The Design Community Hub

c/arborists

19

the_ben•14h ago

Rigging with a Porta Wrap vs a GRCS on a tight job site in Portland

Last month we had to take down a big Douglas fir in a backyard with zero room for error. I used a Porta Wrap on a 4 inch stem and it worked fine for the first few picks, but the friction heat buildup made me nervous. Switched to a GRCS for the heavier limbs and that brake control was night and day. Has anyone else found the GRCS worth the extra setup time on cramped residential jobs?

25

oscarm24•1d ago

That maple in Albany taught me about root flare exposure

I kept seeing trees planted too deep with mulch volcanoes around here. Took me 5 years to realize how many trees were dying from girdling roots instead of disease. Started exposing root flares on every job last spring and saw a huge difference in tree health. Anyone else notice how many landscapers still pile mulch up to the trunk?

8

tara345•1d ago

Tried a top-handled saw for limbing instead of my usual rear-handle

Picked up a Echo CS-355T on a whim last weekend for a job in Portland and wow, it balanced way better in tight spots. Got through a big maple crown in half the time I usually take. Anyone else switch saw types for different tasks or am I overthinking this?

9

finleybutler•1d ago

Vent: That time I overwatered a client's oak tree for 6 weeks straight

I took on a new property last spring up in Portland, a big old valley oak that looked a bit sad. I figured it was thirsty since we had a dry spell, so I set up a drip line and let it run every other day for about 6 weeks. Turns out the tree had root rot from some bad drainage in the clay soil. The leaves started yellowing and dropping, and the client was not happy. I had to dig up the root flare, cut out a bunch of rotten roots, and apologize. Learned to actually check the soil moisture with a probe before I flood a tree. Has anyone else made a similar mistake with watering?

23

troy_butler7•1d ago

I picked a silky saw over a chainsaw for a big takedown last month

Had to drop a 40 foot maple in a tight backyard near a fence and a shed. My climbing partner said I was crazy to use a handsaw, but I went with the silky zubat to keep control. Took me about 3 hours instead of maybe 1 with a saw, but I placed every piece exactly where I wanted it. Zero damage to anything around it, and my partner admitted it was the right call. Any of you guys ever stick with manual saws when power tools seem easier?

13

jordangibson•1d ago

Got schooled on pruning cuts by a 70 year old arborist in Milwaukee

I used to always make my pruning cuts flush with the trunk because I thought it looked cleaner. Then I had this old timer come into my shop and watch me work on a maple tree. He told me I was leaving wounds that would never heal right and invited rot into the tree. He showed me how to cut just outside the branch collar so the tree can seal itself up properly. I tried it on the next job and the difference was obvious after a few months. Now I swear by that method and I cringe when I see other guys cutting flush. Has anyone else had an old pro change the way you work with trees?

20

emma_ramirez•1d ago

Had to pick between a crane and climbing for a big oak removal yesterday

I was looking at a 60-foot red oak in Austin with a 30-inch trunk that had to come down. Crane rental was going to be $1,200 for the day, so I decided to climb it instead with my trusty 200t. Took me 8 hours total and I was wiped out, but the cost savings made it worth it for my small operation. Any of you guys ever regret skipping the crane on a big job?

6

lucas159•3d ago

Took 6 hours to save a red oak people wanted gone

Had a client in Portland who was dead set on cutting down this big red oak. Said it looked sick and was dropping too many branches. I spent a whole day just doing a full root collar excavation and found a girdling root strangling it. Cut that one root and the tree probably has another 20 years in it. Has anyone else dealt with homeowners who want to remove trees that just need a simple fix?

3

barbara429•5d ago

That elm removal last Tuesday nearly went sideways on me

Came in to take down a big American elm in someone's backyard, thought it was a straightforward job. But the tree had a massive hollow cavity up about 15 feet that I didn't spot from the ground. When I made my first cut, the whole thing started to twist and split way faster than I expected. Barely got my rope set in time to swing it clear of their shed. How do you all check for hidden rot or hollow spots before you start cutting?

5

the_piper•6d ago

That thing with oak tree collar cuts keeps bugging me

I see so many guys making flush cuts on oak limbs, right at the trunk. I spent 3 years working with an old forester in Michigan who showed me the collar is there for a reason, you leave about an inch and the tree seals way faster. Has anyone else had a customer argue about the flush cut look?

2

the_lee•7d ago

Overheard some young climbers at a shop in Columbus talking about rope techniques

I was picking up a new chainsaw chain yesterday and heard these two guys maybe in their mid 20s talking about how they never use a blakes hitch anymore. They were all about mechanical prusiks and how it's faster. I stood there for a minute listening and it got me thinking. I've been using a blakes hitch for almost 15 years now. Learned it from an old timer back in 2008 and never really questioned it. But these guys had a point about speed and ease of adjustment. I'll admit I tried one of those rope wrench setups a few years back but it felt too complicated. Now I'm wondering if I'm just being stubborn. Has anyone else switched over after using a traditional hitch for a long time? Was it worth the learning curve?

10

riley595•9d ago

Am I the only one who thinks climbing spikes on live trees is lazy? I've got a trick that changed my mind.

I used to be dead set against spikes on any tree that wasn't coming down. Thought it was hack work, pure and simple. Then I got a call last spring from a property manager in Phoenix who wanted a 40-foot mesquite cleaned up fast. Those things have thorns like daggers and I couldn't get a rope in the canopy without getting shredded. So I strapped on spikes for the first time in years and got it done in 2 hours flat. Felt dirty about it but the tree didn't seem to care and it's still alive today. Now I'm wondering if there's a middle ground between never using them and using them right. Have you guys ever made an exception on a live tree and had it work out fine?

2

river_wright•10d ago

Realized I'd been sharpening my pruning saw backwards for three years when a landscaper laughed at me on a job in Portland last August.

I mean, the teeth were cutting fine on the pull stroke but the moment he pointed out I had the bevel facing the wrong way and showed me the difference in two cuts I felt like an absolute clown, anyone else discover something basic they've been doing wrong forever?

6

paigewood•12d ago

Took me 3 years to figure out I was sharpening my chains wrong

I always filed my chains at a steep angle because that's how my old boss showed me. Then last month a saw rep stopped by the job site and watched me for about 30 seconds. He asked if I ever wondered why my cuts were so rough and the chain wore out fast. Turns out I had the file guide set for a completely different tooth angle. Has anyone else learned a basic skill wrong and only figured it out years later?

19

phoenix845•12d ago

Read that a single oak can support 500+ insect species, changed my view on deadwood

I was always pretty quick to prune out dead branches on my client's oaks. Thought it was just cleaning up the tree, making it look tidy. Then I read this fact from some UK wildlife trust study - over 500 insect species rely on oak trees, and a ton of them need that deadwood to live in. Now I leave some dead limbs in the canopy if they aren't a safety risk. Has anyone else started leaving more snags after learning about the bug life?

17

olivia_barnes97•12d ago

Found a cheap rope trick for pulling heavy limbs without a second person

Last weekend I had to bring down a big oak branch in my backyard near Denver, and my usual partner was out of town. I tied a throw line to the haul rope and looped it through a high crotch, then just pulled from the ground alone. It took maybe 10 minutes to set up and saved me from wrestling a 60-pound limb by myself. Has anyone else tried using a simple redirect like that for solo work, or is there a better way to do it?

20

milam42•13d ago

Old timer told me to sharpen my loppers after every big job and I brushed it off for years

I used to think sharpening loppers every few months was enough. Then last spring, a guy I sub for asked me how my hands felt after a big privet removal. I said they were killing me. He told me to run a file across my blades for 30 seconds that night. I tried it and the next day I cut through a 3 inch branch with way less effort. Now I sharpen after every full day of pruning. It cuts down fatigue a ton. Has anyone else noticed a big difference with daily touch-ups versus waiting till they feel dull?

27

river_wright•15d ago

Thought oak wilt was overhyped until it hit my block in Springfield

Had three red oaks drop leaves in a week last August after I ignored the early signs. Now I'm drilling and injecting every tree on my property because the neighbor lost two more this spring. Anybody else caught off guard by how fast it spreads once it takes hold?

10

eric_morgan59•16d ago

Hit 500 trees planted in one season and learned something about root flare

I was so focused on getting trees in the ground fast that I buried a few too deep. Turns out checking that root flare is exposed can save you from stunted growth later, found that out the hard way on a job in Nashville last spring. Has anyone else messed up on the basics when rushing to hit a goal?

7

margaret_lane•16d ago

Changed my mind about tree cabling systems after a rough storm season

For years I thought cabling and bracing was just a bandaid fix and not real tree care. I was pretty vocal about it too at the local ISA chapter meetings here in Portland. Then last March we got hit with that crazy windstorm that took down half the neighborhood. I went to check on a client's big old maple I had been maintaining for 3 years, and a branch I had refused to cable split right down the middle. It crushed their fence and barely missed their bedroom window. After that I spent a weekend with an older arborist from Seattle who walked me through proper installation on a couple test trees. Now I use the Dynamic Tree Systems method with proper hardware and it's made a real difference on these mature trees. Has anyone else had a strong opinion change about a specific technique after seeing it fail or work firsthand?

9

emmar75•17d ago

PSA: I used to think stump grinding was always the best option until a neighbor called me out

My neighbor Jerry stopped me last week while I was grinding a big maple stump and said he thought leaving the stump to rot was better for the soil. He showed me how his old stumps had turned into rich compost over 3 years with just some drilled holes and mushroom spawn. Has anyone else found that letting stumps decay naturally beats grinding in certain yards?

2

josephb35•18d ago

Hot take: I thought pruning sealers were a waste of money until last spring

I fought using pruning sealers for years. Figured they were just another product to sell to homeowners. But after a big oak limb I cut in March got some kind of fungal infection that spread down the branch, I decided to try a sealer on the next cut. That was 14 months ago on a maple in my neighbor's yard, and that wound healed way cleaner than anything I'd left bare. Not saying it's for every tree, but on certain oaks and maples, my experience says it helps. Anyone else changed their mind on a tool or product they used to trash talk?

7

emmar75•19d ago

Found a 150 year old oak tag in a tree I removed yesterday

I was cutting down a dead white oak in a backyard near downtown and found a rusty metal tag nailed into the trunk. It was dated 1874 from the city forestry department. Has anyone else ever found old tree tags or markers like that?

8

vera_roberts•21d ago

I finally spotted the difference in a tree I pruned 3 months ago

Tbh I pruned this big old silver maple back in April for a customer near the creek. I just walked by it today and saw how much more light gets through the crown now and how the branches are filling in evenly. It went from looking like a messy blob to having a clear central leader and good structure. Honestly it felt good to see the work actually pay off. Has anyone else gone back to a job months later and been surprised by the results?

16

charlie_stone72•21d ago

Just replanted a 6-year-old pin oak that was buried under 4 inches of dirt

I was called to a job site in Cincinnati last week where a homeowner thought their tree was dying. Turns out the nursery had buried the root flare deep and the trunk was rotting. I dug it up, cleaned the roots, and reset it at the right height. How often do you guys see this with nursery stock trees?