Went to check out that big oak near the old mill off route 12...

I drove out to look at that massive oak near the old mill off route 12 yesterday, and man, whoever 'pruned' it last should have their license pulled. They left stubs everywhere, like 4 inch nubs sticking out from the trunk, and the cuts were so jagged they look like they used a dull handsaw. I counted at least 8 major branches with the bark peeling back where they didn't make a proper undercut. The tree is probably 80 years old and it's gonna take a decade to recover from this hack job if it even can. I stood there for 20 minutes just shaking my head wondering who thinks that's acceptable work. Has anyone else run into a job where you want to track down the previous guy and make him watch you fix his mistakes?

3 comments

3 Comments

lee_reed11d ago

I read a study once that said bad pruning like that can cut a tree's lifespan by 20 years or more. @gavinb97, your uncle's maple probably had the same issue with those stubs rotting back into the trunk.

gavinb9711d ago

My uncle did that to a maple in his front yard back in 98 and it never grew right again.

wesley18111d ago

Honestly, I think part of that depends on how the tree was pruned and what kind of maple it was. I've seen some older silver maples that got hacked back pretty bad in the 90s and they're still standing, just look a bit ugly. Maybe it's more about the tree's overall health and location than just the cut itself.