What’s happened to the tree at the corner of the Down?
This question has been raised several times over the last couple of
weeks, ever since some surgery was carried out on it. The surgery had to be
done as a result of branches broken during high winds earlier in the year, and
since the tree in question is an old Field Maple, not so common in these parts,
it was important that something should be done to save it.The result was pruning using the ‘coronet cut’ method which replicates a ‘natural fracture’ and is often referred to as such. This method can help to create a more diverse range of habitats for insects and other invertebrates and therefore supply a greater food source for birds; it can also provide a better foothold for fungi.
In the case of the Field Maple, our arboriculturist carried out both target pruning to aid healing and some natural fracture pruning.
If done well the pruning cuts can look more interesting and less obvious, and can help in the process of creating a veteran tree, which can then live on and provide a wider range of habitats as it goes through the stages of senescence and eventual decay.
This piece first appeared in the Stapleford Messenger - April 2008
Updated: 4 May 2008