Open Mike: No Timberrrrrr! Moment

You might remember that I belatedly discovered a beautiful Japanese maple tree in my new yard. (Pictures in this post.) It announced itself by keeping its leaves past the time the others lost theirs, and turning a brilliant scarlet-orange. (I have a dwarf Japanese maple too. Amusingly, I learned that they dump all their leaves at once: one day they're all still on the tree, the next day, wham, they're all on the ground.)

The Japanese maple was not getting much sun from the East and South thanks to the ridge and several larger trees hulking over it. The little tree's branches had spread out yearningly to the West, as if trying to reach for the only sunlight it could find.

The biggest problem was a stand of large trees right next to it—two big unhealthy ones whose trunks had crossed, one ash and the other cherry, and a smaller healthy one a few feet away whose branches had interposed into the branches of the maple like an arboreal Venn diagram. With all that canopy cover nearby, the little tree was strangled for sunlight.

I had in mind opening things up for the Japanese maple to help it thrive. But it looked to me like it would be a tough task to remove the big trees I didn't want without damaging the little one I wanted to keep. I couldn't quite see how it could be done. But maybe somebody could do it.

I was walking Butters when a local arborist, Fisher's Tree Service, was removing a large trunk-log from a culvert down the road, so I stopped and asked them how much it would be to remove my trees. They quoted me a great price, as long as I could be patient and wait till they had their main equipment in the area working on a bigger job. That was several weeks ago. I was supposed to call their office and set it up, but I neglected to.

Three guys showed up anyway, this past Thursday morning. The day was so heavily overcast it was half-dark at mid-morning, not the best light for taking pictures. But of course I did anyway.

And they did indeed bring some serious equipment. They had what looked like an elongated dump truck with a claw crane, and a chipper truck, and an enormous hydraulic articulated arm mounted on a truck—I didn't confirm this, but my Internet digging identified it as a Posi+ 70' stacked-boom man-lift, a type of boom truck. You can get a good view of half of the arm in the top picture. (It's foreshortened in the picture below.) It could get way up. Not a job for anyone who's scared of heights.

Note the holes in the trunk of the tree. Those look like condominiums for
somebody—did we leave some critters homeless with this operation?

It's always a pleasure to watch skilled workers work. This was clearly a routine job for this crew, and they set about their work methodically and almost silently, working cooperatively as a team and communicating, if they needed to, with nothing more than brief hand gestures. They had the process down pat. The guy in the crane would let a thousand-pound log fall into the air and just give it a flip with his elbow on its way past him so it landed in the right place on the ground. Other trunk sections they lowered to the ground using ropes. These guys are so good they probably don't even realize how good they are. Amazingly, they were working in close proximity to a rhododendron on the ground as well as the Japanese maple, both of which we wanted to keep, and they hardly touched either one. All that heavy wood raining on to the ground and the only casualty was one branch of the rhododendron. They plucked out those giant trees from in between the two smaller, fragile plants like it was the easiest thing in the world.

They patiently removed the trees from the top down. There was none of that classic "timberrrr!" cut-from-the-bottom-and-let-'er-fall-over stuff. This was as close as we got to that:

In the first picture they're keeping pressure on the last section of trunk using a rope from the claw so that it won't fall on the rhododendron. The boss looks on with interest from the bucket of the aerial lift. In the second picture, over she goes...

...And then into the truck with the claw to be carted away.

Here's the crew that did my work: George Fisher, Jason Tietjen, and Eric Fisher, of Fisher Tree Service, Bluff Point, New York, 315/536-2743. They do very good work. Note the damage in the trees revealed by the chainsaw cuts.

Butters rockets past the three new stumps at full speed.

Come Spring, the Japanese maple (foreground) is going to find conditions in the neighborhood much improved.

Mike
(Thanks to Mrs. Fisher for the names for the caption)

Original contents copyright 2015 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

TOP's links!

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Mark Jennings: "Hello Mike, Those big holes could be pileated woodpecker work that has been shaped by weather, rot, and squirrels or raccoons. Insects, birds, squirrels, raccoons and even black bears will use big hollow trees. Black bears, of course, need a bigger entrance, but sometimes they can be found asleep quite high up in old snags. In any case, in the woods hollow trees are a big deal for many species. In the yard they can be a nuisance or a hazard. I understand your aesthetic and practical concerns.

"The arborists' picture reminds me of old logging crew photos from the early 1900s. I live in timbering eastern WV. It also reminds me that often the best stories are found close to home. They tend to be heartfelt."

Yvonne: "Over the years, we've spent a small fortune on tree work. I love watching experienced arborists—they are amazingly skilled and adept at climbing trees too. As we walk around our older suburban neighborhood, I see countless trees that could use the services of a good arborist, but sadly few people want to spend their money that way."

Comments

[Steve Clark]

Here in MI the Emerald Ash Borers have devastated the Ash, surprised that you still have them growing in NY.

[Hugh Smith]

It's always nice to watch professionals tackle a job that for us aficionados would be a month long fiasco.
It's even nicer to celebrate it in pictures.
Nicely done, Mike.
Just my two cents.

[Bob Smith]

I'm guessing part of the good price was it looks like they got some decent logs for resale. IF those logs are as straight as they look and the larger one was Cherry they could have been sold or taken down free in exchange for the logs around here in Norhtern Virginia.

[MikeR]

Always satisfying to find a local company that knows its business, and does it well. Hereabouts, Arrow Tree Service is such a company. I've watched these guys climb the trees, then take them apart limb by limb, making the limbs slide down a zip line to avoid collateral damage. How can they start a chainsaw while way up there? I have trouble starting one on the ground!

[Peter]

My wife's late father was a big time gardener and had a beautiful Japanese maple on his property. When he died (over twenty years ago)my wife had the tree moved to our front yard just prior to his house being sold. The tree wasn't all that big - not tall, bonsai shaped - but had a huge root ball. It cost a small fortune to move it and we had no assurances that it would survive the move and transplanting. My wife viewed the tree as an extension of her father and could not be talked out of the project. The tree not only took and flourished, but (as I've been told by supposedly knowledgeable people) is now worth quite a bit of money because of it's size and shape - about 12 feet in diameter and maybe 6/7 feet high). When the leaves turn in the fall and the setting sun back lights the tree it is quite beautiful. My wife is still convinced that some part of her father's spirit lives on in the tree.
Glad you are caring for yours.

[Miserere]

That first photo is a gem, and couldn't have happened if it were a sunny day. Great capture! (As they say elsewhere on the internets.)

[Ernest Theisen]

Nice to see some B&W work! I am going to follow your example.Ernest Theisen

[Ned Bunnell]

A pleasant and thoughtful story for a Sunday...well written and accompanied by simple but informative photos. Nice diversion from thinking about GAS or if my lens is back-focused. Thanks Mike. Hope to see future updates on how the tree is doing.

[steven Ralser]

Our neighbor had a huge ash tree, if I remember correctly, removed. As it was in the backyard, no machinery could be used. It's fascinating watching these experts at work just climbing the tree and using ropes . Also made for some great photography.

[Bill Mitchell]

That's the worst stereo pair that I've ever seen. My eyes are still crossed trying to accommodate them (never did.)

[HVJ]

This is great. I had a similar problem here NW CT, and enlisted the services of the best arborist in the region: Mr Sherman Palmer. Job-specific names don't get much better.

Will you be grinding those (admittedly short) stumps, Mike?

[Oskar Ojala]

I've also witnessed professional crews remove big unhealthy trees. It's very instructive to watch and demonstrates why that sort of a job is best left to professionals. Happy to hear that it went well for you.

[Roger Overall]

All I could think of when I saw the logs loaded up to be taken away was: firewood. I don't know how suitable it is, but goodness, we could heat the house for several winters with a pile like that. On the other hand, if the logs are to be turned into planks, there is a comfort is imagining they'll be turned into something more durable than fleeting heat.

[richardplondon]

I looked out of my (third floor) kitchen window at breakfast some years ago, to notice a guy placidly pondering his situation. He was level with me, right at the whippy top of an over-mature Sycamore, thirty feet away. He'd climbed up it with a big rope and a small chainsaw.

He seemed to come to some kind of an inner decision, then climbed swiftly down. When his feet touched the ground so did the last chunk of the tree; which was what the rope had been for.

[Clayton Jones]

Thanks for the good Sunday story and especially for the BW photos.

[JG]

I agree with Miserere: What did you find so objectionable about that light?

[Bryce Lee]

Some thoughts. One of my post career activities was to acquire a basic degree in horticulture and specifically conifers (fir trees for the rest of you). In your case the Japenese Maple should be perhaps staked on the offside to encourage it to grow straight again; ask somebody local to advise and maybe give you a hand.

Tree surgeons are expensive however between insurance and their hardware worth every penny. Maybe print the group photo on the new to you (received it yet?) Epson printer and get it framed. Give it to the company for their office.

As for the tree stumps you could spend money to remove them! However take a battery powered drill, put a large one inch spade drill in a battery powered drill then bore some holes in the stumps. Then let nature take its course; in few short years, those stumps shall have returned to Mother Earth.

[Ed]

Those cherry logs are worth hundreds if not thousands of $ once milled. The arborists are laughing all the way to the sawmill, and you even paid them to take them down!

[Geoff Wittig]

Steve Clark-
We do still have many live ash trees hereabouts in the Finger Lakes, but they're not long for the world. The NY State DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation)has had a trapping program to detect the Emerald Ash Borer up and running for years, and the bug is already prevalent here. The DEC has optimistically set up 'quarantine zones' around known infestations in a futile attempt to limit the spread, but as of May of this year there are already multiple active zones across Upstate. Once a tree is infested the bug can be controlled but not eradicated, at great expense, by repeated spraying. This is simply not a sustainable approach, and in the long run, the ash trees across NY State are doomed. Municipalities have been warned to budget for removal of their ash trees once they are infested, because (as you probably know), they tend to die, decay and topple within just a year or two of being infested.

[James Bullard]

I agree with Mark's assessment that the holes are from a pileated woodpecker. One of our older maples has holes like that and I've watched the woodpeckers work on making them.

[Herman]

Looks like the The Online Photographer is branching out.

[Timo]

Like the photo essay. Terrific photo of the crew.

[Earl Dunbar]

When we moved into our current home in Rochester, we had three huge trees in the front yard, plus the tallest arbor vitae (cedar) ringing three sides of our back garden that anyone has ever seen.

At least that's what our arborist, Adirondack Arborists said. These guys are exactly as expert and efficient as your guys. And the owner may be tied for the nicest person I've ever met. While evaluating the tallest of our arbor vitae (which actually scraped the roof of our neighbour's house,) one of the crew stewed about whether we would be evicting nesting birds. It was all such a nourishing and invigorating experience.

In the end we dropped our plans to remove all the arbor vitae; we had enough removed to open up the yard a bit and gain some space for vegetable and garlic beds. We did have the locust in the centre of the front yard removed (not that blocking the satellite line-of-site was important ...) and I had two slabs saved, one of which I plan to have fashioned into a plinth for a turntable.

Come this Spring bring the dogs up for a weekend and enjoy our small but comfortable digs.

[alex]

The holes look like the work of a pileated woodpecker to me too. If enough of the heartwood of the tree has rotted they can be occupied by bluebirds, squirrels, raccoons, or even a fisher, though that would be unlikely so close to a residence. Nobody is breeding at this time of year, though, so the worst thing that happened is that some acorn stashes have disappeared.

Arborists have chain saws that start every time because they're vital tools: they get new spark plugs every couple weeks and the gasoline is always clean and fresh--not like our civilian chain saws that sit in a shed for six months at a stretch. No professional photographer would get caught out with a dead battery, for example: an unreliable tool can be worse than no tool at all.

[alex]

The holes look like the work of a pileated woodpecker to me too. If enough of the heartwood of the tree has rotted they can be occupied by bluebirds, squirrels, raccoons, or even a fisher, though that would be unlikely so close to a residence. Nobody is breeding at this time of year, though, so the worst thing that happened is that some acorn stashes have disappeared.

Arborists have chain saws that start every time because they're vital tools: they get new spark plugs every couple weeks and the gasoline is always clean and fresh--not like our civilian chain saws that sit in a shed for six months at a stretch. No professional photographer would get caught out with a dead battery, for example: an unreliable tool can be worse than no tool at all.

[Paul Mc Cann]

Round here those boom trucks are known s Cherry pickers.

Personally I'd have had them grind those stumps down below the ground, The ash in particular will sprout like mad.

We had a copse of about 150 poplars close to the house, They were getting too tall and have a reputation of sending out roots a long way so I was fearful for the foundations of the house, Professionals came in and took them down, ground the stumps and left me a huge pile of chips to be used as a mulch on flower beds. Very useful.Cut the logs into 8ft lengths and carried them away.

Yard trees have little appeal to saw mills as they can be full of metal junk which plays merry hell with their saw blades.

[Bluntnose]

You may have deprived some animals of their home, but take some consolation in the fact that tree stumps are the perfect environment for all sorts of invertebrate life forms, some of them very rare.

[Frank Doring]

On the subject of nailing the landing:

[John Cross]

Now you know why people in this profession are called 'Tree Surgeons' in the UK!

[Tom]

Hi Mike:

Nice story. I'm sure it cost a pretty penny; we once spent $4k to remove a large maple from near the house. It was a fascinating process to watch, but not to pay for. The Japanese maples are spectacular in the fall, it seems every color in the spectrum is displayed at the same time. Attached is a shot of my neighbor's tree taken this fall. All the color in the background is from the same tree.
I'm glad to hear you are enjoying your new house and winter has been very kind so far.

Tom

[Roger Bradbury]

It's amazing how much wood is in even a small tree. I gained a large amount of firewood in return for helping a friend cut down a self set wild plum which was ruining his tiny garden.

It was only about 15 feet tall, but had killed the walnut tree it had grown next to, and was sending suckers out across the lawn. It had to go.

We cut the tree down in three foot lengths, which were then cut in four to produce 9" logs, just the right size. The wood smelled lovely on the fire.

If you haven't had a wood burning stove or fire, you will not realise the work involved in cutting and stacking, making kindling and lugging the stuff indoors for the fire. But if you can source free wood it's worth it.

[Roger Bradbury]

It's amazing how much wood is in even a small tree. I gained a large amount of firewood in return for helping a friend cut down a self set wild plum which was ruining his tiny garden.

It was only about 15 feet tall, but had killed the walnut tree it had grown next to, and was sending suckers out across the lawn. It had to go.

We cut the tree down in three foot lengths, which were then cut in four to produce 9" logs, just the right size. The wood smelled lovely on the fire.

If you haven't had a wood burning stove or fire, you will not realise the work involved in cutting and stacking, making kindling and lugging the stuff indoors for the fire. But if you can source free wood it's worth it.

[Hélcio J. Tagliolatto]

So much effort for a simple momiji....

[Ken Thomson]

"I have a dwarf Japanese maple too. Amusingly, I learned that they dump all their leaves at once: one day they're all still on the tree, the next day, wham, they're all on the ground.)"
That's _so_ Japanese!