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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Armadale
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    Default Huge Olive tree.

    Hi Guys,
    Astrid here.
    I've got an enormous Olive tree probably needs to come down.
    It was planted probably 30 years ago in a raised brick planter area and it's breaking the brickwork . worried it will lift up the surrounding property wall.
    Trunk 80cm at base and at least 8 metres high. two main branches at 2 metre mark.
    Do I offer this free if someone will take it out?
    or
    Offer it for sale, if someone will taking out?
    Or
    Leave it alone?

    Cheers
    Mel

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
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    Default

    Is that Armadale WA?

    If the tree is close to walls and buildings then given its 8m tall you should really get a pro tree-lopper to do it. They should be covered by insurance etc if something goes wrong.
    a) Tree lopper will not usually be interested in the wood and given they will usually take way all branches and leaves etc you will have to cough up for the removal typically $2k for that size tree.

    b) the value of the wood is largely in the milling, drying and storage rather than the wood itself which will be a minor % of the trunk value.

    If the tree lopper has a buyer you might be able to get a discount but don't expect too much.

    Some photos of the tree and surrounds would be useful in assessing the situation.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Nerang Queensland
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    66
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    10,766

    Default

    Agree with Bob, your probably not going to get anyone willing to take the tree down, but once on the ground yes.

    For a Olive tree, 30 years is actually a pretty young tree, at 80cm dia and 8m high it sounds like a lot older than 30 years or a very fast growing tree.
    Neil
    ____________________________________________
    Every day presents an opportunity to learn something new

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
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    27,757

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by dai sensei View Post
    Agree with Bob, your probably not going to get anyone willing to take the tree down, but once on the ground yes.

    For a Olive tree, 30 years is actually a pretty young tree, at 80cm dia and 8m high it sounds like a lot older than 30 years or a very fast growing tree.
    I agree about the age.
    The one large Olive I have been involved in milling was about that size but it was over 100 years old.
    Growth will depend to some extent on available water. If its been getting regular water it could be a decent size - it also means it could contain a lot of young wood so could spit hen drying.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Millmerran,QLD
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    73
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    11,095

    Default

    I believe the tree size will be an environment thing. Our concept of Olive trees is a stunted, or at least gnarled, tree growing on a barren Spanish hillside where a lizard would starve to death. Typically in that situation they yield 10Kg of olives a year. In Australia Olive groves are looking for a yield in excess of 100kg per year and are indicative that if planted in good soil with good access to water they will grow much, much better. This could explain the growth of Astrid's tree.

    As Bob said, some pix of the situation would help.

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Armadale
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    Default

    Armadale Vic
    The t ree was here when I bought the house 7 years ago. There were 5 ..some silly b had planted 5 Olives in planters built along two high brick boundary walls I cut 3 smaller ones down. The patio is only 7x7metres!!

    The planters look like an 90s job so thats how I'm aging the tree. Gets lots of water. Took abt 50kg of olives off it 2018.
    I'll get some pics later, too dark now. It's very bushy and grows higher than a two story terrace but the top half is very twiggy.

    Thanks for the feedback, maybe If I get a pro to take it down, someone here might want the green wood. and the root balls of the other 2 if you're willing to dig

    Mel

  8. #7
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    Sep 2007
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    Armadale
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  9. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
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    Default

    FWIW about 5 years ago I was given a whole small 3m? olive by the tree lopper who runs the yard where I mill timber. This millable trunk was ~1.5m long trunk and was about 250 mm at one end and 150 mm at the 2m mark where it branched off to a large number of <100 mm branches. The tree lopper had parked his HIAB truck next to the tree and hooked up the HIAB - cut the tree off at the base and brought the whole lot back to the yard.

    I kept the trunk and docked the bigger branches up into ~300mm long segments and over a couple of weekends I "exchanged" the segments in packs of 4-6 for a 6-pack, or bottle of wine, and split the proceeds with the tree lopper team. If you factor in the amount of time spent waiting for buyers to turn up etc I was probably working for <$10/hour. I just hated to see it go into wood chips. I still have milled pieces of the of the trunk.

    The other olive tree trunk I got from the tree lopper was >100 years old and it was about 600mm at the base and about 250 at the 2m mark. The tree lopper was away at the time but told his lads to "bring it back to Bob" and they did do that, but unfortunately in ~300 mm long blocks !!!! I still have most of this as well.

    Have made lots of stuff with this one - mainly kitchen utensils, spatulas and salad servers.
    IMG_4714.jpg MAllet3.jpg BigSpoon.jpg

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Armadale
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    I don't think people appreciate olivewood kitchen ware unless they know. I bought a lot of spoons back from greece 2019. Use them all the time to cook with. 1 split..the others still look beautiful

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Seaford, Vic
    Posts
    397

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by astrid View Post
    Armadale Vic
    The t ree was here when I bought the house 7 years ago. There were 5 ..some silly b had planted 5 Olives in planters built along two high brick boundary walls I cut 3 smaller ones down. The patio is only 7x7metres!!

    The planters look like an 90s job so thats how I'm aging the tree. Gets lots of water. Took abt 50kg of olives off it 2018.
    I'll get some pics later, too dark now. It's very bushy and grows higher than a two story terrace but the top half is very twiggy.

    Thanks for the feedback, maybe If I get a pro to take it down, someone here might want the green wood. and the root balls of the other 2 if you're willing to dig

    Mel
    I will happily take the wood and will dig for the rootballs - love olivewood! Just don't do it in the next two weeks!

  12. #11
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    Sep 2007
    Location
    Armadale
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    Quote Originally Posted by RSD View Post
    I will happily take the wood and will dig for the rootballs - love olivewood! Just don't do it in the next two weeks!
    No not in the next two weeks. I really don't want to take it down at all but I'm worried it will damage those big walls so go it must.
    You'll be most welcome to the wood.
    If I get someone to take it down, I assume you want the branches in the biggest pieces they can manage. Maybe someone here does it with care?

  13. #12
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    Nov 2020
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    Qld
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    Yep...get rid of it
    It will cause further structural carnage otherwise
    Get a pro in...he will chip what is left
    Mr Fiddleback

  14. #13
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    Apr 2020
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    Seaford, Vic
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by astrid View Post
    No not in the next two weeks. I really don't want to take it down at all but I'm worried it will damage those big walls so go it must.
    You'll be most welcome to the wood.
    If I get someone to take it down, I assume you want the branches in the biggest pieces they can manage. Maybe someone here does it with care?
    It does look rather to close to the walls. I run my own business and if the stars align I might be able to be there on the day to cut the fallen branches to length.

  15. #14
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    Sep 2007
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    Armadale
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    Default

    OK, I'll let you know when
    There's going to be quite a lot of timber so anyone else might want a bit?

  16. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
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    Default

    I would happily take some free Olive timber,
    It’s a beautiful timber to work with.

    Cheers Matt.

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