Pollarding

Shortly after pollarding

Two years after the pollarding

A line of willow pollards near Sluis, Zeeland, Netherlands.

Pollarding is a pruning system involving the removal of the upper branches of a tree, which promotes the growth of a dense head of foliage and branches. In ancient Rome, Propertius mentioned pollarding during the 1st century BCE.^[1] The practice has occurred commonly in Europe since medieval times, and takes place today in urban areas worldwide, primarily to maintain trees at a determined height or to place new shoots out of the reach of grazing animals.^[2]^[3]

Traditionally, people pollarded trees for one of two reasons: for fodder to feed livestock or for wood. Fodder pollards produced "pollard hay" for livestock feed; they were pruned at intervals of two to six years so their leafy material would be most abundant. Wood pollards were pruned at longer intervals of eight to fifteen years, a pruning cycle tending to produce upright poles favored for fencing and boat construction. Supple young willow or hazel branches may be harvested as material for weaving baskets, fences, and garden constructions such as bowers. Nowadays, the practice is sometimes used for ornamental trees, such as crape myrtles in southern states of the US.^[4]^[5]

Pollarding tends to make trees live longer by maintaining them in a partially juvenile state and by reducing the weight and windage of the top part of the tree.^[6] Older pollards often become hollow, so it can be difficult to determine age accurately. Pollards tend to grow slowly, with denser growth-rings in the years immediately after cutting.

^ Richardson, jr, L. (1992). A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 318. ISBN 978-0801843006.
^ Pruning and Training Plants, Joyce and Brickell, p. 55, Simon and Schuster, 1992 ISBN 0-671-73842-9
^ De Decker, Kris (n.d.). "How to Make Biomass Energy Sustainable Again". Low-Tech Magazine. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
^ Southern Living 2003 garden annual, p. 111; Oxmoor Publishing, 2003
^ Tree Care Industry Magazine, v. 17, p. 38, published 2006 by National Arborist Association
^ Read, Helen (October 2006). "A brief review of pollards and pollarding in Europe" (PDF). Burnham Beeches National Nature Reserve. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2011.

[jr-1] Richardson, jr, L. (1992). A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 318. ISBN 978-0801843006.

[2] Pruning and Training Plants, Joyce and Brickell, p. 55, Simon and Schuster, 1992 ISBN 0-671-73842-9

[DeDecker-3] De Decker, Kris (n.d.). "How to Make Biomass Energy Sustainable Again". Low-Tech Magazine. Retrieved 27 April 2021.

[Oxmoor-4] Southern Living 2003 garden annual, p. 111; Oxmoor Publishing, 2003

[Arborist-5] Tree Care Industry Magazine, v. 17, p. 38, published 2006 by National Arborist Association

[6] Read, Helen (October 2006). "A brief review of pollards and pollarding in Europe" (PDF). Burnham Beeches National Nature Reserve. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2011.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]