can i pollard a 10 metre high lemon scented gum down to 1.5 metres?
….and will it reshoot?

pepe said:

can i pollard a 10 metre high lemon scented gum down to 1.5 metres?
….and will it reshoot?

Probably. The 2 eucs that the cockatoos gnawed their way through in the paddock have both started to shoot again. We were left with just stumps after the top fell from the trees but they lived to grow on again.

I seem to remember PM saying something about the regrowth breaking off easily.

pomolo said:

pepe said:

can i pollard a 10 metre high lemon scented gum down to 1.5 metres?
….and will it reshoot?

Probably. The 2 eucs that the cockatoos gnawed their way through in the paddock have both started to shoot again. We were left with just stumps after the top fell from the trees but they lived to grow on again.

thanks pomolo – were those two gums citriodora?

Bubba Louie said:

I seem to remember PM saying something about the regrowth breaking off easily.

i have googled – but no real positive answer.
i’ll wait and see what others say – thanks bubba.

Have a read here.

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1653925.htm

Can I talk about tree surgery on Eucalypts?

Well I probably will talk anyway..

The idea of coppicing Eucalypts is quite viable since in reality the mallee trees do it all the time but I would countenance choosing a Eucalypt which does have a lignotuber.

The pollarding concept has spots all over it regarding Eucalypts As is said in the link above .. Pollarding is similar to coppicing, only .. further up the trunk.
This means that there are multiple branches growing up where wind and gravity have greater effect. When you cut a branch you lose the structure. The frame has been removed. All you have left is the bark. This cannot support epidermal shoots that grow big and heavy rather quickly. A disaster is in the making by heavily cutting Eucalypts. My Sleeper cutter/Forester FiL always said. “If you are going to cut a gum tree do it at ground level”. However this is not true of all Eucalypts as not all Eucalypts are known as gum trees and not all that are presumed to be gum trees are Eucalypts.

The trees which have the more permanent persistent bark are more suitable for pollarding. Bloodwoods belong to this group and these have all been reclassified as Corymbia. The citriodora (lemon scented gum) is one of those reclassified as Corymbia. Though it has smooth bark which sheds annually and also has straight grain which can split easily if you allow the tree to fork when younger, this tree has some of the properties of the bloodwood group.

My mother shocked me one day to get the tree loppers in.. when I was a small and impressionable child .. I asked; “why are you chopping it down mummy?” .. “because it is too big there son.” .. “why plant it there mummy?” .. “it was only tiny when I planted it son.”

Anyway, being a lemon scented, it didn’t behave like it’s cousins planted nearby.. a Corymbia ficifolia and a Tristania laurina would if they had been pollarded at 1.6 metres. Instead of bushing out .. of course it grew two main branches which immediately tried to replace the lost part these branches also grew laterals which croseed between the main branches and interlocked the two main trunks. for another fifty years it stood like that unable to be broken by the fiercest tepests. Until my mother died and my siblings sold the house. After which the new owners razed the entire block and covered the entire quarter acre with concrete to build home units on. I’ll see if I can dig some photos out.

^ hmm I should do more proofreading.. that looks terrible.

Typing isn’t my main skill.

Hmm I didn’t take this photo but you can see the Corymbia citriodora behind my mothers house.. approximately 48 years after it was pollarded at 1.6 m

How sad that all of it was bulldozed for concrete and eyesores =o[

BatZ said:

How sad that all of it was bulldozed for concrete and eyesores =o

Bubba Louie said:

Have a read here.

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1653925.htm

yep – read that one – but not specific to citriodora

that link is regarding cut foliage production for florist industry.

It really only relates to small growing Eucalypts that have lignotubers.

pepe said:

pomolo said:

pepe said:

can i pollard a 10 metre high lemon scented gum down to 1.5 metres?
….and will it reshoot?

Probably. The 2 eucs that the cockatoos gnawed their way through in the paddock have both started to shoot again. We were left with just stumps after the top fell from the trees but they lived to grow on again.

thanks pomolo – were those two gums citriodora?

No Pepe.

thanks RB.
just let me see if i’ve got it right -
your mothers citriodora was pollarded to 1.6m height, grew two main branches – but was weakened by cross limbs – although it regrew safely to a massive height after the pollarding.

the ‘signifigant tree’ laws have got me worried. if i allow my wood lot to get to a certain girth and height they become ‘signifigant’ – and basically the government can take control of them and force me to pay for maintenance.

Corymbia species do not have lignotubers to my knowledge

roughbarked said:

Corymbia species do not have lignotubers to my knowledge

so that means they are less than desirable pollarding trees?
ok – citriodora is not real good for pollarding.
i might give them back to my daughter – she was going to bonsai them LOL.
i’ll stick with porosa and odorata i think.

/sorry ,, power outage most of day..

my mother’s tree was strengthened by the interwoven cross branches. They welded together.. Otherwise I’d agree.. citriodora not a species you want to be paying for by metre of growth.. definitely not.

It is not the best species for an average backyard whilst at the same time it does fit into the larger backyard.

pepe said:

roughbarked said:

Corymbia species do not have lignotubers to my knowledge

so that means they are less than desirable pollarding trees?
ok – citriodora is not real good for pollarding.
i might give them back to my daughter – she was going to bonsai them LOL.
i’ll stick with porosa and odorata i think.

yes .. better to bonsai them.

I’m with roughy on this one… while it will re-shoot, it is going to be a question mark each time a storm blows. citriodora is susceptible even before pollarding to dropping leaves… I once looked after a citriodora that had been run over by a Willy’s Jeep during the Second World War, I got that tree on the Heritage listing. It was broken to ground level and re-shot. Lucky it was a little tree at the time, and it grew up to be a splendid specimen.

Me thinks your tree is too late for a good solid return.

pain master said:

I’m with roughy on this one… while it will re-shoot, it is going to be a question mark each time a storm blows. citriodora is susceptible even before pollarding to dropping leaves… I once looked after a citriodora that had been run over by a Willy’s Jeep during the Second World War, I got that tree on the Heritage listing. It was broken to ground level and re-shot. Lucky it was a little tree at the time, and it grew up to be a splendid specimen.

Me thinks your tree is too late for a good solid return.

yes – i was wondering – but now i know – citriodora is a wonderful tree – in a forest.

Yeah.. You can try coppicing it instead but methinks you will just get a dead stump.

Hi all, 1st Post here and thought I may stick my bib in here as I had thirty odd years of tree maintenance/removal/lopping etc., until a few dizzy spells while up them put an end to that.
My thoughts are that the almost inevitable rewgrowth on gums,eucalypts was a cause for concern with falling branches, mishapen form of trees and the F in L had the right idea for most in cutting to ground level and these days using a stump eater to rid permanently. I have a new found admiration of Lemon scented’s even with the inherant dangers they hold, and do not have reservations about my past , knowing that , if I thought a tree did not need work or removal, would advise the owners accordingly.
Garry

Red Rodeo said:

Hi all, 1st Post here and thought I may stick my bib in here as I had thirty odd years of tree maintenance/removal/lopping etc., until a few dizzy spells while up them put an end to that.
My thoughts are that the almost inevitable rewgrowth on gums,eucalypts was a cause for concern with falling branches, mishapen form of trees and the F in L had the right idea for most in cutting to ground level and these days using a stump eater to rid permanently. I have a new found admiration of Lemon scented’s even with the inherant dangers they hold, and do not have reservations about my past , knowing that , if I thought a tree did not need work or removal, would advise the owners accordingly.
Garry

hi Red Rodeo, welcome to our forum and thanks for your input :)

Hi Red Rodeo

Interesting moniker!

We’re pleased to have you aboard

:)

Simply the Red Holden Rodeo I drive which is the pride and joy for the moment.
Thanks Dinetta.

Thanks Blue Green. Is this a carry over from ABC Gardening forum ??
Garry

Red Rodeo said:

Thanks Blue Green. Is this a carry over from ABC Gardening forum ??
Garry

Pretty much. It’s the gardeners who want to be able to chat off-topic as well as on-topic :)

I have a new found admiration of Lemon scented’s even with the inherant dangers they hold
———————————-
they are a beautiful tree but when they become signifigant trees in SA the government takes control and tells you to spent money each year to have them pruned.
i don’t think mine is ever going to reach signifigant proportions.
g’day red rodeo and welcome.

pepe said:

I have a new found admiration of Lemon scented’s even with the inherant dangers they hold
———————————-
they are a beautiful tree but when they become signifigant trees in SA the government takes control and tells you to spent money each year to have them pruned.
i don’t think mine is ever going to reach signifigant proportions.
g’day red rodeo and welcome.

Lemon scented’s are very hardy species much better suited to southern rainfall patterns than many imported non local natives. The tree will grow quite strongly on good deep soils with some water to be found but can also stay rather small on extremely rocky sites.

roughbarked said:

pepe said:

I have a new found admiration of Lemon scented’s even with the inherant dangers they hold
———————————-
they are a beautiful tree but when they become signifigant trees in SA the government takes control and tells you to spent money each year to have them pruned.
i don’t think mine is ever going to reach signifigant proportions.
g’day red rodeo and welcome.

Lemon scented’s are very hardy species much better suited to southern rainfall patterns than many imported non local natives. The tree will grow quite strongly on good deep soils with some water to be found but can also stay rather small on extremely rocky sites.

so how would they go on self mulching cracking black clay? on a bed of decomposed granite (about 2 metres under, max)

roughbarked said:

pepe said:

I have a new found admiration of Lemon scented’s even with the inherant dangers they hold
———————————-
they are a beautiful tree but when they become signifigant trees in SA the government takes control and tells you to spent money each year to have them pruned.
i don’t think mine is ever going to reach signifigant proportions.
g’day red rodeo and welcome.

Lemon scented’s are very hardy species much better suited to southern rainfall patterns than many imported non local natives. The tree will grow quite strongly on good deep soils with some water to be found but can also stay rather small on extremely rocky sites.

and of course they smell divine :)

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

pepe said:

I have a new found admiration of Lemon scented’s even with the inherant dangers they hold
———————————-
they are a beautiful tree but when they become signifigant trees in SA the government takes control and tells you to spent money each year to have them pruned.
i don’t think mine is ever going to reach signifigant proportions.
g’day red rodeo and welcome.

Lemon scented’s are very hardy species much better suited to southern rainfall patterns than many imported non local natives. The tree will grow quite strongly on good deep soils with some water to be found but can also stay rather small on extremely rocky sites.

and of course they smell divine :)

To my sorrow..
They are not amenable to extremely alkaline conditions. Over many decades, I have personally grown many thousands of Corymbia Citriodora(formerly E. citrodora) from seed collected locally.
None of them have survived .. of those I tried to plant on this site. Yet many have survived only a few km’s away from here.