Tree Limb Trimming Question

[DerbyDad03]

60+ YO Red Maple.

The pruning pole is resting on the limb with the issue. To the right of the pole there are at least a half-dozen smaller branches off of the main limb. There are no leaves on anything to the right of the pole.

To the left of the pole, the limb is covered in leaves, from about 2' from the trunk, out to about 10'. The limb is 4+" at the trunk, 3+" at the end of the leafy section.

I am familiar with *how* to trim the limb back to the trunk - three cuts, leave the collar, etc. My questions are these:

Do I need to go back to the collar or can I leave the 8' - 10' that still has leaves?

If I can leave it, where is the best place to make the final cut? Perhaps just beyond the final group of leaves?

Thanks.

[dpb]

...

...

I see no reason to save the limb; too low/close to the house anyway.

More than likely if it has died back from the end there's a reason and it'll probably progress anyway. Unless there was some sort of injury at that point that girdled the limb there to cause the end kill.

[Leon]

When looking at the pictures and before you asking what to do my immediate thought was to cut the limb back to the trunk. Typically you want the inner sections of the tree to not have inner growth.

[Sonny]

Cut only the dead wood off. My experience with red maple is that they ofte n have spotted, random die-off as that.

However, if that limb, more so than other limbs, has a history of having pa rts dying off, then it might be best to cut off that whole limb. With the tree being that old, if that limb has repeated die-offs, then it may be a v enue for disease, bugs, etc. to the rest of an aged tree. Seems the tree i s pretty healthy, otherwise.

Sonny

[knuttle]

I vote with the others it is time to cut it off. I would use the three cut method and cut it at the trunk. If left it will be in the house.

WHile you are in the trimming mood, I would take the one above it that is dropping down to the roof. Probably at the Y. I would leave the one that goes up.

As for taking down the tree. In tree years it is young, and appears to be a resonalbe distance from the house. If there are on signs of major damage to the truck I would not cut it down and enjoy the shade it provides.

[Clare Snyder]

I'd take it back to the next LIVE LATERAL BRANCH if attempting to salvage the limb. If there is bark damage showing down from the dead section I would go back to the next lateral beyond the damage.. That said, branches parallel to the ground or "down-running" are good candidates for total removal as they are generally more prone to ice and wind damage than branches that grow "up".

[dpb]

On 6/7/2020 4:49 PM, Sonny wrote: ...

If the suggested 60 is even close, it's got a while to reach an average of 80-100 yr for red maple.

In reasonable soil/climate it should go quite a long innings yet altho they're not terribly long-lived and are one of the soft maples so they tend to droop branches as this one shows. Bark is thin and easily damaged as well; they are so prolific that some areas where they've been introduced have them on the noxious weed list.

OTOH, I've tried virtually every maple known and none have been tough enough to survive SW KS for more than a few years...couldn't say how many I tried transplanting (as well as the oaks) from TN/VA over the 30 years of traveling back and forth while we were back there...futile exercise.

[DerbyDad03]

I'm standing on a deck that is 6' off the ground. The limb is at least 20' from the house and 15' off the ground.

[DerbyDad03]

often have spotted, random die-off as that.

g parts dying off, then it might be best to cut off that whole limb. With the tree being that old, if that limb has repeated die-offs, then it may be a venue for disease, bugs, etc. to the rest of an aged tree. Seems the tr ee is pretty healthy, otherwise.

I'm standing on a deck that is 6' off the ground. The limb is at least 20' from the house and 15' off the ground.

It ain't coming in.

Again, I'm up on a deck. Nothing you see hangs over my house. The blue house in the picture is my neighbor's, not mine. The perspective is off. The tree is not near enough to his house to be an issue.

Umm...there was no mention (or even thought) of taking down the tree itself . My question related only to that single limb.

[DerbyDad03]

ften have spotted, random die-off as that.

parts dying off, then it might be best to cut off that whole limb. With t he tree being that old, if that limb has repeated die-offs, then it may be a venue for disease, bugs, etc. to the rest of an aged tree. Seems the tre e is pretty healthy, otherwise.

There is no live lateral branch. The growth you see is on the main limb itself and ends before the pruning pole. The lateral branches are beyond the pole and they have no leaves.

While the limb looks looks parallel to the ground, it actually slopes upward. There are other limbs that are much flatter than the one in question, all of which have survived lots of wind and a couple of major ice storms.

[Clare Snyder]

No laterals? I'd take it to the trunk

[Michael]

That's a nice old stone wall you have there.

[Sonny]

Yeah, even before typing and during typing, I was hesitant about that gener al age idea. I've had the sense that in more northern latitudes many spec ies grow differently (better) than down here. Here, Red Maples have troubl e growing large and old, for various reasons. Many "reds" here have some s ort of damage. Derby's tree is really large and healthy looking compare d to trees, here.

I planted this (link) tree (among others) for my then neighbor about 20 yrs ago. The area was a cow pasture, back then. Ten years afterward the prop erty was developed for housing. This is the only tree remaining. Being cl ose to the property line, I've asked the neighbor to cut it down. As you c an see, nothing has been done. They don't seem to take the best care of t heir lawn, home maintenance, etal., either.

/

Sonny

[DerbyDad03]

eral age idea. I've had the sense that in more northern latitudes many sp ecies grow differently (better) than down here. Here, Red Maples have trou ble growing large and old, for various reasons. Many "reds" here have some sort of damage. Derby's tree is really large and healthy looking compa red to trees, here.

The house is over 60 YO, I've been here for close to 40. The tree was large and beautiful when we moved in, so my guess is that it's been here at least as long as the house has.

The entire neighborhood is full of huge, old trees (and thusly terrible lawns).

Interesting fact: When I first moved in there was an elderly gentleman that lived on the other side of the stone wall. He told me that my house and the adjacent house were the last 2 houses to be built in the "tract", which dat es back to the 20's. The houses were built at the same time by the same builde r when the owner of the lot decided to "build then sell". The double lot used to be an unofficial neighborhood park, with one horseshoe pit in my yard an d the other in the adjacent yard. The owner didn't live nearby, but knew that a few residents were keeping the lot neat and using it for recreation and gatherings. Mutual respect, the way it should be.

[John Grossbohlin]

I'd be inclined to take the whole limb. It is a low limb that is shaded by the limbs above it. It appears that due to the tip die-off buds are popping along the limb in a desperate attempt to save the limb. I've dealt with this problem quite a few times over the years... as recently as last week in fact. In every case I ultimately had to remove the limb as they didn't survive.

[circlesaww]

I also to use the different tools for wood working, see more detail here

[Puckdropper]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

You're not a good woodworker unless you can turn a tree into a cutting board using only ONE tool.

Puckdropper