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bkay2000

Does this look right to you?

bkay2000
10 years ago

We had an ice storm in early December. My Shumard Red Oak still had green leaves. It was severely damaged. I lost about 10' of the top of the tree and of course other limbs. We had a neighborhood handyman cut off the damaged limbs, as they were over the driveway. We told him to just leave the stubs and we'd have some real tree people come and trim it properly. They were here yesterday.

I'm not sure what I expected. This just doesn't look right to me. I look and don't see exactly what else they could have done, but it still looks "not right". What do you think?

bk

Comments (10)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    what are you doing over here ... lol ...

    that is about the best you can do.. to correct storm damage... any chance at some pix prior ?? .. with the damage ... yes.. it doesnt look right.. but what more can you do????

    i dont know what you mean by leaving stubs ... but that doesnt sound right ..

    have barely gotten above 10 degree for 3 days now... nights about the same MINUS zero ... would you prefer that??? ... lol

    ken

  • jbraun_gw
    10 years ago

    If you mean does the pruning look right then yes.Your handyman pruned at an angle to let the rain shed off the cuts. They also pruned at the junction close to the split or branch. If you mean does it look like there was no damage to the tree then no it doesn't look right. The tree will fill in the hole in the canopy over time though.

    No need to have a professional come and help you as you got professional quality work.

  • mikebotann
    10 years ago

    The 'real' tree people did what they were told and it looks OK. They could have thinned a lot of the smaller, lower branches to complete the job and any branches likely to cause a problem in the foreseeable future.
    Mike

  • bkay2000
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    That is the professional cut. They just went back to the next little branch on it and cut them there. The below is an example what it looked like after the handyman finished. I didn't get photos before the handyman trimmed.

    bk

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    10 years ago

    Some of the above contributors apparently didn't read your post very well, but as others said, the tree peeps you had do the follow-up work seem to have done a good job. There was only so much that they could do, and they did it.

  • hairmetal4ever
    10 years ago

    Looks fine to me, considering what they had to work with. Presuming nothing drastic happens, I think your tree will be fine, and in maybe 3 - 5 years (Shumards usually grow fast) look relatively "normal", albeit with possibly a more squat appearance than a Shumard usually has.

  • arktrees
    10 years ago

    As in your first posts, Google "Restoration Pruning" from the University of Florida. Educate yourself. But it appears they did follow correct protocol. Your lucky in that respect. AND there is follow up care that must be done over the next several years as well.

    Arktrees

  • bkay2000
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Arktrees, I read the restoration pruning thing before I called anyone. I guess I just didn't expect those stumps of limbs still to be there. But, then I look at where the next cut would be and it doesn't look right either.

    It's probably has to do with who came to do the work. I was expecting a certified arborist. I got yard men who climbed trees.

    Thanks for your opinions. I'm sure it will be fine. It's a young tree. It will adapt.

    bk

  • arktrees
    10 years ago

    My apology then. It sounded from your post that this was a complete surprise when pruned to the branches they did. That is what made me think you had not read it.

    As for the numbs, thats tough. Too close and you get death at the connecting point of the branch. Too far and it promotes rot. Those look good to me though, but what do I know hundreds of miles away?

    FWIW, I think you will be happy with your tree again.

    Arktrees

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    well??? ... welcome to the land of ice damage ....

    i dont know what more you expected ... as you note.. if you thought it would all disappear .. with one or two precise cuts... well.. as you note.. it would have taken huge hunks of your tree ...

    many arborists.. do not own chainsaws and cherry picker trunks ...

    your team did real good work.. given the real big problem ... there is not much more to say.. IMHO ...

    last ice storm up here, a few years back ... the county's tree were decimated .. especially the carp elms..... it was not uncommon to see a tree ten times worse ... every quarter mile or so ....

    so i think.. part of your horror.. is simply.. that an ice storm is so rare for you ...

    and again.. considering the rarity.. you were lucky.. IMHO .... to find a service provider who knew what he was doing.. of course.. you probably have your own hurricane/rain/wind storm tree issues... meaning simply.. other than ice .... so i suppose they have plenty of practice ...

    they did the best they could do.. their only problem.. is.. was... your expectations ... and you know the problems.. when you have great expectations ... lol .. [thats a hosta joke for you tree peeps]

    ken