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#1
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Top cut on dogwood.
Since I am going to do it anyway, and have already trimmed the branches,
would someone tell me if I should make an angle cut or a straight cut and should i tar it when reducing height by about 1/3 with a topping cut of the main trunk on a dogwood. Or does it make any difference. (I already realize that I will attract tornadoes, lightning strikes, earthquakes and kill every living thing within a hundred yard radius of the tree and will probably set up a domino effect of infestations that will blight the entire Eastern seaboard.) Thank you for non-scolding answers, FACE sarcastic? me? ;-)) |
#2
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dont try to seal cuts on trees. I am truly surprised a dogwood would need heading
back since they dont grow all that tall. Ingrid FACE wrote: Since I am going to do it anyway, and have already trimmed the branches, would someone tell me if I should make an angle cut or a straight cut and should i tar it when reducing height by about 1/3 with a topping cut of the main trunk on a dogwood. Or does it make any difference. (I already realize that I will attract tornadoes, lightning strikes, earthquakes and kill every living thing within a hundred yard radius of the tree and will probably set up a domino effect of infestations that will blight the entire Eastern seaboard.) Thank you for non-scolding answers, FACE sarcastic? me? ;-)) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List http://puregold.aquaria.net/ www.drsolo.com Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the endorsements or recommendations I make. |
#3
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Thanks for the answer and that is a valid question. A property i have had
for some years now had a dogwood planted near the house and walk which was just fine for them and for several years afterward but has now reached it's expected 25' and was in the utility lines coming into the house -- besides just being oversized for it's position. I never use a sealant for branch trimming but this morning i read that topcuts were particularly inviting to disease invasion since they rotted somewhat and so I thought that to tar it might be reasonable. Also, taking that info, i considered that a bluntish angle cut might be a better idea than a straight cut. The article gave no idea how to do top it, just that to do so was a really, really, bad thing. :-) As far as heighth, most of the standard southern dogwoods run to about 25 feet, with some cultivars like the Cherokee (?) being less. However, in a wooded area i have one over 40 feet tall with about a five inch trunk. It has been competing with pines to stay at the canopy top. It is losing. :-) As far as the subject tree, I have cut the branches over the last few weeks and have it in the shape that i want it, I still have not cut the 8 feet or so of the trunk though. FACE On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 19:00:00 GMT, in rec.gardens wrote: dont try to seal cuts on trees. I am truly surprised a dogwood would need heading back since they dont grow all that tall. Ingrid FACE wrote: Since I am going to do it anyway, and have already trimmed the branches, would someone tell me if I should make an angle cut or a straight cut and should i tar it when reducing height by about 1/3 with a topping cut of the main trunk on a dogwood. Or does it make any difference. (I already realize that I will attract tornadoes, lightning strikes, earthquakes and kill every living thing within a hundred yard radius of the tree and will probably set up a domino effect of infestations that will blight the entire Eastern seaboard.) Thank you for non-scolding answers, FACE sarcastic? me? ;-)) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List http://puregold.aquaria.net/ www.drsolo.com Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the endorsements or recommendations I make. |
#4
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It will make no real difference how you top third out of your (soon to be
moribund) dogwood tree. Hack away. -- Mike LaMana, MS, CTE Consulting Forester & Arborist Heartwood Consulting Services, LLC Toms River, NJ www.HeartwoodConsulting.net "FACE" wrote in message ... Since I am going to do it anyway, and have already trimmed the branches, would someone tell me if I should make an angle cut or a straight cut and should i tar it when reducing height by about 1/3 with a topping cut of the main trunk on a dogwood. Or does it make any difference. (I already realize that I will attract tornadoes, lightning strikes, earthquakes and kill every living thing within a hundred yard radius of the tree and will probably set up a domino effect of infestations that will blight the entire Eastern seaboard.) Thank you for non-scolding answers, FACE sarcastic? me? ;-)) |
#5
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I have several dogwood trees, some native to the area. I have not
trimmed any of them and they all do well. A straight cut will leave less cross-sectional area exposed to disease. Do not use tree sealer. Dogwoods bruise easily and heal very slowly. On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 13:44:48 -0500, FACE wrote: Since I am going to do it anyway, and have already trimmed the branches, would someone tell me if I should make an angle cut or a straight cut and should i tar it when reducing height by about 1/3 with a topping cut of the main trunk on a dogwood. Or does it make any difference. (I already realize that I will attract tornadoes, lightning strikes, earthquakes and kill every living thing within a hundred yard radius of the tree and will probably set up a domino effect of infestations that will blight the entire Eastern seaboard.) Thank you for non-scolding answers, FACE sarcastic? me? ;-)) |
#6
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Thanks, I realize the cross-sectional surface would be larger with an angle
cut. I agree wit the non-sealant approach on branches but with the grain open and upright I considered it in this case, and in particular tar. FACE On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 00:32:56 GMT, Phisherman in rec.gardens wrote: I have several dogwood trees, some native to the area. I have not trimmed any of them and they all do well. A straight cut will leave less cross-sectional area exposed to disease. Do not use tree sealer. Dogwoods bruise easily and heal very slowly. On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 13:44:48 -0500, FACE wrote: Since I am going to do it anyway, and have already trimmed the branches, would someone tell me if I should make an angle cut or a straight cut and should i tar it when reducing height by about 1/3 with a topping cut of the main trunk on a dogwood. Or does it make any difference. (I already realize that I will attract tornadoes, lightning strikes, earthquakes and kill every living thing within a hundred yard radius of the tree and will probably set up a domino effect of infestations that will blight the entire Eastern seaboard.) Thank you for non-scolding answers, FACE sarcastic? me? ;-)) |
#7
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Just had to get that "soon to be moribund" in there didn't you.
Well, if it makes you feel better more power to you, you might try practicing replies that offer constructive advice in bad situations, but hey, that's just me. So now you can make your reply insulting me further for trying something that you do not have the guts to try. "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither suffer much nor enjoy much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 19:24:25 -0500, "Mike LaMana" fake@MikeatHeartwoodConsultingdotnet in rec.gardens wrote: It will make no real difference how you top third out of your (soon to be moribund) dogwood tree. Hack away. |
#8
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FACE wrote in message . ..
I never use a sealant for branch trimming Just read this comment. Is branch sealant bad? And, if so, why? Patrick |
#9
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If the tree is actually growing thru the lines and the electric company thinks it is
dangerous, then it is best to simply remove the tree. southern dogwoods are dying from anthracnose and having to cut one like that is going to make it an incubator for disease that will be better able to spread to the rest of the dogwoods. dogwoods are under story trees, they do best in hot climes under taller trees. Ingrid FACE wrote: Thanks for the answer and that is a valid question. A property i have had for some years now had a dogwood planted near the house and walk which was just fine for them and for several years afterward but has now reached it's expected 25' and was in the utility lines coming into the house -- besides just being oversized for it's position. I never use a sealant for branch trimming but this morning i read that topcuts were particularly inviting to disease invasion since they rotted somewhat and so I thought that to tar it might be reasonable. Also, taking that info, i considered that a bluntish angle cut might be a better idea than a straight cut. The article gave no idea how to do top it, just that to do so was a really, really, bad thing. :-) As far as heighth, most of the standard southern dogwoods run to about 25 feet, with some cultivars like the Cherokee (?) being less. However, in a wooded area i have one over 40 feet tall with about a five inch trunk. It has been competing with pines to stay at the canopy top. It is losing. :-) As far as the subject tree, I have cut the branches over the last few weeks and have it in the shape that i want it, I still have not cut the 8 feet or so of the trunk though. FACE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List http://puregold.aquaria.net/ www.drsolo.com Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the endorsements or recommendations I make. |
#11
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#12
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#13
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#14
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In the long run it will probably be better to make a bottom cut and
remove the tree entirely rather than watch it's slow decline to your pruning. Plant something appropriate to the site. |
#15
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On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 13:44:48 -0500, FACE
wrote: Thank you for non-scolding answers, Fat chance! http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/c...g_dogwood.html does not answer your specific questions, but sounds athoritative enough to be worth following up with e-mail or phone call. I'm sorry you have to prune your tree. Some rather unpleasant neighbors sheared my large old dogwood straight up and down along the property line some years ago, and it recovered over time with no noticable insect or disease damage. The cuts were not sealed with anything. This was/is in SE Virginia, where there are dogwoods all over the place. Good luck. |
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