How to attach a wire rope to a tree?

[Spamlet]

Agreed Dave,

Funny how we screw stuff into indoor wood all the time but somehow balk at outdoor stuff that can actually repair itself.

Anything wrapped around the bark is going to do more damage (and look naff) than something screwed in to the heartwood. I have a small cherry tree in the garden that was beginning to split down the middle from the Y shape it had grown into. I put stainless 12mm rod through each limb and bolted a board across the two to hold the tree together and make a platform to pick the cherries from, at the same time. The natural resin soon fills the holes, and, as the tree grows, the nuts will disappear inside the tree.

In this case the council will have to be asked for planning permission, whatever the OP wants though.

S

[NoSpam]

This year seems to be a particularly good/bad (depending on perspective) year for walnuts! What mesh did you use? Can you recall where you bought it?

[Jules Richardson]

Chains to spread the load? They'll last a lot longer. Maybe 4 chains per tree, spaced about 6" apart (and possibly some pair-of-metal-bars contrivance to hold them apart at that distance so they don't have a tendency to creep together over time).

As spamlet says, whatever you do is probably a little unsightly.

I'd worry about water and debris (leaves, sticks etc.) collecting on top of the canopy part, too; irritating to keep clearing, can add a significant load, can cause problems if not periodically cleared etc.

I suppose you need PP for a car port or other proper structure, huh?

cheers

Jules

[S Viemeister]

I'll see if I can find the invoice. I got it from a US firm, but it's light-weight and doesn't break, so shipping is cheap. It was sold as shade fabric, for agricultural use. The same firm also carry midge-proof netting, which I've used for window screens to protect against the Dreaded Highland Midge.

[GAP]

Belatedly it occurs to me that I've seen this done before. The "Go Ape" organisation that run high level assault course in the trees, attach ropes to trees all the time. What they do is surround the tree trunk with a vertical bunch of small half round slats (about one and a half inches across) probably lightly nailed to the tree while putting it all together, and then run their support wires around the slats. I tried to find a picture on their web site, but there's nothing obvious. OTOH, they probably remove/replace/adjust their anchors on a regular basis...

You could email them and ask for advice, I suppose.

Graham

[NoSpam]

AHA! Shade mesh brings-up lots of hits. Maybe this is the answer.

Many thanks - this group is wonderful!

[NoSpam]

Another great suggestion. A length of poly pipe attached to a few hardwood slats would allow the wire to run round the trunk without any further protection. Coincidentally, number two son's girlfriend's sister works (or has worked) at go ape! so I know who to ask.

[NoSpam]

The circumference of the main tree is just under 2m - but slats+poly_pipe+rope looks like being the solution.

[Spamlet]

Interesting: they get to be pretty big trees and the only place I've seen many is Woburn Arboretum. I should think the big leaves would be quite a weight too.

Did you manage to open any of the nuts? Curious three valved things as hard as rock, but the kernels reputed to be good for walnut flavouring if you can get at them!

S

[S Viemeister]

Squirrels seem to have no trouble opening them. I understand that in the American South, the standard method is lay them in the driveway, then crack them by driving your pickup truck over them. They dye my skin if I don't wear disposable gloves when picking them up. The leaf form is pinnate, and the individual leaves aren't particularly big.

[Spamlet]

With the ordinary walnut, when the skin turns black I used to keep some back in meths as a handy stain. They certainly stain the fingers for a long time, but if you have no squirrels they eventually fall out clean on their own. I haven't seen the black walnut in leaf fall: didn't realise the leaflets fell off the main leaf separately. Sounds like you have a nice tree there. Glad you want to look after it.

Cheers,

S

[S Viemeister]

It's a constant struggle - my other half would be glad to see it cut down.