Pruning at Ground Level
In the last post, I was asking what people thought was wrong with our tree. The question was also posed to our friends at Gardenweb, which is a great resource for free remodeling, improvement, and gardening help. The consensus was that either the tree was rotting, or it was it in the past by a trailer, tractor, car, van, etc.. We don't remember doing so, but it may have been an earlier owner. The comments also pointed out that the tree wasn't that large, and, although a Norway Maple is pretty, it is invasive. So, we made a decision to get rid of it.
Before help arrive for the final saw cut, we cut a few of the branches off. I don't know if this is normal or not, but it was interesting to see the softness and wetness inside the bark. Maybe it is healthy, but maybe it was rotting and dying.
In the end, with help from friends who own a wood stove and want the wood, we made quick work of it and the tree was down, cut up, and cleaned up within about 1.5 hours. No damage to the house, no one was hurt, and I don't have to worry about a tree falling on someone or something anymore. It's more open and brighter in our front lawn, too. I still need to get rid of the stump and roots, but it was a successful day!
