I had to choose between a full removal and a risky crown reduction on a huge oak

The client in Springfield wanted to keep their 80-foot pin oak, but it was hitting power lines and the house. I could either take it down completely for $2,500 or try a major reduction. I went with the reduction, taking off about 30% of the canopy over two days. It's holding up a year later, but I still check on it every time I'm in that neighborhood. Has anyone else had a big tree where a reduction actually worked long-term?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy48326d ago

That's a tough call to make, but saving a mature tree is always worth the gamble when you can. A thirty percent cut is pretty aggressive, but oaks can bounce back if the cuts are clean and the structure is still sound. I've got a maple I did a similar job on five years ago, and it's filled back in nicely without getting leggy. The key is definitely those follow-up visits to catch any new growth heading toward the wires again.

janac2226d ago

Actually read a study from a university extension service about this. They said the follow up pruning in years two and three is what makes or breaks a crown reduction. Without it, you just get a bunch of weak, fast growing water sprouts right back into the wires.

barbara_campbell18d ago

My neighbor's willow got butchered by a cheap crew last fall and now it's just a sad bunch of knobs.