France as you probably know is full to bursting with poplars. The story goes that Napoleon had them planted to provide shade for his marching troops and it leads to the archetipal French roadside. But there is a fungal/beetle(??) infection which is slowly spreading in them. But the French have a habit of pollarding in the spring when I would have thought the sap would have been rising. No doubt pollarding does promote growth and maintains control but should it be done in spring or autumn??