Oak Crown Reduction - New Park, Brockenhurst
by Daniel Green
CHTS were asked by the Forestry Commission and the New Forest National Park Service to perform a crown reduction on a stunted Oak at the New Park Showground.
We firstly arranged for one of our qualified surveyors to visit site and assess the tree to confirm what works needed to be carried out and also the safety of the tree. Due to the nature of the tree it was determined that further investigations on the tree were required and a Picus Tomograph Test (see next Case Study for more details on this process) was the best way about it.
With the results of the Picus available to the surveyor large pockets of decay could be found in many of the major limbs. A crown reduction would be required to remove the weight on each major limb thus reducing the risk of failure in the future and bringing any harm to the people that use the showgrounds.
Team Leader Dane was on hand to perform the necessary reduction, reducing back the major limbs to as suitable a growth point as possible.
All of the arisings were chipped and removed from the site whilst all usuable timber was stacked on site to be removed by the showground workers.