After a storm in Spokane, I saw a split maple that changed my view on cabling

I was looking at a big silver maple on a client's property that had a major split, and the arborist who cabled it years ago used a single bolt through the union instead of two, which got me wondering if that's a common shortcut or a genuine mistake.

3 comments

3 Comments

emery_craig3mo ago

Saw a willow oak with a similar split once. The arborist we called used a double bolt system with those big lag screws and a steel cable. He said a single bolt in a major union is just asking for trouble, it can't handle the twisting force in a storm. That tree is still standing ten years later. Made me a believer in doing it right the first time.

the_kevin3mo ago

Interesting point about the double bolt system. Something people forget is the cable placement height matters a lot too. Putting it too high in the canopy can actually make the split worse during heavy wind, putting more stress on the weak union.

emmam6713d ago

Oh man, ABSOLUTELY! I learned that one the hard way. Had a big old maple where I thought "higher is better" for the cable and it just made the whole union flex even worse in a storm, ended up snapping a branch anyway.