I can't help but feeling that the winter we are having is slowly slipping away. We are now into the second week of February and the ground remains completely unfrozen. With the long range forcast calling for continued "above average" temperatures, I have given up the notion that we will get frozen ground suitable for tree work. With that in mind, we have officially begun an abbreviated "tree season" where we will be pruning or removing trees from the course that pose safety hazards, are adversely effecting turf conditions, or are effecting golfers' ability to navigate a hole.
We have quite a few trees that are simply dying or are already dead that will be near the top of our removal list, and have many more that have outgrown their location and are overhanging a tee or fairway, or are inhibiting the growth of a nearby, more desireable tree. With proper pruning and selective removals we will highlight "specimen trees" by eliminating the clutter.
We ventured off the cartpath with our dumptruck to help speed up the process, but will likely keep it at ourshop and haul branched in with carts and trailers due to the soft ground. It is difficult to see in the above picture, but we did a little damage to the turf just getting our equipment set up on the grass. This is where frozen ground makes tree trimming much easier.
Because of the soft conditions, we are forced to "piece down" as many limbs as possible, leaving them piled at the base of the tree to act as a cushion for larger limbs and logs. This process also adds significantly to the amount of time it takes to remove a tree. With frozen ground we are more likely to drop the tree and then cut it up on the ground. This way is much safer and much more efficient. Unless we see frozen ground, we will continue to drop trees in small pieces.
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