North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Lon Rombough <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

Bolts work well.  You can get some that are just a big rod that has been completely threaded.  Use the biggest washers you can get.   After you are done, saw the bolts off right at the nut.  In a few years, the tree will grow around the washers and nut and you'll never know they are there.  Just be sure you leave word to anyone who might use a chainsaw on the tree.
Commercial arborists use this technique on massive old shade trees they want to save.
=Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
On Feb 8, 2005, at 1:00 PM, rob hamilton wrote:

If I had a working drill and a big long bit, I like
the bolting idea, but would wraping a big steal cable
just girdle the tree.

rob

--- Jim Fruth <jfruth@uslink.net> wrote:

> Responding to Rob Hamilton's request about
> saving his loquat tree, I had
> a similar thing happen to one of my best maple sap
> producing maple trees.
> It had three main top branches.  A storm broke one
> off and the remaining two
> were split apart 6' down the trunk.  I winched the
> two together as tight as
> possible to close the gap between them.  Then I
> wrapped a 3/8" steel cable
> around the two securing the ends with (two) cable
> clamps.  Wherever there
> was a still open gap, I sprayed it full using spray
> foam.  It worked.
>
> Jim Fruth
> Pequot Lakes, MN