That day in Portland that made me rethink how I stunt oaks

I was working a big red oak in a tight backyard near Mount Tabor a few months back. The homeowner wanted a 40% crown reduction (which felt aggressive) but after talking to a local urban forester on site, she explained how the tree had been topped years ago and needed structural calm more than a pretty canopy. I changed my cuts mid-job to focus on reducing lever arm weight instead of just chopping back to a bud. Now I ask about the tree's history before I even touch my saw. Has anyone else run into property owners who resist proper stunting because they just want it to look neater?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_vera24d ago

Are you seeing a lot of Portland oaks with that same hidden topping damage from years past?

paige87024d ago

Honestly, when you say "hidden topping damage," are we talking about the kind where the tree looks fine from the street but has those big, ugly decay pockets up in the main crotches? I've noticed a lot of people just look at the canopy silhouette and think it's healthy, but once you get up close you can see the old cuts are just rotting out. Like, is it mostly in the older oaks that got butchered 15-20 years ago, or are younger trees showing the same issue from more recent bad pruning jobs?