Pollarding can be used on many trees including the following: ash, lime, elm, oak, beech, poplar, eldar, london plane, fruit trees, eucalyptus and sweet chestnut. But it's either that or the electric wires. Repeat this pruning practice to continue to re-pollard the tree each year. The ends of the lateral branches will callus over and begin to produce thin branches during the growing season. To pollard a tree, the main lateral branches are cut off very close to the main trunk. Log in or register to join the conversation. The holly was getting much too big for where it was, not to mention that it was about to get tangled in the wires - British Telecom paid for it to be taken down. He has over 15 years experience writing for several Fortune 500 companies. In Jacksonville, Fla., Frank Whittemore is a content strategist with over a decade of experience as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy and a licensed paramedic. Pollarding is a method of pruning that keeps a tree at a specific size. Might end up removing it altogether. and secondly when is the best time to prune? How long does it take for an olive tree to produce fruit? Pollarding lime trees Geoff Millardship Posts: 1 June 2015 in Problem solving Have three mature medium sized lime trees in the garden which are pollard pruned and create the typical lollipop every year. Couple of questions: do I need to prune back every year? That's a good point - my son inherited a holly which had obviously grown from a dropping from a bird sitting on top of a telegraph post. Canadian Gardening: Pollard a Tree to Inhibit Its Growth. That and the 6 enormous willows we took out a couple of years ago. Perform the pruning on a young tree in the early spring before the tree has leafed out or in late fall, after the tree has gone dormant. It's not a big healthy looking tree, it's about as tall as our electric pole or a little more. But I think the NM is on the way out so will just be removed. Prune the thin branches from the ends of each lateral branch when the season ends and the lime tree goes dormant. “I am not lost, for I know where I am. Plus the two dealt with by the tree surgeon because they were leaning over the road and we wimped out of doing it ourselves. I think the previous owners of our house lacked foresight, it's not the only tree planted too close to the wires. Pollarding is a pruning technique used for many reasons, including: Preventing trees and shrubs outgrowing their allotted space ; Pollarding can reduce the shade cast by a tree ; May be necessary on street trees to prevent electric wires and streetlights being obstructed; These are a few of the plants it can be used on: Ash (Fraxinus) Locate the top leader of the lime tree and prune it back to the main lateral branches. Huttondenko Posts: 3 Pollard tree pruning is a method of trimming trees to control their mature size and shape, creating a uniform, ball-like canopy. will warn you electric board very funny about people working within there safe zone 5m of there wires my best advice to you is ask them to topped it out away from the lines they should do this free of charge normally the contractor will arrange site meeting so you can say what you require if they don't take it low enough for you then you will be safe enough to get it done by a tree climber or yourself. To pollard a tree, the main lateral branches are cut off very close to the main trunk. Certainly is. Allow the lime tree to grow for one season. Remove any remaining side branches from the remains of the lateral branches. Thanks Dove. There is an opportunity for homeowners to seek advice on their trees from professional arboriculturists on this forum http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/ . In Europe, lime trees, not to be confused with the tropical fruit-bearing tree of the same name, are commonly shaped by pollarding. But however, where I am may be lost.”, http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/general-chat/40290-pollarding-limes.html. and its branches keep dying back and dropping off. The technique is often used on trees planted in an area where they cannot be allowed to grow to their full size. Prune the thin branches from the ends of each lateral branch when the season ends and the lime tree goes dormant. While pollarding has largely gone out of fashion as a method of pruning, it is sometimes practised to control the size of a tree. To pollard a tree, the main lateral branches are cut off very close to the main trunk. If he is a reputable tree surgeon, I would take his advice. Pollarding is a method of pruning that keeps a tree at a specific size. It does have a branching arrangement that could work but I fear it may result in die-back of the remains and death of the tree. It is usually best to carry out any pollarding during the Winter months when the deciduous trees have shed their … Can you pollard a tree that must be 50 years old but never been pollarded. Locate the top leader of the lime tree and prune it back to the main lateral branches. They will grow back very quickly. Whittemore writes on topics in medicine, nature, science, technology, the arts, cuisine, travel and sports. In my experience pollards are best cut back to the original pollarded head every 4 to 5 years, and I would do it about now, when the leaves are falling. Avoid cutting into the callus to protect the tree from disease. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. It's on this winter's list as is the Norway Maple threatening the wires further along. Nut, not all trees take to being pollarded, and strictly speaking you wouldn't be pollarding a tree that old, you would be topping it, and then managing it as a pollarded tree, but it's unlikely that it would produce the lollipop effect of a true pollard. This might be because of other trees in the vicinity, or because the tree is planted in space restricted by power lines, fencing or some other … Remove all side branches from the trunk below the main lateral branches. Lime trees are pollarded in London streets, you may have noticed them. Cut the main lateral branches off squarely at the desired distance from the main trunk. The tree then produces a callus at the end of each branch, which grows many thin branches that emanate from the callus. and another question. Have three mature medium sized lime trees in the garden which are pollard pruned and create the typical lollipop every year. 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