On 1/8/07 11:49, in article , "dz-015"
wrote:


Hi folks,

We have moved to a new house and have discovered a mature ornamental
pear tree completely covered with ivy. The ivy is up into the crown
and the pear is showing some signs of dead branches. The good news is
there seems to be a good amount of new growth among the ivy in the
crown.

I've decided the ivy is coming down and have been up into the tree to
look for nesting birds/bats etc. but there are none. I've removed 70%
of the ivy including some mature trunks (6 inches in diameter!) and
hope to get the rest soon. The good thing is the trunk is now getting
a lot of sunlight whereas before, the bark was completely covered.

Once I've cleared the ivy, do you recommend I consult an arboricultural
expert to assess the general state of the tree?

I'm prejudiced, so I'd certainly get an expert in if you think you can't
handle it yourself. These are such very beautiful trees when fully grown.
Can you confidently cut away any dead wood yourself? If you can, it may be
worth waiting until next spring to see how your tree responds to light and
air and not competing for water and food!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'