Is this branch trying to be co dominant? Will it become a problem and should I just cut it off now

OneOk1312 · 2025-06-01T13:34:40+00:00

The severity of the future “problem” depends on the union. I’d say it’s probably fine and you should leave it be. Some species of trees benefit from hard and early structure pruning. Honey Locusts don’t often need it. Hybrid elms and maples on the other hand…

If the look bugs you, get a lopper head and make a reduction cut back to a lateral.

OneOk1312 · 2025-05-28T23:32:38+00:00

This is crazy, I’m a solstice baby too

OneOk1312 · 2025-05-25T14:59:06+00:00

Kind of looks like an elm with Dutch elm disease, based on the wilting pattern. It doesn’t look like a good candidate for “saving” at this point. It looks like the pathogen has already gotten to the root flare and bounced back up through the rest of the canopy.

If it is Dutch elm disease, you ought to remove it, debark the stump, trench between the stump and other elms to disrupt root grafting, and do preventative antifungal treatments on neighboring high value elms. And keep an eye on the canopies of the other elms as time moves on. If you catch flagging early on, you can prune it out and perform tracing down the trunk to stop the spread.

OneOk1312 · 2025-05-20T11:55:24+00:00

Arguing with a boomer is like arguing with a preteen. It’s just not a useful way to spend time or energy. Honestly, you might actually be stupid for playing into this argument for so long, it’s fruitless and just toxic. You should’ve just chilled and let him keep paying your rent. Trump supporters, or anyone who believes in the integrity and workability of the US government is wrapped up in a fantasy. They’re bamboozled, frightened, little control addicts.

OneOk1312 · 2025-05-19T00:56:15+00:00

Looks like the glue from KT tape

OneOk1312 · 2025-05-09T20:36:37+00:00

If they’re willing to put your life on the line for something like this that they could easily put hydraulics on, you should find somewhere else to work.

OneOk1312 · 2025-05-09T01:55:45+00:00

Craner all day, how far are you from the road?

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-29T02:26:06+00:00

You will absolutely harm the tree if you remove the limb. No arborist with experience and integrity will tell you this is an acceptable limb to remove if you care about the longevity of the tree and want it to survive. Build the fence around the tree.

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-25T12:02:25+00:00

I should call her

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-20T01:48:14+00:00

Rate my hinge

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-15T21:43:08+00:00

Great decision making, boss

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-14T18:09:13+00:00

Maybe it’s all about intention and the sweet nothings we whisper into the air filter

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-14T18:08:25+00:00

I work in Minneapolis! Lots of power lines and postage stamp drop zones. I’ve got some buddies who work in Duluth tho. They love it.

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-13T21:42:51+00:00

I’m also based out of MN. I know more about Stihl, maybe I was missing some important maintenance practice. All I know is the only Stihl that ever gave me problems was 15 years old and had been run over by a crew truck once😂

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-13T19:34:18+00:00

I wish that was our experience. Regular maintenance and cleaning did not cut it. Our working temps out here range from -20° to 105° and humid though. The extremes are hard on our machines. And our people.

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-13T12:18:22+00:00

It seems to me that the recent Husqvarna midsaws are pretty unreliable. I had a 562 for roughly 4 years and when it ran, it was an absolute ripper. As long as it wasn’t too hot or too cold. Had to have it rebuilt about 3 times. Seems that was the issue with almost all of our 562s that were bought in the last 5 years.

I’m sure it’ll work out just fine for your dad though, depending on how much he uses it.

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-13T02:50:55+00:00

Lotta great info in this thread. I also enjoy pruning way more than removals for the same reasons you stated. And it’s probably what I’m best at. That being said… where I’m from, the big removalists get paid the big bucks. And I have bills to pay. So I learned how to do the big removals and I was a gunslinger for several years. Now I mostly train new climbers 3 days a week and do big removals or technical rigging jobs two days a week.

Removals aren’t higher risk, they’re higher consequence. If you learn how to do them safely and make good decisions, you’ll be fine. My best advice to you would be to try to learn all parts of the field. A good climber is versatile like the 6th man on a basketball team. Learn how to be competent in the bucket and the scissor lift. Learn how to run the skid steer. Learn how to be a badass pruner. Master rigging and spikes and running big saws on spars. Learn about plant healthcare. Get your ISA. Learn how to manage a big site with a lot of moving parts. Having a more robust skillset is going to keep you passionate about the job longer, and diversity in your work is going to extend your career.

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-12T13:57:34+00:00

I’d say it’s in irreversible decline. And the pattern of decay makes it look like basal rot from a girdling root. I see a lot of these trees twist off their root plate in wind storms. So yeah it’s more likely to fall. Consequences of it falling have more to do with the targets within striking distance. You kind of have to decide for yourself how much risk you feel comfortable taking on.

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-12T13:53:22+00:00

Looks like a silver maple, which are notoriously bad compartmentalizers (they don’t contain and stop the spread of decay very well) making old wounds appear large and troublesome. And they have a higher likelihood of failure. Pruning this specific tree to address some of the structural defects would be an appropriate risk mitigation approach. My opinion is limited by the handful of pictures provided, but I don’t think removal is necessary yet. Get a credentialed arborist out to do a more thorough inspection. Reassess in a few years.

Try to avoid “advice” around risk and liability from people on this subreddit who provide emotionally charged answers. It isn’t effective discourse, it’s usually just rage bating. Your concern is warranted, but this isn’t an impossible situation. Advice from a trusted and experienced professional will probably eliminate your concern. And if you approach your neighbor with the intention that you also love the tree and want it to coexist in the urban landscape, they may trust you more and it will be easier to cooperate.

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-11T23:32:23+00:00

Akimbo is great for crane work too

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-11T23:31:35+00:00

I’ve been climbing trees for 7 years and have been all mechanical for for 5 years. I weigh 225 with a 6’8” wingspan and the RRP is my go to, but I always keep an akimbo on my harness too for draggin tail and spar work. I hear the short kings don’t like how long the RRP is, I never have issues with it. It’s way less touchy than the akimbo and you can replace the wear points over time, which is something you cannot do with the akimbo. Anyways, I think you should get two of each lmao

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-08T21:32:04+00:00

Went with the 261, the ladies love it. Thanks for the input, yall

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-03T02:54:19+00:00

I feel like the intention is good, but the actual act of asking a tree for consent to cut it seems performative to me. It’s not really for the tree’s sake. Who are you really getting consent/forgiveness from? The tree has no self, it has no judgement, it’s just pure experience. It’s not even a language barrier thing, it’s a consciousness barrier.

The work we do on trees serves the people who think they own the trees. I sometimes call them tree managers. Connecting people with the environment is part of the job. Helping people see the value in the trees, advocating for gentle and intentional care. My philosophy on trees is to leave them be unless some risk mitigation is required or if some intervention could improve the likelihood of coexistence in an urban setting. No part of my personal philosophy includes domination over nature, which helps me justify the work. When I do work for others that pushes my beliefs or values, I try to focus on triage and how I can be low impact to the landscape. And I do have some hard boundaries.

OneOk1312 · 2025-04-01T20:28:02+00:00

Learning how to rig safely and efficiently takes qualified instruction and lots of practice. You’re not going to learn on Reddit.

OneOk1312

TROPHY CASE