On 21/04/2013 04:07, David E. Ross wrote:
On 4/20/13 3:33 PM, abbeygardener wrote:

We recently moved into a house in London, UK, that has the trees
pictured growing at the edge of the garden. On the side facing the
garden, the trees are covered with what I think (but I'm not certain)
are small dead branches. We'd quite like to remove them as they look
unsightly, but are unsure whether this is advisable or how to do it?

Can anyone confirm from the pictures what the apparent dead wood is and
whether it can be removed (and if so, how) without causing harm to the
trees? The wood is quite dry to the touch. It seems to be fairly tangled
and attached to the trees which I'm guessing makes trying to pull it
down (eg. with a rake) unfeasible.

Thanks

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The photos look as if some kind of vine was growing on the trees and was
then cut away at the bottom without removing the top growth. I see a
similar situation near my house where wisteria grew to the top of an
Italian cypress. The wisteria would have eventually killed the cypress
but was cut last year near the ground. The dead vine is still up in the
tree, well beyond anyone's reach other than with a crane.

Yes, I'd agree with that. Could be a clematis or (gulp!) Russian vine.
Bit puzzled at the apparent lack of thicker branches, although those
may be underneath. Whatever, if it isn't dead it should be showing
signs of sprouting, which should then aid identification. It could be
cut down or pulled off as much as possible. It looks as though it's a
climber that doesn't stick onto its support (like hedera or
parthenocissus), but just scrambles through it. Even if it is stuck to
its support, cutting through the main trunk(s) will make sure the top
dies and can be removed. I can't see that its removal would harm the
supporting trees in any way.

I've just done that with a 30' cypress which is more ivy than cypress.
The ivy's two main trunks are 8 and 10 cm in diameter! And there are
numerous smaller ones. I've used an axe to cut through them, and after
only a month the ivy has dried out enough to become brittle and be
pulled off relatively easily.

--

Jeff