Tree doctors: Arborists work on Jefferson’s poplars

By Don Davis
Published: November 18, 2008

Ancient trees in the front yard of Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest got an extra measure of tender loving care on a recent Saturday.

Four certified arborists donated their time and talents to keep the trees in good shape.

Five of the trees they worked on were immense tulip poplars, surviving members of an old grove of trees known as “poplar forest” as early as 1740. They were growing on the site long before Jefferson arrived there.

“We’re here to raise awareness of certified arborists and inspect these trees,” Jonathan Sledge, of Above Ground Tree and Landscape Services, said as the day began.

He then asked the other arborists to check out the trees’ lightning protection systems, making sure cables are tight and air terminals are high enough.

“We also need to look for cracks in the trees, holes with rot and any structural damage. Use a camera to document the problems you see,” he said.

Sledge stressed the importance of evaluating the trees and improving their lightning protection, but not pruning. He advised the others to cut out any dead wood they found, but not to remove live branches.
Next, the four arborists began climbing. They set their ropes, tied their knots and started going up as high as 100 feet. They didn’t have spikes on their boots or a bucket truck. Everyone had his own insurance, just in case.

All four arborists saw some cavities where rot had set in, situations that will need to be monitored as time goes by. Tree cavities are not treated like tooth cavities. Although gouging out the rotten wood and packing the cavity with concrete was once a standard treatment in tree care, it was found to do more harm than good.

Handsaws were used to cut out the small amount of dead wood they found. Only once did a chain saw break the silence and get the attention of nearby tour groups.

“The tree I just came out of looked great,” proclaimed Richard Jones, a freelance arborist.

“I saw a long wound on one branch, but it is callusing over very nicely,” said Jarrett Wilkes of Wilkes Tree and Horticultural Specialists.

“The tree I was in had average branch growth of 2 to 6 inches per year,” said Mike Neal of Arboristry Associates.

This event was the second annual Day of Service sponsored in the Lynchburg area by the above tree professionals and the nonprofit Virginia Urban Forest Council (http://www.treesvirginia.org).

Not all tree care workers are certified arborists. To become certified, they study and practice and take exams, and to stay certified, they attend continuing education courses on a regular basis.

Arborists are certified by the International Society of Arboriculture in Illinois. Its Web site, http://www.isa-arbor.com, has a wealth of tree care information.