Saw a guy butcher a 50 year old oak in 20 minutes flat

I was walking my dog through a neighborhood in Portland last Tuesday and watched a crew absolutely destroy a mature oak. The owner wanted it 'thinned out' but the guy running the chainsaw clearly had no idea about branch collars or proper cuts. He left stubs everywhere and stripped the canopy way too thin. This tree is probably toast within 5 years if it doesn't get some serious follow-up care. Has anyone else dealt with homeowners hiring the cheapest crew off Craigslist?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese5507d ago

I used to be the guy who thought tree work was just cutting wood. A few years back I would've said "who cares, it's just branches." Then I had to deal with a tree that got butchered by a cheap crew at my old place. Three years later half the crown was dead and I had to drop $4000 to take it down because it was leaning over my neighbor's garage after a storm. So yeah, that 50 year old oak is probably doomed if they left stubs and stripped it too thin. The owner saved maybe $500 today and lost a tree that took decades to grow.

richardrodriguez7d ago

Read a study once that said a tree's branches are like its lungs, so cutting too many at once is basically suffocating it. Seems like that cheap crew just gave that oak a slow death sentence. People don't realize a good trim costs more upfront but saves you a ton of regret later.