Caring for My Allée of Pin Oaks
We're getting lots of outdoor work done around my Bedford, New York farm despite the hot and humid late summer weather. This time of year, my outdoor grounds crew is busy weeding, weed whacking, and pruning.
Pruning is one of our biggest and most important tasks. Proper pruning improves the health of the plants, prevents disease, and encourages better growth. There are different pruning strategies for different times of the year, but overall the goals are the same - to control the shape, to keep bushes and trees fresh and open, and to allow for better air circulation through the center of the specimen. This week, my outdoor grounds crew "limbed up" the majestic pin oaks and removed all the dead branches.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- The pin oak allée is the first allée guests see when entering my farm. These trees are tall and impressive. Pin oaks, Quercus palustris, are popular landscape trees because they are fast-growing and easy to maintain.
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- Pin oaks have leaves that are three to six inches long, bristle tipped, deeply lobed with wide circular or U-shaped sinuses.
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- The bark on the straight, erect trunk of a pin oak is relatively smooth. Shallow fissures develop as it matures, creating a distinctive diamond-like pattern running longitudinally on the trunk with a reddish-brown color in the crevices.
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- This week, I instructed Pasang Sherpa, our resident tree expert here at the farm, to cut all the dead lower branches and make sure all the lower tree branches were completely level down the entire length of the allée.
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- Here’s Pasang all set in his safety gear and standing in the cage of our dependable Hi-Lo, ready to tackle the pin oaks.
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- And here’s Fernando Ferrari – ready to drive and maneuver the Hi-Lo where it needs to be. It is always important to have teams working on these big projects for efficiency and safety.
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- Pasang is lifted in the Hi-Lo while he assesses where he has to cut. The first to go are any dead, damaged, or diseased branches. Pasang also looks up to see which branches may be crisscrossing.
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- We use STIHL’s chainsaws for many outdoor projects. Pasang uses a STIHL in-tree saw, which is made especially for those who need lightweight and powerful equipment that can effectively prune and shape high above the ground. I always remind the crew to bring everything they may need to every job, so they don’t have to run back and forth to get equipment.
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- As he works, Pasang makes sure the branches that remain are in perfect line with those of the other pin oaks in the allée.
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- Pasang is lifted as close as possible to the tree, so he can cut from the safety of the Hi-Lo cage.
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- As branches are taken down, they’re gathered and placed into tidy piles, so they can be cleaned up easily and quickly. After the job is done the crew will chip the branches and use the wood chips as top dressing in another area of the farm. Everything is always reused, repurposed or recycled when possible.
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- It is important to always use sharp tools whenever pruning so that the cuts are clean. Dull tools are difficult to use and could even damage the tree. A straight, clean-cut promotes quick healing of the wound and reduces stress on the specimen.
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- One can see where Pasang made these cuts. If any branch is larger than an inch in diameter, Pasang also cuts in sections to avoid tearing the bark.
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- STIHL also carries several efficient hand tools such as the pruning saw. Pasang uses the saw often for thinner, easy-to-reach branches.
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- Pasang is almost done at this pin oak. Here he is checking his work before he moves onto the next tree.
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- Down on the ground, any branches that have fallen in the carriage road are quickly moved, so other vehicles can pass. This branch has no foliage, indicating it is dead and had to be removed. This time of year, all the trees are still very green and lush.
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- Here, one can see that the trees already look so much better. Light and air can better circulate through the branches. And no branches are hanging too low.
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- The entire task takes a couple of days to complete, but it is good to give trees a hard pruning every two to three years to keep them in good condition. Cutting any dead or diseased branches should be done as soon as they are noticed.
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- Here is the Pin Oak Allée in the late afternoon after it is all done. I am so pleased with how these trees thrive here at Cantitoe Corners.
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- And here is a view from the other end of the allée. Pin oak trees can live 150 to 200 years when well maintained. I’m hoping these stately trees live even longer.
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