c/arborists

I used to think climbing spikes were fine for any removal, but I was wrong

For years on my crew, we'd put on spikes for every big pine or oak takedown, thinking it was just part of the job. That changed after a job in Tacoma about 18 months ago, where we had to do a major prune on a legacy maple two years after a removal on the same property. Seeing all the spike damage from before, those dark puncture wounds in the bark, really got to me. Now I only use spikes if the tree is 100% coming down, and I push my guys to use ropes and lanyards for everything else. How do you all handle training new climbers to avoid that 'spikes first' habit?

Had to choose between a full removal or a risky crown reduction on a huge willow

Client in Maplewood had a massive weeping willow with major decay in two main limbs over their garage. The quote for removal was $4,200, but they begged me to try saving it. I went with the reduction, taking about 30% off the canopy weight over two days. It's holding for now, but I'm checking it every storm. Has anyone else had a willow with similar decay hold up long term after a big cut?

Saw a huge limb drop in a Denver park last week, no wind at all

It was a mature silver maple with a cavity we'd flagged, but the failure point was a foot above it in solid-looking wood. Anyone else had a 'clean' tree just let go like that?

I was wrong about using a climbing line as a rigging line for years, a big oak limb in my neighbor's yard finally showed me why.

Finally got a stubborn old oak stump out with a trick my grandpa mentioned

Honestly, I had this huge stump from a storm-felled oak in a client's yard in Springfield, and the grinder just wasn't cutting it. Tbh, I remembered my grandpa saying to drill a bunch of deep holes and fill them with water to rot it faster. I drilled about twenty holes with a 1-inch bit and kept them full for almost six months. When I went back last week, the wood was so punky the grinder ate through it in under an hour. Has anyone else tried this on a different type of tree, like pine or maple?

Tried using a regular handsaw versus a proper pruning saw on a big maple branch

The handsaw took forever and kept binding, but the pruning saw with its curved blade and aggressive teeth zipped right through in maybe two minutes. Anyone have a favorite brand for those curved saws?

My rope got stuck in a huge oak near Portland and I had to improvise

I was doing a removal on a big old oak in a backyard near Portland. The canopy was thick, and I set my climbing line over a solid looking limb about 60 feet up. After I made my cut and was coming down, the rope just jammed. It wouldn't pull through at all. I was on the ground looking up, and the homeowner was watching. I didn't have a second line set. I ended up having to tie a smaller throw line to my harness, climb back up using spurs since the trunk was clear, and manually work the main line free. It took an extra hour and was a real pain. Has anyone else had a rope get truly stuck on a removal, and what's your go-to fix to avoid it?

PSA: I had to pick between a full removal or a risky crown reduction on a big oak in Decatur.

The tree had major storm damage, and the owner wanted to save it, so we went with the reduction, using a 200-foot crane for safety. It worked out, but it was a close call with the weight distribution. Do you think a full removal is always the safer choice in these cases?

My old foreman insisted on using a 3/4-inch rope for every rigging job, no exceptions.

Switched to a 5/8-inch line for controlled lowerings on a job in Boise last year, and it handles just as well with less weight and bulk. Anyone else find a specific task where you can safely downsize your gear?

I've stopped using climbing spurs for all my pruning jobs in the Portland area

For years I used spurs on every tree, but after seeing the cambium damage on a bigleaf maple I pruned 18 months ago, I switched to rope and saddle for anything but removals. The healing response on that maple was way slower than on a similar one I did last week using only ropes. Has anyone else made this switch and noticed a difference in compartmentalization?

Had a huge oak limb hung up in a crotch, rope wasn't cutting it

Last Tuesday in Springfield, I had a big dead limb from a white oak stuck about 30 feet up, just wedged in a fork. My usual pull line wasn't getting it to budge at all. I ended up using my pole saw to hook the limb and give it a sharp twist instead of just pulling, and it popped right free. Anyone else have a good trick for freeing hung-up wood without climbing?

Spent 4 hours yesterday trying to get a 30-inch oak stump out of a backyard in Raleigh, the roots were wrapped around a buried concrete slab nobody knew about.

Just read that a mature oak can transpire over 40,000 gallons of water a year

Found that in a forestry journal from the university library. Honestly makes you think differently about how much work a big tree is actually doing, doesn't it?

Had a big white pine limb kick back on me while felling in the rain near Bellingham... got pinned for a solid 20 minutes.

Spent $400 on a new climbing rope and it snapped on me last month

I was about 30 feet up in a big oak, making a standard cut. The rope was maybe 6 months old, a brand I trusted. It just gave way with a pop, no fraying or visible wear before that. I had my lanyard on, so I was okay, but it shook me up bad. Anyone else had a rope fail like that out of nowhere?

Noticed a weird pattern with new street trees in my town

I was walking through the new Maplewood subdivision in Springfield last weekend. Every single new red maple they planted has the burlap and wire basket still on, like they just dropped the whole root ball in the hole. Saw at least 15 trees like that. It's gonna cause major girdling in a few years. Has anyone else seen this becoming a standard practice with some of the bigger development crews?

Just got my first full crown reduction right on a sugar maple

Used to just thin everything heavy, no real plan. That changed after a storm in April took down three limbs from a neighbor's tree. Now I mark every major cut with chalk first, think about weight distribution. Took me an extra hour today, but the shape is solid. Anyone else start doing more detailed prep work after a close call?

Had a climbing line snap on me yesterday in a big oak

It was a 5/8 inch line, about two years old, and it gave way just as I was shifting my weight to a new anchor point. I managed to grab a lower limb and get down okay, but it was a real scare. What's a good rule of thumb for when to retire a rope, besides just looking for obvious wear?

My old boss told me to never use a climbing line on a pine with that much pitch

He said it would gum up the rope fibers and ruin it for good. I didn't listen on a job in Bellingham last fall, and after one big white pine removal, my brand new 200 foot line was a sticky mess. Took me three hours and a whole bottle of cleaner to get it sort of usable again. Anyone have a better trick for cleaning pine sap off ropes, or is it just a lost cause once it gets that bad?

Serious question, is it ever okay to use a climbing saw on the ground?

Had a big maple removal in Portland yesterday and my ground saw died halfway through the trunk wood. I grabbed my top handle saw to finish the job because it was right there. My boss says it's a bad habit, but it got the tree down before the rain hit. What's your take on using climbing saws for ground work?

My son is eager to learn pruning, but safety worries me

My 12-year-old has been watching me trim trees and now wants to try it himself. I want to encourage his interest, but I'm concerned about the dangers involved with sharp tools and heights. How do other arborists balance sharing the trade with keeping family safe?

I finally stopped my saw from choking on damp cuts

Was pruning a soaked birch after morning rain and the blade kept pinching. A buddy suggested letting the chain dry first and taking lighter passes. What do you do to keep cuts smooth when everything's wet?

Switched to static rigging and it changed our removal game

Saw a trend online about using static ropes for tricky cuts. Tried it last month on a big elm near a fence. The rope didn't bounce like dynamic systems do. Made the whole drop way more controlled and safe.

My crew said to spray the willow, but ladybugs handled the aphids perfectly.

Can we talk about finally seeing progress on a stubborn stump removal?

I had this big old pine stump on a job site that just would not give up. We ground it down months ago, but the roots kept sending up shoots every few weeks. I've been back three times to deal with it, each visit feeling like a repeat. This week, I went out and there was nothing new, just clean soil where the shoots used to be. It might sound small, but after all that back and forth, it feels like a real victory. I almost gave up and suggested chemicals, but patience won out. Sometimes the slow fixes are the ones that stick. What's a job that tested your patience but ended well?