07/20/2025
Can you spot the arborist?
A neighbour managed to capture this photo of Sid working on a limb reduction in a 130ft fir this week. The other 2 photos are from a couple weeks ago in another fir measuring 180ft in height. They grow tall on the North Shore!
Limb reductions are the most effective way to reduce the chance of limb-drop in large conifers. Limb drop is a natural part of having large trees and generally occurs most frequently during storms.
Limb reduction involves reducing the length of the longest branches in the canopy. This reduced length lowers the amount of leverage experienced at the union between the branch and the trunk during inclement weather, and therefor reduces the risk of the branch snapping off. This is most often considered as a means to reduce risk when there are frequent to constant occupancy "targets" underneath a large conifer such as parked cars, service lines, or structures that don't make sense to move out of the way every time the weather takes a turn for the worse!
It is also one of the hardest forms of pruning to preform, requiring high tie-in points, limb walking and creative rigging, often including speed lines (think zip-lines for branches) to avoid targets underneath the canopy. Many arborists will avoid recommending this option for these reasons, even though it's the generally the most effective option for risk mitigation in situations where limb-drop is the main concern. Don't worry, Sid's got you you covered though!
