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Author: Subject: Advice on Eucalyptus tree pruning.
craig1410

posted on 19/4/10 at 04:34 PM Reply With Quote
Advice on Eucalyptus tree pruning.

Hi,

We've got a 25 - 30 foot Eucalyptus tree in our back garden which has grown from about 8 foot in just 4 years or so and is getting a bit too big. It would now probably hit the house if it fell over and since it is on the edge of an embankment which leads down to a small stream it may not have the strongest roots. Having said that it has weathered a few big storms in recent years and didn't move.

Anyway, I want to cut it back down to a more manageable size and have been reading up on this on the web. As far as I can tell the best way to handle it is to "pollard" the tree back to 8 or 10 feet by essentially just chopping the main trunk at that level. The main trunk splits into a Y shape at about that level anyway. This sounds easy enough but I would expect the shape of the tree would look weird unless the lower branches were also pruned. But the advice on the web says to leave the lower branches alone.

Anyone got any experience of this sort of thing? Any tree surgeons out there?

Here is a picture of the tree taken today.

I'm happy to chop the tree down to size myself as it is still just within reach of my ladders. My plan would be to climb to the top of a single section ladder leaning against the tree and then use a long pole and saw to remove the medium sized branches before bringing down the main trunk using ropes to control the direction of fall.

Advice most welcome,
Craig.

[Edited on 19/4/2010 by craig1410]

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mazsparks

posted on 19/4/10 at 04:49 PM Reply With Quote
My two cents for what it's worth, correct me if i'm wrong green fingers.
Most of what you suggest seems fine although if you take it down to 10 feet its going to look pretty fat.
Pruning of the lower branches is fine, although I would recommend this is done in mid-late June as most of the new growth will happen in July, and so you should be able to get a much more shapely tree as at the moment the lower branches seem to have had no pruning.
But in my opinion, you really can hack them about and you should see new growth in July, then prune annual to give shape.

Never underestimate the strength and size of a root structure with a tree that big, as well as the weight of the trunk.

Try and picture the tree into thirds, keeping the bottom third and getting rid of the top two thirds.
Cut off the top branches and then cut out chunks of the trunk with a rope to pull it in the right direction. (two people job).
Just depends how much space you have to move.

Good luck,

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craig1410

posted on 19/4/10 at 04:53 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by mazsparks
My two cents for what it's worth, correct me if i'm wrong green fingers.
Most of what you suggest seems fine although if you take it down to 10 feet its going to look pretty fat.
Pruning of the lower branches is fine, although I would recommend this is done in mid-late June as most of the new growth will happen in July, and so you should be able to get a much more shapely tree as at the moment the lower branches seem to have had no pruning.
But in my opinion, you really can hack them about and you should see new growth in July, then prune annual to give shape.

Never underestimate the strength and size of a root structure with a tree that big, as well as the weight of the trunk.

Try and picture the tree into thirds, keeping the bottom third and getting rid of the top two thirds.
Cut off the top branches and then cut out chunks of the trunk with a rope to pull it in the right direction. (two people job).
Just depends how much space you have to move.

Good luck,


Sounds like you know what you are talking about - are you a professional or knowledgeable amateur?

Yes I would chop down the trunk in pieces as you suggest. As I mentioned, the trunk splits in two just above where I would cut it down to so each side of the trunk is only about half the thickness of the main trunk. Should make the cutting easier and safer.

So can I just cut the ends off the lower branches to bring the proportions back to what they should be?

Will wait until June as you suggest.

Thanks for the advice,
Craig.

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mazsparks

posted on 19/4/10 at 04:59 PM Reply With Quote
Hmm, i've got some info from a book and have cut some trees down although no pro by any means.
Just stay in your comfort zone and get a feel for the weight of the main trunk.

Obviously our climates couldnt be more different in the UK, and i've heard of them being cut right down near ground level and still sprouting.

I think you could do the main work whenever, then just the lower pruning in late June.
Someone else might have more knowledge on this.

When you cut, make two cuts in a wedge formation so that the trunk naturally wants to fall in the right direction.
The person pulling should really be able to put some weight into it, no sissying around .

gl

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dogwood

posted on 19/4/10 at 05:17 PM Reply With Quote
Eucalyptus tree ....
You wont kill it no matter how hard you prune it.

We have 3 of the bug****s
2 I have cut down to a stump and they are still growing.
the 3rd I prune hard most years and still it grows without probs





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paulbeyer

posted on 19/4/10 at 05:22 PM Reply With Quote
Get yourself a Koala it will prune your tree down to size inside a week.
It also works for Panda's and bamboo

[Edited on 19/4/2010 by paulbeyer]





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Fozzie

posted on 19/4/10 at 06:02 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by dogwood
Eucalyptus tree ....
You wont kill it no matter how hard you prune it...


Spot on there......

It is one of the trees that will generate itself if cut right down......
In their natural habitat, they are quite often destroyed in bush fires....they will always grow back......

Fozzie





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karlak

posted on 19/4/10 at 06:09 PM Reply With Quote
Spooky , Just got off the phone to a tree surgeon guy who is chopping ours down tomorrow. It has grown 55 ft in just over 10 years. The previous house owner planted it on the boundary with our neighbour - nothing grows round it due to the huge amount of water it sucks out of the ground, and it is wrecking a dividing fence,,,, So tomorrow it is TIMBER !!!!!!!!! Well not quite as they take it down bit by bit. Bloody nuiscance trees, no wildlife go near them as insects dont like them..

I can ask him the answer to your question though..





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MikeR
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posted on 19/4/10 at 06:16 PM Reply With Quote
if you want rid - get the stump ground. Mine lent at a slightly worrying angle after a bad storm. Had it felled and stump ground. A year later i put a shed on it and never looked back.
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02GF74

posted on 19/4/10 at 06:55 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by karlak
Bloody nuiscance trees, no wildlife go near them as insects dont like them..




... but that is a good thing if you want to sit out sie nad not get bitten by midges, gnats and mozzies.






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David Jenkins

posted on 19/4/10 at 07:08 PM Reply With Quote
It makes a decent shrub if you coppice it (saw it off at ground level and allow it to throw up lots of shoots).

Just remember to do it again in 4 or 5 years time!






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Peteff

posted on 19/4/10 at 07:13 PM Reply With Quote
You'll have to trim the sides as well to make it look balanced.

It might let a lot of light in as well







yours, Pete

I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.

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craig1410

posted on 19/4/10 at 07:43 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
You'll have to trim the sides as well to make it look balanced.

It might let a lot of light in as well



Light isn't so much of a problem as the tree is due east of the house so only very early morning sun is blocked. The shadow you can see is from the house casting a shadow on the tree in the evening.

The main issue for us is the worry over it falling on the house or towards our neighbour and the fact that the lower branches are a bit of an obstruction as they are hanging so low.

Thanks to everyone who has commented - it's good to pick up some tips beforehand rather than wondering what went wrong after the event...

Cheers,
Craig.

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Xtreme Kermit

posted on 19/4/10 at 08:59 PM Reply With Quote
If you have a pooch, don't let it eat the leaves or chew the branches.

It doesn't do them any good at all.

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craig1410

posted on 19/4/10 at 09:01 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Xtreme Kermit
If you have a pooch, don't let it eat the leaves or chew the branches.

It doesn't do them any good at all.


Thanks for the tip. We've got cats but no dogs. The cats like to climb up the tree a bit but don't eat the leaves as far as I know.

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craig1410

posted on 25/4/10 at 03:44 PM Reply With Quote
Okay, I've spent the last two days chopping lumps out of the tree.


http://gallery.me.com/craig.chamberlain#100045/IMG_0677&bgcolor=black

Pretty ugly at present but my wife won't let me touch the large branches which are sticking out. To be fair, it might be a good idea to keep them for a little while to help catch enough sunlight through photosynthesis to regenerate the rest of the tree. We can then shape the tree properly later.

Comments most welcome.

Thanks,
Craig.

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Angel Acevedo

posted on 27/4/10 at 04:50 AM Reply With Quote
Bonsai

Check a Bonsai site on internet for Ideas.
once on a manageable Trunk size you do a yearly or every two year maintenance pruning.
You may like it as a hobby as id does´nt require more than a few hours per year.





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