Will the trees in Barry road ever come in to leaf?

[tiddles]

I think the main question is why the trees have been cut in the spring. I don't think people are anti-pollarding (as I think burbage is suggesting - sorry if wrong).

There are certain times of year to do things (ie prune fruit trees) and I think the main concern is that it has been done at the wrong time of year. I LOVE the photo robin posted!! it looks like something off a 1970's edition of doctor who!!

[AbDabs]

tiddles Wrote:

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> I think the main question is why the trees have

> been cut in the spring. I don't think people are

> anti-pollarding (as I think burbage is suggesting

> - sorry if wrong).

>

> There are certain times of year to do things (ie

> prune fruit trees) and I think the main concern is

> that it has been done at the wrong time of year. I

> LOVE the photo robin posted!! it looks like

> something off a 1970's edition of doctor who!!

What's wrong with when they were done? The RHS recommend late winter/early spring for pollarding.

[*Bob*]

There are several giant Sycamores from where I'm sitting. None of 'em have been pollarded and they're only just starting to come into leaf as it is - so I wouldn't worry about it.

Pollarded ones always take a bit longer to sprout back, as Marmora Man says.

[tiddles]

great!! at last someone has given the answer we have all been waiting for.

Will the trees be ok since they have had their spring growth cut off? to the many who do not know about trees, this seemed a strange thing to do.

the council seems to have been reluctant to respond to the people who have asked the question, thereby making many people (including myself) suspicious that something had gone horribly wrong.

answer, from Abdabs

yes they will be fine, the RHS says so.

thank you!!

[*Bob*]

No doubt a Tree Dude can give a comprehensive answer, but... nature generally 'just wants to grow' and with established trees - unless there are other underlying problems or you do something mental - you have to try quite hard to do any real damage.

If you knock them back later - rather than earlier - after the growing season has started then of course it has to start again, but you're only losing a bit of seasonal growing time. Think positive.. it might even be enough of a delay to get an extra year out of them before they need doing again.

Personally I think the bare pollarded plane trees look well cool, innit

[*Bob*]

Ps - if by some remote chance they do all die then it's James Barber's fault - naturally.

[rch]

James loves trees, you should see the ED ward tree budget!

Okay, so I tracked the tree manager down to talk about capping empty tree pits in Village ward and asked him about when the Barry Road trees should sprout, only to be rewarded with a fascinating lecture on "advantitious" budding.

Basically, the short layman's explanation is that the severely pollarded trees probably won't sprout until later on in the season until the secondary growth phase kicks in. Keep in mind that a lot of the trees were freaked out by the late cold spell, so they are sprouting quite late anyway - the Japanese Cherries got really confused and started to blossom and then went into a snit.

He further noted that the Barry Road trees are well loved and has said that he can look at raising the pollard points over time in order to allow a less severe pollarding technique in the future. But the Barry Road trees need to be pollarded for legal reasons due to insurance claims, as pollarding will control the root growth and is therefore preferable to cutting down the trees completely.

Ever since the Barry Road Birds Nest incident last August, the manager has implemented a policy that large trees will only be pollarded while they are dormant, from Oct until the end of March, so the recent ones were probably only done just under the wire.

He's going to have a look at the Hairy Tree and any others that grow basal shoots on their trunks in reaction to the pollarding with a view towards cleaning them up in the autumn, so let us know where this happens...

[Nigello]

RCH - thanks, you are a man of action. Slatternly whiners, take note!

[UncleBen]

Utter rubbish info you were given rch. Think about it and apply sense and knowldge and recent history etc! You've been fobbed off.

[Loz]

Nigello Wrote:

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> RCH - thanks, you are a man of action. Slatternly whiners, take note!

I've never actually met her, but I'm fairly sure Robin is more of a woman of action.

[rch]

Yes, I'm a female Robin (long story, which some of you know) but, don't worry, I'm used to the confusion and don't take offence.

[hpsaucey]

There's a 'major tree works' poster on a tree in Bellwood Road, corner of Inverton Road. Funny thing is that all the 'major' big trees were done over last Autumn there's only one tiny little spindly tree with about 6 low branches to prune - the one with the notice attached.... . Is this the 'major tree works' being planned? There's certainly not much else left that's green after the last time....

H :`(

[UncleBen]

Systematic unchecked butchery and the council still pays for it. I know its not your ward rch, but why don't you have a word with your contact about the above post

[intexasatthe moment]

The problem is that the trees in Barry Rd WEREN'T pollarded in spring/late winter .

Many were pollarded in August and after a brief delay caused by discovery of nesting birds the work re started in September .

And the RHS says "The least favourable time for pollarding is the autumn, as decay fungi may enter the pruning cuts ".

[pipsky2008]

intexasatthe moment Wrote:

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> The problem is that the trees in Barry Rd WEREN'T

> pollarded in spring/late winter .

>

> Many were pollarded in August and after a brief

> delay caused by discovery of nesting birds the

> work re started in September .

> And the RHS says "The least favourable time for

> pollarding is the autumn, as decay fungi may enter

> the pruning cuts ".

Quite right, someone did mention that at the time. The trees will have to draw on their resources.

[Twirly]

Aren't a lot of large trees rather late coming into leaf this year due to the very late spring? I've noticed that most smaller trees are doing fine, but the bigger ones either in town or out in the country are well behind still. So it might be more than just the pollarding.

[treehugger]

Sorry to bang on about this, but I don't think we have heard from any professional tree surgeons or their informed spokesperson. To my eyes, the trees look little different, bar one or two leaves, from when I first posted. My very uneducated prognosis is that they won't be in full leaf this summer in the way that we anticipated.

If this is because next year, they will be really healthy and in a great state, fine, but I would really like to know, when they were pollarded in full leaf in August 2012, what were the expectations. Someone should know and should be able to put our minds at rest.

[tiddles]

yes, treehugger, I agree. Also, for me the thing was the people 'cutting off the fuzz' i e the new growth, early in this spring.

There seem to be lots of leaves sprouting on the trunks tho, so perhaps we will have a bit of a giggle with leaf monsters down barry road.

[intexasatthe moment]

Don't apologise treehugger , I'm heading for bore of the year about this .

How can I not when literally every time I look out of my upper flat on Barry Rd I see bare sticks ?

And the hard not pretty surfaces of grubby bin covered forecourts across the road . And the view straight into everyone else's top floor flats .

How I would rather see a sea of moving green leaves . How little I'm consoled by thinking " never mind next year the leaves will no doubt be back " .

It does seem odd that we get no posts from any " professionals " ,not even people like Robin Cruickshank ? Jones .

Who I think loves trees and use to be in touch with Southwark tree dept .

Have been discussing with my friend and I think failing a council tax refund I'd like some kind of uplighters ( on a timer ) on the trees to cast shadows and make a virtue out of the wierd structural shapes we're left with .

Alternate colours on trees I think . Or maybe green ?

[pipsky2008]

This season, they will be pulling through this experience. This year new growth, by which I mean the stems which support the leaves will slowly develop. Ordinarily these stems will have already been present from previous years and so less growth will have had to have taken place prior to the leaves opening.

These trees really have to do a lot of work to get to square one this year. If you are unsatisfied with the council's response or feel there has been malpractice by the contractor, take the matter up with the Arboricultural Association

[tiddles]

good idea pipsky. what are the trees that have been done? I am being a complete dunce = are they limes??

firing off a question to the AA as suggested.

[UncleBen]

Well done Tiddles -maybe copy it to local councillors who do not seem to be bothered about the butchery. Btw pollarding is not necessary!

[treehugger]

Thank you Pipsky you clearly know what you are talking about. Thank you for replying. I don't completely get your explanation, but basically appreciate that it takes a while for the trees to gather themselves together before they get going again. This is fine by me, if it is in the long term interest of the trees. Again, I am no expert, just worried. What I would have liked was an explanation and reassurance from those who undertook this work as to what we could expect. For me, the Barry Road "boulevard" (tree-lined road), is a much loved East Dulwich feature and it is deeply distressing to see it ravaged and have no idea if what has been done is a) incompetent butchery or b) excellent strategic tree maintenance that will enhance the longevity of these well loved trees...

Could a council spokesperson reassure us?

[intexasatthe moment]

They're limes . As far as I understand it ,traditionally pollarded and once pollarded then have to be kept pollarded .

I don't think there's any question of malpractice on behalf of the contractors ,I guess they were given a brief ,quoted and executed .

I don't agree with the timing of the work ( and if you look on RHS website you will see they don't either because of risk of fungal infection to trees ) .

I would like Southwark to justify/explain the reasoning behind such severe pollarding being started in August /September .

[lorraineliyanage]

It'll all be fine. Takes a great deal more to kill a tree. They always spring leaves from the trunk when they are pollarded. Left unchecked these trees would cause major reduction in light levels, suck even more water out of the clay causing more subsidence and produce even more sticky drops on cars and pavements.Much less likely to be blown over in Autumn/spring gales too. The contractors have a lot of trees to get through during the year, so cannot do all their pollarding at an optimum time. The limes will be back!