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I finally chose to do a full crown reduction on a big silver maple instead of a simple thin, and the homeowner just called to say it looks better than ever.
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bettyk532mo ago
Nice! That reminds me of the time I had to convince a client that topping was a bad idea.
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elliotr392mo ago
Wait, you actually had to explain that to a paying client? I'm picturing someone pointing at a perfectly good tree and seriously asking to just chop the top off. Did they want a flat top like a bad haircut? That's how you get a bunch of weak, ugly shoots and a tree that falls apart in five years.
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Holding off on the full crown reduction for a few seasons can actually tell you a lot about how the tree heals, though. Silver maples in particular tend to compartmentalize slower than oaks, so doing it before any big storm season might have saved you a call about a split limb next spring. The homeowner probably doesn't realize you also gave the tree a better chance against rot by not hacking it back too hard. Good call on your part.
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