Coppicing - Ground anchor?

JoeX

Hi all,

I’ve finally started bringing down the trees I mentioned last April in this thread:
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1027179/cutting-trees-down-to-size#latest

The tricky bit is that three of them lean over a cable that hangs relatively low between a telegraph pole and into my neighbours (we’re semi detached) roof.  Given we are both fully cable (phone, tv and internet) I suspect the cable may be defunct, but I don’t want to take any chances.

Is the appropriate tool/technique to get a ground anchor, and use some kind of rope to pull the tree?  Such that it’s leaning away from the cable when I undercut, then cut it down it should fall away?

Cheers,

TP

steephill

It is like eating an elephant, one bite at a time.

Start from the final height you want to achieve and work your way up the tree taking off branches as you go. You may need to use an extending pole type pruner to work around the cable by taking off small sections at a time. Then when you have all the branches off take down the trunk in sections. I wouldn't try to control the fall of the full tree without experience and proper kit.

JoeX

Thanks Steephill and yes I’ve been pruning off branches with a manual pole pruner and an electric extended pole pruner.

The task at hand though is to prevent the trees falling in the direction they lean - because that would take down the cable I mentioned.

In order to get them to lean away from the cable, is a ground anchor and tension kit the right approach?

Cheers, TP

JoeX

Here’s a pic.  It will be tricky to cut the top of these first, both because I’d need a stepladder as well as the extended pole saw, and because they’ll fall on to the cable.

Dovefromabove

They don’t look very big ... Id get a strong chap to hold each one at about 7’ to stop it falling as you cut through the base of the trunk. Then when you’ve cut through he can just lower it to the ground where you want it. 

That’s how Id do it ... unless they’re much bigger than they look. 

Choose a calm day with no wind. 

Oh, and move the car out of the way 😉 

😊 

steephill

You will find it easier with a ladder and some help. Secure the ladder to the trunk! I would attach a rope about 10 feet up to pull them towards the road away from the cable once cut through. Make a wedge cut about a third of the way through on the side you want them to fall to. I would make that cut at least a foot lower than the rest of the hedge to give growing room for the coppice. Then cut towards the wedge from the other side while your helper is pulling the trunk to the side. Use a longer rope than the length of the trunk you are cutting, you don't want to be pulling it down on yourself. The idea is to direct the fall, not control it all the way down.

If you don't have any help then you can still proceed as above but do the pulling when you have almost cut through to snap the trunk. In this case I would cut a bit higher then shorten to give a clean cut once the trunk is down. This is a delicate balancing act so needs to be done carefully.

JoeX

Dovefromabove said:

They don’t look very big ... Id get a strong chap to hold each one at about 7’ to stop it falling as you cut through the base of the trunk. Then when you’ve cut through he can just lower it to the ground where you want it. 

That’s how Id do it ... unless they’re much bigger than they look. 

Choose a calm day with no wind. 

Oh, and move the car out of the way 😉 

😊 

Not big?  About as tall as our house, if a little slim. 

Dovefromabove

That’s what I thought ... I’d have happily tackled that with the aid of a strong chap and a bow saw in my younger days ... but I’m a farmer’s daughter and have done that sort of thing quite a few times ... it’s probably a case of what you’re used to ... and I have no idea of your age or fitness 😊 so if it’s not the sort of thing you’re used to doing it’s probably wiser to get a professional in. 👍 

JoeX

Perhaps you can’t make out the cable which is at about half the height of the trees.  Three of them are leaning over it, so half of each tree is leaning over the cable...a six foot person would create an axis far too low to be able to prevent the tree falling on the cable.

Im relatively strong, and in the top end of fitness for a 44yo, but the physics of the situation are against me.

 Have you ever seen a ground anchor used as I sugggest?

JoeX

@steephill

Im trying to see how your suggestions would work but I am doubtful for a few reasons;

Cutting the top of the tree and then pulling it away from the cable would risk the top falling on the cable.

Leaning the ladder against the tree, if the tree leans too - good for cutting but bad for my risk of falling. If the tree doesn’t lean, cutting it will take down the cable.

its a good point about the length of rope being long enough to avoid pulling it down on top of you 🙂. However I am considering the use of a ground anchor so that no one needs to be under the falling section of tree.