c/arborists

Overheard a landscaper tell a homeowner to just 'top it' for a better view

I was at a park in Springfield last week and heard a guy giving tree advice. He pointed at a big oak and said topping it would open up the whole yard view. It took me back to my early days, over twenty years ago, when that was a common fix. Now we know it stresses the tree and leads to weak, dangerous growth. It made me think about how much the trade has changed for the better. Do you all find you have to correct this kind of advice more often now?

Rant: I think we're too quick to condemn topping trees in every single case

Last week in Springfield, I had to deal with a massive silver maple that was pushing against a power line after a storm. The utility company was going to just cut the whole thing down. I did a careful reduction cut, basically a controlled top, to clear the line by 8 feet and save the tree. Everyone at the shop said I was wrong, but the alternative was a total removal. Sometimes you have to pick the least bad option to keep a tree standing. Has anyone else had to make a call like that to avoid a complete removal?

The way I used to set up my climbing line for a big pine removal in Denver was a total time sink compared to my new method.

I'd spend 45 minutes setting a high tie-in point and then redirecting, but after watching a guy from a big outfit in Oregon use a simple base-tie with a running bowline for the same job, I switched and now I'm in the tree in under 15 minutes, so what's your go-to time-saving rigging trick for conifers?

Saw a crew using the wrong knot for a speedline and it made me cringe

I was watching a job in Springfield last week where they were rigging down big oak limbs over a house. The lead climber kept using a bowline to attach the lowering rope to the speedline, which is a huge risk. A bowline can roll and invert under shifting loads, especially with the side pull you get on a speedline. I learned that the hard way six years ago when a piece spun and the knot failed, dropping a limb way too close to a fence. For speedlines, a running bowline or a timber hitch is way more secure because they cinch down and hold. Has anyone else had a close call from a simple knot choice?

Question about a weird trick for a big pine stump. I drilled holes and poured in leftover cola from a cookout. It actually helped rot it out faster.

Just realized I was wrong about using a tarp for big chip piles

Always thought it was overkill until a sudden downpour in Portland turned a week's worth of chips into a soaked mess. How do you guys handle covering large volumes on a residential site?

Had a nightmare job in Phoenix last week where a client insisted we prune a mature mesquite in 110 degree heat.

PSA: I finally figured out why my climbing line was always twisting up

For years I'd just coil my rope any old way after a job, and it would be a tangled mess the next morning. About six months ago, an old guy at a job in Spokane saw me fighting with it and said, 'Kid, you're putting twists in with every loop.' He showed me the butterfly coil, and now my line is ready to go every single time. It sounds small, but it saves me at least ten minutes of frustration on every climb. Anyone have other simple rope tricks that changed their day?

PSA: I was cutting my climbing line way too short for years

Been climbing for about eight years now. Always cut my lines with maybe two feet of tail after my termination knot. Figured less tail meant less to manage, less weight. Then I watched a guy from a big outfit in Portland do a rescue practice. His tail was a good six feet past his knot. Asked him about it after. He said it's for emergency situations, like if you need to lower someone and your system is too high. That extra line can be a life saver. Made me think about all the times I was up there with my short tail. Felt pretty dumb. How much tail do you all leave on your main climbing line?

Heard a city forester say they're planting more oaks now because of a new pest forecast

Tbh, I was grabbing coffee next to a couple arborists from the Portland parks department, and one mentioned they're shifting 40% of their street tree planting to Oregon white oaks this season. He said the latest models show the emerald ash borer is going to hit our region way harder than they thought in the next 5 years. Honestly, it got me thinking about how much our own planting plans should be based on future pest maps, not just what's available. Has anyone else started changing their species selection because of something like this?

Just realized I've been climbing wrong for three years

I was helping a new guy on a big oak removal in Tacoma last month, and he asked why I kept my lanyard so loose. I told him it was for speed, but then I watched him work. He kept his tight, moved smoother, and looked way more solid. It hit me that my old way was just making me fight the tree the whole time. How many of you had to unlearn a bad climbing habit?

TIL my neighbor's oak died from a bad mulch volcano

I saw a crew pile mulch 12 inches high against the trunk of a mature pin oak in Springfield last month, and the tree showed clear signs of girdling roots and bark rot by this weekend. This is the third time I've seen this kill a tree in our area this year. What's the best way you've found to politely educate a client about proper mulch depth?

Unpopular opinion: I think the 'just top it' advice for a stressed maple is the worst thing you can tell a homeowner.

A guy in my neighborhood in Bellingham saw me pruning a storm-damaged limb and yelled, 'You're wasting your time, the whole thing needs a flat top to be safe,' which is exactly how you get a hazardous mess of weak water sprouts a year later.

Update: Had to pick between a $1200 stump grinder rental or a full day with a chainsaw and pickaxe for a massive oak stump.

Went with the grinder (even though my wallet cried) and got it done in 2 hours instead of 8, but now I'm wondering if anyone has a cheaper method for stumps over 3 feet wide?

Finally got the city to approve the removal of that dangerous oak on Elm Street... took almost three years of paperwork.

That one perfect day in the fall of 2018, climbing a massive white oak in Springfield

Everything just lined up, you know, the weather was cool, the crew was in sync, and we got the whole 80-foot crown reduction done by 2 PM, which never happens, so what's the best day you've ever had on a job site?

My brand new climbing rope decided to retire early on a simple maple trim

Just last Tuesday, I was about 30 feet up in a client's backyard in Springfield, doing a routine deadwood removal. I leaned back into my harness for a cut, and the rope just went slack with a weird 'pffft' sound. The core sheath had blown out about 5 feet from my tie-in point, no warning at all. I had to do an awkward limb walk to the trunk and spur down, which took forever. Has anyone else had a rope fail during a basic job like that?

Just saved a huge oak from girdling with a piece of old garden hose

Got a call last week about a big pin oak in a backyard in Dayton, the homeowner had staked it with wire years ago and forgot. The wire was totally buried in the bark. I was about to cut it out with my saw, but my partner said to try splitting a length of hose and sliding it behind the wire first. We used a 2-foot piece of 5/8 inch hose and a flat bar to work it in. It protected the cambium while we cut the wire, zero extra damage. Has anyone else used this trick on a really deep girdle?

Showerthought: I used to think those cheap climbing rope bags were fine

Bought a $15 one that ripped after a month, dumping my gear from 30 feet up. Anyone know a brand that actually lasts more than one season?

PSA: I was wrong about using a tarp to protect grass during a big oak removal

I argued with a crew member for 30 minutes that it was a waste of time, but after a 3-day job in heavy rain, the lawn underneath was perfect while the rest was torn up. Anyone have a better method than a standard 20x20 tarp?

My climbing mentor in Boise pointed out I was gripping the rope too tight, which was burning out my forearms after just a couple hours.

Honestly, after he said 'let the gear do the work, your hands are just for steering,' I started focusing on a lighter touch and my endurance has easily doubled, so has anyone else had a simple piece of advice that just clicked like that?

Had a close call with a rotten limb in a backyard in Tacoma

I was doing a basic prune on a big maple last week, maybe 40 feet up. I set my line on what looked like a solid branch, but when I put weight on it, I heard this loud crack. The whole thing gave way, maybe 6 feet of it just snapped off. I had my second tie-in, thank god, but it swung me hard into the trunk. My shoulder is still sore. I should have probed it first, but I was in a hurry. Anyone have a good method for checking for rot when the bark still looks okay?

Appreciation post: A client's old oak in Charleston had a weird cavity that kept filling with water.

I tried the usual drain holes, but it kept coming back. On a whim, I packed the cavity with coarse sand and capped it with a small piece of copper flashing, and it's been dry for over six months now. Has anyone else tried something like this for persistent trunk cavities?

So I've been sharpening my chainsaw chain backwards for a year

I was cutting a big oak in Springfield last week and my buddy Dave just stared at my saw and said, 'Patricia, why is your file going that way?' The sound it made was like a sad zipper, and I'd been wondering why my cuts took forever. Has anyone else done something this dumb with a basic tool?

Shoutout to the old guy who showed me a better way to tie a running bowline

Last week I was working on a big oak removal in Charlotte and my usual knot slipped a bit when I was lowering a limb. An older climber on the crew saw me fussing with it and just said 'try it like this' and showed me his way to dress the knot. I've been doing it his way all week and it's been way more solid every time. Anyone else have a small knot trick that made a big difference?