End Weight Reduction and Cabling of a Whopper Walnut

We recently had the opportunity to take care of a huge Black Walnut in Madison for a customer. This beautiful tree appears happy, healthy and vigorous, growing for around 200 years to reach this size. The Walnut is likely two separate adjacent stems (trunks) that have grown into one another, which elevates the risk that either stem could fail. 

To mitigate the risk and extend the life of this beautiful tree, we carried out end weight reduction to reduce the forces acting on each stem to pull them apart from one another. Additionally we installed a high strength canopy support cable to help the tree counteract these forces. These cable support systems are a critical element to mitigating failure in trees with co-dominant stems with included bark.

Our efforts, along with continued monitoring and targeted pruning, will help the homeowner and her neighbors enjoy the benefits and beauty of this magnificent tree for years to come.

If you have a tree that has major stems leaning in opposite directions, contact Tree House Arbor Science. We’ll come take a look and walk you through the benefits of end weight reduction and canopy support systems, giving you peace of mind while keeping your tree on the landscape.