Davey has started work on City street trees as part of the City’s ongoing tree maintenance program. Work has started on Oakdale, and will continue on Maplefield and Woodside in the coming weeks. Some of the trees look quite different after trimming, but they will look much more natural once they leaf out in the spring.
The work consists of crown cleaning and elevating the trees. A lot of work has been done on the Oakdale trees in particular, and while the work appears aggressive, it is largely due to the fact that there are many Norway maples on Oakdale that required extra work to correct defects and remove safety hazards which are typical of those trees. The City no longer plants Norway maples due to the issues inherent in those trees. Also, be aware that we noticed that many of the Norway maples around town were suffering from verticulum last summer, which may resolve on its own but could potentially be fatal to the trees.
All work is being overseen by Josh, Davey’s certified Arborist who works with the City. Following is Josh’s description of the methods and practices that are being followed with the tree trimming.
“As you have started to notice the Davey Tree Expert Co, is in the area crown cleaning and elevating your street trees. We wanted to give all of you a little information about the procedures and why we may be doing this and to explain our crown thinning process. First, we will evaluate each tree before any trimming is completed to see what limbs need to be removed. We are looking for any weak branching structures (I.E. decay, tight “V” branch attachments, dead wood 1” and larger). Once this has been established the trimming /pruning will begin following ANSI 300 Standards for crown thinning.
The second step is canopy elevation. We have established with the City of Pleasant Ridge the standard of 18’ over roadways and side walks where attainable, but not every tree will be elevated to this height. As a good rule of thumb, we use the 1/3 rule, which means the bottom 1/3 of the tree will be removed to achieve the height we are looking for and leaving 2/3 of the upper canopy intact. Each tree is evaluated to establish the height before the canopy is lifted.
As you may have noticed, some trees look more severe than others. Each tree is different and some require something different than our standard trimming. The City has had a few incidents the last few years where trees have failed and caused damage to properties. We being proactive in our approach, and if we see a limb or lead that has a structural defect, even if the limb is not an immediate danger that limb will be removed. This is all in place to protect both the safety of the City Residents and Property of the Residents from damage or injury. While many trees look quite different, the work that is being done is to protect the safety and well being of the residents of Pleasant Ridge, and to promote the long-term health of the City’s street trees.”
