have not been butchered. I do know of one huge mulberry that has never been chopped and it has maxed out in size. The people still complain that they don’t get enough sun! Can’t win.
I live in London England where london plane trees are used as street trees. These are generally pollarded annually to prevent contact with traffic. But in central London parks and squares we have trees, several hundred years old, which have never been pruned. As a bonsai growing amateur I understand the benefits and dangers of pruning. I have seen many trees killed by poor pruning ,both bonsai and fullsize trees. With so many infections in trees sterilizing of tools is often overlooked by amateur and professionals.
Mikey Thrussell A well known, and very profitable tree care firm has a recipe for success. It started with the statement that "every tree needs service". This company, which will remain nameless, worked their sales staff hard, pushing the attitude that they must make sales at every level. The strategy was this; first push the trim job for all it’s worth. Then push the fertilizer because "all trees need to be fed". With all that fertilizer, the trees push out more growth than ever and in many cases, the aphid population flourished as well as all the other leaf eating insects. Most leaf eating insects are attracted to the masses of succulent new growth. Now that the insects are here, sell a spray job. This of course becomes a maintenance contract. The next year the same trees will need to be trimmed again and fertilized and sprayed, .etc. That is the secret to making money in the tree business.
Ok, what’s wrong with this story? It is not in the best interest of the trees and certainly not in the best interest of your pocketbook.
Here is the truth. Most trees decline due to people pressure and the efforts by people to "make things better". Decay is one factor that leads to the premature decline and death in trees. Most decay is caused by the wounds in trees. Most wounds are caused by people with chainsaws and people using heavy equipment. Trees in the forest do fine without any help.
Here is another truth. Most tree workers do not do a proper job pruning trees. Most tree trimmers do most of the work with a chainsaw because it gets the job done fast. Most trimmers think it is better to make a few big cuts and move on. Most trimmers are too lazy to work with hand saws and hand pruners because it is not fast. Here is an important truth that you need to understand. It takes longer to do the job right but if the tree is pruned correctly, you will not need to do it as often. The tree’s health will improve with a proper pruning but a (quick chainsaw job) will cause long term decline. Even if the tree looks like it sprouted out fine, the poor cuts lead to internal decay that will cause early decline. Often the decay leads to limb or whole tree failure.
I really don't like to see trees be chopped up to nothing but a tall stump with a few sticks that have no leafs left. The trees should be left alone, and only pruned properly when they need it to prevent failures. Fortunately the majority of the trees at my dad's house have been left alone, so they never drop branches, except for maybe a few very small branches.
obs ford diesels inc. 1 you are fortunate
I used to be in the tree business and I've seen so much of what he's showing here. It's disgusting how so many "professionals" who slaughter trees like that.
Great video, Thank you for removing the misconceptions I had about pruning.
artista I sometimes get on a rant. Glad you find my videos helpful.
Hey Blair
Really helpful vid. I steer away from topping like the plague.
When would you consider pollarding as an appropriate?
Leon Visser the history of pollarding is interesting. Going way back in time, harsh cutting of trees was done to create long straight shoots for fencing and building. Over time, people thought it was the right way to prune. Certain species are more tolerant of harsh cutting while others decay rapidly. All pollards start with butchering a tree. Continued pollarding is best with lots of small cuts rather than large chainsaw wounds. You learn a lot when you cut open an old pollard stub.
Pollarding i.e. carpal tunneling
Beautiful video thank you so so much !
I have seen many instances of the neighbours putting pressure on the tree owner to cut back a tree. Particularly in the UK where houses are crammed in like Sardines in a tin. Often the neighbours will chip in to remove or top a tree because it blocks their light or drops leaves on their plastic artificial lawn which they have to clear up. The home owner feels obliged then to get the work done.
I agree the large prune is bad for the tree, but is it the lesser of two evils if the alternative is to cut it down? Great channel Blair and info. Thank you.
I agree when there is no alternative, hard sitting is better than removal but the big however is understanding what the tree’s future will become. Many people really care about the longevity and health of the tree over human needs.
I just planted trees on my property, one thing I noticed and couldn't get away from is all of the nurseries had topped all the trees for transport. I spent hours trying to find ones that were not so damaged.
Autumn Blues nurseries often cut trees to make them more visually attractive for sale.
Do you have any recommendations on how to find someone who knows what they're doing? I have a tree that has seen better days, and something needs to be done, but I don't want to hire someone that is just going to guarantee its destruction.
Is there any learning materials for this kinda stuff? I wouldn't mind investing in being able to take better care of our trees (or make sure they're being properly taken care of).
This video does make me laugh, this is normal practice in London with these sorts of pollards, the trees are now 100s of years old doesn't have to much of an issue dealing with this type of pruning.
Ryan, if you watch some of the videos where I dissect these wounds, you will understand better.
My father is an arborist with a lot of passion for nature and a lot of experience. He is always keeping his customers right and refusing to compromise trees. Many "arborists" will because either they don't know or they just want the money. It may be the case you make more money this way, I don't really know. But I can attest to the fact that respect and reputation are a huge factor in succeeding in not only being an arborist but.. being a human.
Thanks Sam (the poor?) Does your father watch my channel?
Even before day 1 when the trees are brought to site and planted, you must be sure the tree will be a proper fit for the location that is being proposed. On small lots you cannot have huge trees; select ornamentals then that when mature compliment the house and surrounding area. Off topic from that, we planted a Korean Pear 28 years ago in Michigan. One harsh winter, the ice storm just annihilated it and it shattered. In the early spring, it was going to be taken down by me. I dismantled it limb by limb, and the only part that remained was the main trunk, and two secondary but short limbs. It looked like a desert cactus with three limbs only. I got busy and never found the time to cut the base to rid of it. In three years it sprouted from those three limbs about 7 feet straight up, and in an oval pattern...oval! Now it might not last another 20 years, but this anomaly of a tree when leafed out looks like a perfect specimen, and we love it more than the crazy Korean pear it was in the past. It looks just like a perfect oval lollipop. Crazy as it seems, now its right sized for the front lawn. I agree it's contrary to what a Korean pear should be, and against what Blair is trying to convey in this video, but my heart will shatter when we loose this quasi specimen because it's everything this newfound specimen should be; smaller, fuller, right sized, and appreciated. In this case, we just got lucky.
Luck has nothing to do with it. The right tree in the right spot and a tree will thrive. Part of a trees survival is coming back from the type of damage you described. The Eastern White Pine is an excellent example of this. Ice or wind storms cause them to shed branches but the tree remains. This is opposed to Silver Maple which may uproot in similar conditions.
To me it is very obvious that people plant trees without thinking about how big they might get one day. Then, years later when they are completely shading the garden, threatening to destroy the roof, or possibly come down on the house in a storm, they decide to cut the tree down to half its size, rather than fell the tree once and for all. I see this kind of mistake very often, and when i bought and moved into my current house about three years ago there was 60 year old oak tree roughly 4-5 yards away from the house. Some of the branches were already causing damage to the roof tiles, and this tree was obviously still only a 'youngster' that would eventually grow much bigger, and potentially cause dramatic damage to the house. I felled the tree last year, which was probably just in time before the root network could start causing any potential damage to the foundation of the house (the rotting away of huge root networks under foundations can cause the land, and the foundation to sink). I was not proud of my decision but I actually blame it on whoever was foolish enough to plant an oak tree only 4-5 yards from the house in the first place. In place of the oak tree I have now planted an ornamental crab apple tree, a couple of extra yards away from the house. This is a suitable tree for such a location and it can live to its maximum size without causing any issues whatsoever. My bottom line with all this is that while some tree owners do stupid things with their trees, possibly because they simply do not know any better, the actual mistake is typically made when the wrong type of tree is bought and planted in a location that is just not not suitable.
J F learning to live with trees takes understanding of what they become.
The elm you show at the end, i have a few like this i left the industry for 4 years and went back to carpentry. Im now back cutting trees i have driven past a few of mine which are no topped. Absolutely gutting
I know the feeling well. A house changes hands and the new owners ideas are different. I have seen so much of my hard work destroyed.
I’m in the tree business in NJ.Your videos and knowledge is outstanding , if I ever make it out to Cali would like to meet you
aliesma as for the trees in California, pretty amazing!
Hello I have a very tall white birch planted 30th an ago. I brought it from up north in Muskoka. It’s a fantastic tree but my neighbour want it pruned as he feels the branches will break and damage his property. During an ice storm this was the only tree that survived as it b my over with the weight whilst other trees just snapped. I’d love ke to send you a picture as I need advice on where to trim this beautiful tree.May I pls have your email sir.
Where I live this is the only way trees are pruned. I think there might be one gardener other than me who doesn't think this is the way to do things.
Wow, I had a similar shirt back in the mid 80's. Thanks for another great video!
Dave Dube Old corduroy?
BlairGlenn, Why do people say you are supposed to cut a Paulownia tree down to the ground after the first year of growth?
MrsMika we don’t have Paulownia in our area (that I know about), so I’m unfamiliar with this comment. Find out and let me know
My mom had her trees done right. She told them to do it as they would. She came home and hated it, but it was done right. She was mad and had another guy come in and do it like she wanted. It's gonna be a mess now. Decay pockets everywhere. She made the call.
Tim Henry show her some videos. Education is key
@@arboristBlairGlenn I'm pretty sure you have pointed out it's a little late for her maples. I pulled in and liked what the first bunch did. Couldn't believe what the second bunch did. She likes it for now. Lol. Low and bushy.
Its ironic and all too common that 'loppers' (or 'hacks' as we call them here) are called in to minimize a hazard actually create many of them. The issue in Australia is that the industry is unregulated, anyone with a little knowledge and some gear can operate. If someone needs electrical or gas work done it must be carried out by a certified electrician or plumber. It's a shame tree work isn't similarly regarded (or at least trees over a specified DBH). And as result with many new developments where I am sadly trees are viewed as a liability that owners don't even want on their properties these days.
That same attitude is also over here in the states. A lot of hacks (cowboys), ruin trees and clients don’t know any different. There in lies the purpose of this channel. Education.
Awesome video Blair as always. A question if I may? IF a BIG tree is in the wrong place and needs to be reduced due to other houses and power/phone lines how do you go about reducing in a safe way for the TREE. I know no tree should be topped or harshly reduced but what are your options if the tree is in the wrong place? I know this is a very complicated question and you have no details but any help would be great. Many thanks. Chris.
It's an English Sycamore with a preservation order between a row of houses and blocks of flats.
Christopher Glover best to train the tree as it develops but your situation is not unusual. On a positive note, London plane trees tolerate harder cuts better than most other species. Without seeing your tree, it would be wrong to advise.
@@arboristBlairGlenn no problem thank you for the comment and keep up your very valuable and knowledgeable videos. Chris...👍👍👍🤙🤙🤙🤘🤘🤘
You really have a great way to share your knowledge I never thought tire of these episodes 👍👍👍💕🕊
Going back to some of my old videos?
@@arboristBlairGlenn Yes I’m really having fun learning about your trade and lifelong passion 👍👍👍👍
Steve btw Yorkshire 🇬🇧
@@holymoly6829 my wife is a Brit and her father was a Beefeater at the tower!
@@arboristBlairGlenn 👍 I’m sure we talked about it some time before No worries you must get so many comments Stay safe Blair We got Covid Omicron bad again in uk 🇬🇧
Shame about Ukraine 🇺🇦💀☠️💀
💕🕊 for me All the time 👍👍👍
Seeing that hack job on the Chinese elm really broke my heart. One of my favorite trees.
Could you show how to properly contain the height of a sequoia, that you can't let grow to whatever height it desires to become?
I love the tree (it's currently ~5 meters) and it has ample space to grow... i can't however let it get to 30m, so at some point i will have to stop it. How can i go about doing this properly?
Proper is not the right word as this species is intended to grow tall. However, if you treat it like a big bonsai, you can slow it down. I have a client with a redwood hedge. Every year we reduce it AND use a sharp spade to cut roots. Harsh but the row of redwoods are still only ten feet high after 20 years. They do require enough water to keep them going. Shape it like they shape Christmas trees but once you start it, you need to keep up on it. The root severing should be about 25% but about five feet from the trunk if it’s 5 meters tall now. Should have planted a smaller species.
See, I was listening😊
Just don't do what my dad does, and give the tree a "haircut". Pruning branches back near the base looks so much better.
Here in the South, we call that pruning of the crape myrtle, "crape murder."
Another great video thank you. Do you have a video with appropriate pruning and pollarding (such as the osiers willow) ?
Paula Smith none on pruning willows but lots on proper work
How and when should I trim my silver birch. A guy cut the central trunk years Go and it is now way above the house in a small gRden.
Big answer for a comment
HI, I came across your channel about pruning and it is very helpful to understand what NOT to do.
I have a River Birch that I removed some limbs at the trunk last springtime but when I made the cuts the tree lost sap for days and it just broke my heart to see this happen. It was as if a faucet was turned on.
I was wondering if there is a safe way to make any cuts that would keep the tree from losing sap again? Also is there any suave that should be put on the cut to help it heal?
I assume that taking a limb off back to the trunk line is the best way to make any cuts and not just in the middle of large limb.
Thank you for your information.
Not back to the trunk line. Leave the branch collar. Study “C.O. D.I.T.”
And watch more of my videos👍🏻
Thank you so much for making this, where can I take an arboriculture class? Do you offer some kind of online class?
I don't have online classes as these video efforts are quite time consuming. However, if you work your way through my collection, I touch on a lot of good topics. What do you do for a living?
There’s so much poor pruning out there, when we go to evaluate a tree and meet a new customer it’s a struggle to teach the proper way! It’s too bad.
cttreeclimber This is a career that we are proud of. We get angry when we see so much improper work being done and people being cheated. It usually boils down to the cheapest bid gets the job, but if the cheapest bid, costs you your trees, how much did you save?
thank you for replying to my comment about wound dressings/paint. This is one of the sources I came across in researching the spread of Oak Wilt. I am looking into the subject a little more. Welcome to Texas Oak Wilt (taken from their on line publication as indicated below) The Texas Oak Wilt Partnership is a collaborative project between the Texas A&M Forest Service and the Forest Health Protection branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service with the goals of delivering oak wilt education to the general public " Regardless of season, all pruning cuts or other wounds to oak trees, including freshly-cut stumps and damaged surface roots, should be treated immediately with paint to prevent exposure to contaminated insect vectors. Any type of paint (latex, oil-based, spray-on, brush-on, or wound dressing) will suffice." This was taken from an on line publication which resulted from and online google search regarding "Oak Wilt". As I mentioned, I was trained to not use dressings or paints. I know this disease is devastating the Oak population in the US and is at the border with Canada as of 2019. We just lost most of our Ash trees and now the Oaks! Alan McDonald
Alan McDonald I would like to see the science behind that recommendation.
What about topping off when you have cleared an area for buildings etc. in a wooden area, the tree is very tall standing by itself, living in hurricane area?
Leaving a few trees here and there now standing by itself?
Nature have pruned trees for millions of years too ;)
Half the time a dear or moos get hungry, it start to prune young trees.
That is actually one of the main reasons that the forest does not regrow in Ireland.
Petter Eliseussen and then there is cattle
Blair, does it ever make sense to “thin” a tree. I was told in our North Texas wind, thinning would lessen the danger of limbs being blown down.( not to the degree of the “lion-tailing you showed ).
Gary McCoy thinning is really about how a tree looks. Excessive thinning can lead to “lionstailing”. Heavy winds can break the healthiest of trees but proper end weight reduction by “drop crotching” can help.
Is there a simple way to look at a tree and determine how it can be trimmed? Or should only dead wood and light cosmetic be the main focus.
CaseHeads G it’s a process that starts with an understanding of the species. Evaluate past pruning, clear structures as needed, check for rubbing limbs or damaged branches. Then you take out the dead, light thin for appearance, lighten up any heavy limbs. Done!
Thanks Blair. Great info as always.
We call improper/harmful tree pruning and topping "Vandalism for hire." It's so sad that people are not aware of the genuine harm that can be done to the tree, not to mention the creation of a hazard tree that they paid someone to create.
Holly Bromley how can we make a difference to this problem? Maybe forward this video?
@@arboristBlairGlenn Absolutely can post and forward video. But it's going to take a bigger effort to educate a larger population of people. Topping and Lion's tailing are the most obvious form of pruning to the untrained and uneducated, so it's the pruning method that far too many people think is the proper way to care for trees.
Hmmmm... until this moment I hadn't thought about it, but wouldn't it be great to have the ISA put together PSA's for tv and other media to educate the public? How would we get them to do that?
Holly Bromley they do what they can but getting people to actually listen and learn is the real issue. Huge part of the population doesn’t care.
@@arboristBlairGlenn Sad but true. I live in Reno and there is a big news story this morning of a mature tree (I think Siberian Elm) that came down directly in the middle of a mini van last night due to those lovely high winds we are experiencing. Thank God it wasn't on the house. The tree was obviously lion's tailed and probably had significant root death. But the news states, "The tree was healthy!"
People certainly care when damage is done, but they don't care, or at least realize, that the damage was precipitated by abuse to the tree in the form of harmful pruning practices. Ugh.
Holly Bromley healthy? Or looks healthy. That being said, I have seen lots of very sound, undamaged trees fail in bad weather.
A great message!
i know I am kinda randomly asking but does anybody know a good website to stream newly released series online?
I cringe when I see a huge tree chopped to death. And it’s an indication the owners are not gardeners.
Arborist love trees in their natural state and I do too. When they grow or are planted too close to homes their root system expands and can do tremendous damage to foundations, fences and roofs not to mention falling on houses and killing people. When it comes to letting a tree grow unchecked and endangering my life and property I vote to cut it back. In nature, fires are started by lightening and those that run National Parks with large numbers of trees actually say it is good for these actions to take place. I wish Blair well, because I do like trees in my yard. If I am threatened by a tree the tree will have to go. I agree that chop jobs are hideous too.
George Minton we remove lots of trees for the same reasons you state. Right tree, right place.
Good video . (I have frequently told people that bad haircuts is why I went bald )
We have had to top a few trees but for good reason, to are black locust trees, one had completely fallen over in the wind and the other one was just about to go as well, we absolutely butchered them, I mean left nothing but 6 and 10 ft tall stump, and then cabled them to other tree to pull them back up, twenty years later they have branched out beautifully and I am glad we put the effort into saving them, I know that the new branches on a topped tree are supposed to be significantly weak but we just had 70 mile an hour winds blow through here and both trees held up fine despite being back to least 50 ft tall, but then again we are talkin about black locust, one of the most resilient trees I know of, I do not think any other tree could lose 80% of their height, 100% of their limbs and 100% of their foliage and and then not only survive but grow back out into a full tree. The other case is a pair of eighty-year-old Modesto Ash and both had begun to drop limbs large enough to smash our chain-link fence, they were a to threat anything within reach, in addition to that this kind of tree has been affected by a disease that has spread through the area and is untreatable so they were both old and weak, so the decision was made to cut them back severely to take the reach out of them and let their shotened limbs grow back into bushy things to still shade the house from the harsh evening sun, this was done just over a year ago and so far they have decently grown back out.
PS another reason why the totally topped trees did so well is it's black locust, it takes like 100 to rot, there is still a little bit of the deadwood showing where it branched out but it's not rotten, so there was never any of that weakness from a hollowed-out cavity to take into consideration with them
As arborist myself I cringed at every topping picture. I live in Maryland where topping is illegal but as soon as I come across the Pennsylvania line I see all these terrible hat racks.
Carl Martin Illegal? Wow! Impressed.
Come to Houston HUGE live oaks under power lines MASSACARED everyday! And the landscapers plant more all the time under the lines because they then get another job of making a huge V cut to make way for power lines PISSES ME OFF!!!!
Eddie Novak this video is mostly for the tree owners. Knowledge can go a long way.
Eddie Novak This is a career that we are proud of. We get angry when we see so much improper work being done and people being cheated. It usually boils down to the cheapest bid gets the job, but if the cheapest bid, costs you your trees, how much did you save?
Can you break off dead dry branches?
巨人の肩 sometimes
I've heard the only use for that is aesthetic, not specifically a benefit to the health of a tree.
Pruning like this shows a complete lack of respect for trees. Trees are not just "things" to be controlled and manipulated. These creatures live, respire, communicate and defend themselves from attack; much like their human counterparts. Trees have been on the planet far longer than humans, and have evolved into perfectly efficient organisms that harness light, water and nutrients in order to manifest a structure that is fully equipped to face wind, snow and ice with minimal damage. Ignorance is a prevalent disorder among humans, and the current state of the environment is evidence of this. Arborists should be invited into schools through an environmental mandate, to better educate young people as to trees, their benefit, and care in urban environments.
I love the way you get trees 😎
John O'Shea touch trees, know trees
Moral of the story: don't prune trees
Sam Noble no, the story is about not making mistakes.
i like that vid, so true, just hard as a worker to disagree with clients and people who quoted' maybe if your own bussiness, awesome!
Julian Alderson integrity in all occupations is what we should strive for.
You are not emphasizing strongly enough the weak attachment points of the new growth. The certain breakage and the risk to the future arborist that has to go up those weak branching attachments. I hated to climb , and risk my life, on those limbs emanating from those topping cuts.
Stan Rodgers stronger on my no topping videos
UGH Crepe Mrytlecide drives me crazy!
Thank you
Like someone done Bonsai on a grand scale...🙄
Don Kiddick Bonsai is an art
@@arboristBlairGlenn : As is the work of a skilled Arborist...
This is a terrific video. But I have one request: PLEASE can someone teach Americans that there are THREE syllables in "foliage". IT is not "fol-age" it is "fol i age". OK? PLEASE!
Jude Irwin did I not say it correct. I know that you are correct. Sometimes I slur my words. No reading/just winging it.
This is my favourite of your videos, so far. I am curious what you think of Coppicing or Pollarding on small-medium shrubs such as willow? Thank you for sharing your knowledge Glenn
Let’s call it what it is. HARD pruning to contain a plant. Is is good for the plant? No. Is it needed for the plant owner? Possibly. Choosing the correct species of a plant from the start is always best. People plant so many wrong species in wrong spots. So when the alternative is removal, cut it hard. Do many species tolerate hard pruning better? Yes. But remember that decay is what generally brings a tree down and decay is infection of wounds. Can we treat the wound? Years ago, everyone painted cuts with tree sealant (tar), in the belief that it kept water out and fungus out and insects out. That has been proven wrong and in many cases the wound sealant actually makes things worse. Study Dr Alex Shigo’s work.
@@arboristBlairGlenn Thank you Glenn. I called it coppicing because the book I learned about it in calls it that. I definitely agree that people should just choose a plant that suits their needs.
@@FilthyPancakes these techniques go back to ancient times where the product (long straight shoots), were needed for construction.
@@arboristBlairGlenn That makes sense, I was actually planning to research hard pruning for lumber production. I intend to start milling my own lumber. The choices are very limited up here in the Alberta aspen parkland
Removal by installments... that's what i personally call topped trees.
And it seems you can find it all over the world.
It doesn't matter wehre you are... you see another tree with big rotten flush cut wounds with yardwise ripped of bark and a lot of long green sprouts coming out of there.
Once i came along on such a tree while it was topped.
I asked one of the guys why they do that and if they don't know the consequences.
I got a very harsh answer that i have not to care about other peoples trees and it will grown back faster than i can look.
And as long as it grows back the tree would be healthy and if not they will come back and remove it.
He also said I just wanted to steal this job.
That's why it seems to me like most people still think a tree is just a big green thing standing outside thier house producing filth, stealing light or being dangerous just by being big.
And as long as people haven't understood that a tree is a living individual and not just a big green thing standing in the way and growing back if you cut something of, there will still be topped trees.
Just sad.
Dennis Nolte it is a slow process helping people understand trees. Most just don’t care.
Dennis Nolte This is a career that we are proud of. We get angry when we see so much improper work being done and people being cheated. It usually boils down to the cheapest bid gets the job, but if the cheapest bid, costs you your trees, how much did you save?
@@arboristBlairGlenn Exactly. But i stopped being angry about improper done jobs, it only burdens me unnecessarily.
I just try to give people advice about thier trees.
And if they don't want to understand ... ok it's fine.
Well, not for the tree, but i won't do that job.
I always keep in mind all trees i worked on have been done properly and it always will be.
And the customers are all happy even it cost a bit more.
But they understood it is the money worth because every single tree i worked on is still there without any big signs of rot.
While some of the neighbours trees are already gone because of rot, even though they were pruned years after i worked for my customers.
I 'm not an arborist, just a landscaper.
But i got myself educated in tree care.
All the stuff i learned so far was ISA proved and i will definitly continue keeping myself educated to do the best for both... the customer and the tree.
Dennis Nolte why not get Certified? It will only help your business!
Your thumbnail says "Most People Don't Know This Is Wrong" and your title is "Why Prune?". While your titles are accurate it would have been more useful to give information on the correct way to trim trees. I was too scared to trim my trees for years because of all the scary arborist advice full of doom and gloom. Just like yours. Then I just did it. I now have preferences. As you say, sometimes trimming fails and often it looks great when it regrows. I trim my own trees for 3 - 4 hours every week. I cut well in excess of a thousand branches a year. Let ME articulate. If possible, prune all the way back to the trunk. Or at least a Y. The three cut method (well documented on TH-cam) works well. If I'm using a pole saw this turns into the two cut method, the undercut not being feasible. I never use a chain saw over shoulder height. I never stand on a ladder with a chain saw. I use all appropriate chain saw safety gear. I use pole saws extensively, even if they are manual. If you must cut down a small or medium tree use the notch-backcut-holding wood method. Also well documented on TH-cam. I think of this in terms of the wood being compressed or expanding. Your cut the compression side first, so your saw don't get trapped, and the expansion side last, which won't trap your saw. The holding wood keeps the top heavy tree from rotating about it's center of gravity and knocking you down. Physics 101 left a lasting impression on my life. Leave big trees to professionals. I have professional experience with big heavy objects and they can cause serous injury or death. Big heavy things deserve respect, especially if they can fall on you. I can be criticized because I actually said something, a danger you completely avoid. Go ahead, tell me the right way to do it. People will actually learn something.
camgere I have a lot of how to do it right videos but without understanding the negatives, most people just won’t get it.
camgere A well known, and very profitable tree care firm has a recipe for success. It started with the statement that "every tree needs service". This company, which will remain nameless, worked their sales staff hard, pushing the attitude that they must make sales at every level. The strategy was this; first push the trim job for all it’s worth. Then push the fertilizer because "all trees need to be fed". With all that fertilizer, the trees push out more growth than ever and in many cases, the aphid population flourished as well as all the other leaf eating insects. Most leaf eating insects are attracted to the masses of succulent new growth. Now that the insects are here, sell a spray job. This of course becomes a maintenance contract. The next year the same trees will need to be trimmed again and fertilized and sprayed, .etc. That is the secret to making money in the tree business.
Ok, what’s wrong with this story? It is not in the best interest of the trees and certainly not in the best interest of your pocketbook.
Here is the truth. Most trees decline due to people pressure and the efforts by people to "make things better". Decay is one factor that leads to the premature decline and death in trees. Most decay is caused by the wounds in trees. Most wounds are caused by people with chainsaws and people using heavy equipment. Trees in the forest do fine without any help.
Here is another truth. Most tree workers do not do a proper job pruning trees. Most tree trimmers do most of the work with a chainsaw because it gets the job done fast. Most trimmers think it is better to make a few big cuts and move on. Most trimmers are too lazy to work with hand saws and hand pruners because it is not fast. Here is an important truth that you need to understand. It takes longer to do the job right but if the tree is pruned correctly, you will not need to do it as often. The tree’s health will improve with a proper pruning but a (quick chainsaw job) will cause long term decline. Even if the tree looks like it sprouted out fine, the poor cuts lead to internal decay that will cause early decline. Often the decay leads to limb or whole tree failure.
Excellent information! I often worry that I'm trimming the tree to what I want, not what the tree wants. Once an area of the tree has new access to sunlight, it will grow very well (assuming water, nutrients, etc...) Trimming away areas that no longer have access to sunlight (often the bottom or inner branches) and are just dying may actually be helping the tree.
Why Plum?
Bad pruning jobs you showed us are the examples of uneducated and unaware people that have snatched chainsaw and did what they did. On the other hand, headline should be "Don't prune this way", because I expected to see benefits of pruning, not the disaster of it. If you wish to go viral, always find a corresponding title, because this way you are misleading. I understand your emotion about this problem, but choosing the right title makes the viewer happy :-D
Witty Spirit I pondered this title and decided on “Why Prune” for the same reason. Maybe a bit misleading but not intentional. Ahh, the game of TH-cam.
@@arboristBlairGlenn When I have doubts, and I often have a lots of them, I usually ask my wife about the first impression on something and she never failed me by criticizing :-) 'Keep it simple' seems to work every time, but I often forget that method.
Good video! Thank you!
never anything to bad but shit" hard if youre told to
Julian Alderson knowledge is power to improve yourself and do right in your chosen profession.
Is it ok to top a young under 15 foot lace bark elm that is in need of a nicer form ?
Simple Steve training is different from topping
Simple Steve
No.
Nuckel head.
I want to thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I, and I'm sure many others appreciate it very much!!!
MrTwk63 I’m on a mission!
I was going to write the same thing.
What can be done to fix such abortions?
I've been examining & dealing with previously topped trees for years. When you top a branch, the tree's defense is to throw 10 water sprout to that location. The limb can not support all the sprout, so it selectively kills a few. If these are not removed immediately, they leave a cavity & it starts to retain water & introduces rot!
Great video
The last chapter of the book for topping trees is ....removal.😭
Your You Tube name made me laugh! Great choice.
Blair, a lot of your videos should have gone viral already, but apparently a lot of people would rather watch stuff that is stupid and silly and that adds nothing to their lives, rather than actually gain some knowledge about the Natural world around them and about trees that they most likely have in their own yards. Sad...real sad. I have well over 100 trees of at least 10 or more species here at my place of about 3 1/4 Acres and I have learned a lot from you. You deserve to have a much bigger following. But I'm sure glad that you keep doing what you do...a lot of us really appreciate it.
marbleman52 thank you. I always appreciate your comments.
marbleman52 Good on you for tending that many trees. I have a personal goal to plant 100 trees either here on my property (1 acre) in So. Cal. or at our local community garden. I’m at about 60 currently and looking to put in several fruit trees this Spring.
I have watched your videos for years. I was the ignorant person before finding your channel. Now I notice trees and think about their health everywhere I go. Thank you for the knowledge. Your dissecting of tree failures is my favorite part of your videos. I will say the pruning situation seems much worse in your area than it is in Mississippi where I live. Only trees that get butchered here are power company victims. Residents let their trees grow for the most part.
John Rice is the area where you live less affluent where cost is an issue?
As you have said before. Some in the Silicon Valley have more money than they know what to do with. Cost might be an issue for some but I think the main factor is the correct trees have been planted in the right places. Plus trees don’t grow near as fast as they do there.
I recently bought and planted 10 Cypress trees and everyone starts telling me to prune prune prune and my gut instinct always says let them grow naturally and they will be stronger. Thanks for reinforcing my better judgement.
I lost jobs because I would not top some trees I explained homeowners why drive back by months later and there topped
Greg Brown what is right and what is wrong? Your ethics will define you.
@ben nichols it's a special case, because trees are living things, and we should treat living things with care. people who don't love the things they work with should never be surgeons for those things.
@ben nichols so ur saying u would throw ur ethics out of the window for paper money LOL. He still have costumers so y do he have to do something thats not him?
You made a commitment to your standards.
Good job.
I'm seeing more and more of this butchery these days, not just the crepe myrtles. I can't fathom the reasons for doing so. Thanks for showing the problem for what it is.
When you talked about those disastrously pruned trees; I instantly thought about my dad’s garden...😭😣 He pruned everything excessively every year. I’ve shared this video with him; hopefully he’ll watch & gain some knowledge 🤞🏻
Thank you very much for sharing
My pleasure. Hope you find the time to check out some of my other videos as well. Be safe
In this suburban area where I find myself unfortunately marooned for almost 20 years it is quite remarkable how the people here have a positive mania about disfiguring trees by cutting them back severely. Most of my neighbors, who often on their tiny lots are lucky to have one or two trees for shade, are constantly calling in the landscape people to work the tops down. The results are uniformly hideous and of course they weaken the trees so mishandled. At least from having been brought up on a farm and owning farmland later on I had some basic knowledge of how to handle trees which saved me both money and the lives of the trees themselves.
Unfortunately even with the proper pruning knowledge most of us have these days, the art of topping will continue. Simply because the home owners are dead set on getting it done and we all want the work. So if you turn down the job trying to be the "better Arborist" you know someone else is going to take the job. So the practice continues
Coil's Tree Service are you part of the solution or part of the problem? Understanding the tree is key. Teaching correct tree care will only make you a better Arborist. Anybody can screw up a tree.
@@arboristBlairGlenn My son and I spend a whole lot of time trying to teach our potential customers why they should not and why we will not top their trees. Sometimes they get it but more often than not I feel like a fool after about 10 minutes of explaining proper techniques and collar cuts and I look in their eyes and I know that they don't care they just want what they want they want for as cheap as they can get it and we're not going to get the job but we just wasted a bunch of our time. My previous comment is out of frustration. We had one guy in town Last Summer who had 2 big red oak trees that had never been touched before. He was adamant about having those trees 30 feet shorter! We try to explain to him why that was horrible. And we further explained what we wanted to do which was thin raise & deadwood them. We refused to destroy those oaks. Well he didn't like it. But luckily our reputation is such that his neighbors talked him into listening to us and we finally got the job 2 months later. But more often than not we lose those customers. So I don't know, I'd like to think we were part of solution but if you drive around Dallas you're going to see a whole bunch of destroyed trees. That's all I'm saying my friend
@@arboristBlairGlenn th-cam.com/video/HPNxe67_EmQ/w-d-xo.html
Here's what we're up against in Dallas!
Part of the reason for making these videos is to clearly show my clients what happens. When you open up a past topped tree, and clearly see all the decay, that becomes the proof that you understand. When you do a removal, open up the old wound with you chainsaw. Keep a small example in the truck and use that to show your “Un educated” clients.
@@arboristBlairGlenn 10/4
I'm with you....let nature take it's course. Fruit trees, however are pruned for production.
I went to see a GP last year. Their car park had had a variety of beautiful trees. Sadly, someone butchered all of them, a few weeks before my visit. Every cut was close within an inch or two of the supporting branch. If you had not provided videos such as this one, I wouldn't have seen anything wrong with that. Thanks for the education, Blair.
RWBHere I wish my channel views were higher. Seems to me that not too many people care
People only prune trees when the tree negatively impacts it's surroundings: blocking of light, threat to foundations, etc. I'm afraid the welfare of trees is secondary.
DSC Y true but a lot of people still don’t understand
Fantastic video! Echoes the sentiment of so many of us tree guys in the UK. Absolutely no end of shoddy sub-standard work here, council funded and to high amenity trees and carried out by well respected companies! It’s shocking. Cheers for taking the time to make this. Aiken
Aiken Collinge I thought standards were higher in the UK
Thanks for the info. Could you recommend a book or source of info that a homeowner could read to learn how to properly prune and maintain their trees?
My parents have a maple that was planted as a sapling and it lived it's first ten years or so having to compete with two large trees for light and then another 15 with no competition at all. So at 25 years or so it had formed a big ball of foliage. Some arborist talked themselves into a job saying that it wasn't shaped naturally, that it should have skyward reaching trunks. My response was that a tree growing in a forest competing for light would look like that but growing in the environment that it has it's natural form is exactly as it is.
Good lecture/light rant. Like in forestry, you need to look and think a lot before you grab a tool. Knowledge of your tree or bush is important. When not to make a pollard of a pine or a box hedge of a row of birch. 👍
Jan-Reinier Voute different species react differently to hard cuts.