WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT TOPPING CONIFERS!
Central and northern Scotland have some of the finest and proudest pine, spruce and fir trees in the UK, Strathearn and it’s surrounding glens are no exception.
We have plantations of spruce, native and hybrid wild woodland, cypress hedges and lone warrior trees in residential gardens. It is a truly special place to be a tree lover, especially a big tree lover! McRosty Park in Crieff, Drummond Castle, Braco Castle are great places to visit towering spruce, fir and sequoia. With Dunkeld and it’s (once) record breaking douglas firs only a wee drive north, and the gnarly old Scot’s pine in the upland areas. You really do feel like you are stepping back in time millions of years when you take a stroll through these plantations! It is quite some experience! Even just driving through Methven, Crieff, Muthill, Comrie, St Fillans or Lochearnhead, it’s clear the people in our area have a close relationship with their trees, be that wanted or otherwise.
This large douglas fir was causing damage to a wall and sceptic tank, it is very likely to have been planted without thought for the next generation’s consequences! Unfortunately it had to be removed.
For my residential clients, it’s the lone warriors. Especially specimen trees which have reached a size and mass that are worrying for nearby dwellings. Many of these statement trees have now reached this level of maturity. I was recently involved in a site clearance, where a 37m sitka spuce, which was around 1.25m at felling height, was a little over 35 years old. These are fast growing trees, and eventually may grow to be more than 60m.
The author, 25m up a fir tree, posing for a silly photo for his kids… On the right is a pruning wound, probably performed about five or so years ago. Significant regrowth around this now rotten stump is clearly evident!
Some of my clients worries have certainly been exacerbated by recently extreme weather events. Even the hard sceptics of climate change have to admit that the past few years have been more turbulent than most, with sustained dry periods during the summers, mild wet winters, destructive storms, floods and late frosts. Our trees, be they native or exotic specimens, are having a hard time figuring out what is going on!
What is also worth bearing in mind is that several of these fir and spruce species will have been brought over from North America, or Europe, because of their qualities for farming. Species like Sitka Spruce, Larch etc, do very well in our cool wet climate. Most of the trees I have removed this year have shown very little heart rot (unlike most of the native species I’ve dealt with), so its also fair to say that they are pretty resistant to many of the common fungi and other pathogens we have natively, but certainly not all. We have dothistroma needle blight, phytophthora, and many more pathogens in central and northern Scotland.
https://forestryandland.gov.scot/visit/forest-parks/argyll-forest-park/phytophthora-ramorum
Common root rot pathogens are also an obvious concern, like armillaria (honey fungus) or others. Most of the removals I have performed in the Strathearn area lately have been pretty clear of any basal rot issues, probably a combinations of fast growth and good health! Its not a simple science, and many species of conifer are more resistant to certain pathogens than others. I’ve certainly met more cypress with basal rot issues than I have spruce of the same age in the Strathearn area.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/disease/honey-fungus
https://www.fas.scot/downloads/farm-woodlands-information-note-quick-guide-to-conifer-tree-species/
Safely dismantling a large “bomb” of regrowth from a previously topped fir tree.
It seems a common misguided solution to mitigating the risk of these trees toppling over onto people’s property during periods of stormy weather, is to have an arborist or tree surgeon remove the top. The theory being, if the tree stays that height, it is not at risk of hitting the house. Sounds like a win doesn’t it, however not only does it ruin the tree’s form and severely impact it’s health, it creates a time bomb of decay and reactive growth which will cause more serious (and costly) issues down the line. Remember these are fast growing trees!
A few years down the line, you end up with a new crown of often multiple leaders, gaining mass rapidly, around a large pruning wound that is decaying down the trunk. Clearly this unsustainable balance is not what you want in your garden or public space. OK in a forest as a curiosity of course, but too much of an avoidable hazard to people and property a few years down the line, in my opinion.
Of course, it is quite common for these trees to lose their crown naturally due to high winds. I don’t think we should be creating these hazards however. I would much rather see a tree like this removed and replaced with a more suitable species for the space. It is however a course of action that is perpetuated by insurance companies, and other uninformed, however we can try and educate as we go.
It could be of course that taking the crown off a large confer is preferrable, usually for cost reasons, sometimes for sentimental reasons. This is understandable, but a plan of inspection/regular management must be a continuing activity post pruning.
I could wax lyrical with biology, citations etc, but the below link is a very good short article from Purdue University in the USA (where a lot of these fir, spruce and ceder species grow natively), explaining the science in a much nicer way than I can!
A lone Scot’s pine on the shores of Kinloch Horne, proof that our native species are well adapted to the wind and weather!
Choosing a tree for your garden, or public space is a big responsibility! You really have to think about actions years, decades, and even centuries in the future. You are only the custodian of part of the tree’s long lifespan. Yes, that nice Larch might look pretty in it’s first few years, but will not stop until its pushing 30m+. Then what? Remove it’s crown and either have a time bomb of regrowth, or an annual visit by a tree surgeon to keep it tidy and safe. Not to mention an arguably unsightly form (although some may argue, a great raptor vantage point).
There are many beautiful conifers of all shapes and sizes to fit any spaces, such as cryptomeria, or our native yew. Holly can also be a nice evergreen for year-round cover, although it does have a tendency to take over!
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/92100/cryptomeria-japonica-bandai-sugi/details
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/holly/
It’s my job as a tree surgeon to perform essential tasks in the canopy, and I have no doubt I will be asked to do this in the future, however I will always make sure that my client has all the information, and all the options, before committing to the task.
Tristram Fox
Tree Surgeon - TristramTree
