Mounting a flood light on a tree!?

[rolyberkin]

Have a client who is asking for a floodlight to be mounted on a tree to light up a car park. The tree is well established. Having conflicting thoughts on this, has anyone done it and if so how.

 

[Strima]

Perhaps he should have left the old brackets in place to allow the tree to heal itself, as it seemed to have been doing before he made the damage worse, by removing the old brackets.

Or perhaps not screw them to the tree in the first place.

 

[Pete999]

Roughly 15 years ago my mother in law had a builder fit some 100w lamps to illuminate a couple of trees in her garden, he screwed them directly to the trunk which I suggested at the time was wrong.

Five years ago she decided she wanted them swapped for LED so I bought some, made some 6" posts to mount them on, got the postcrete etc and dropped it all off at hers.

Mr builder called by on some other related job and she asked him to swap the lamps out as I wouldn't be able to do it for a couple of weeks.

Yes you guessed it, he screwed them to the tree again but when removing the old ones he damaged a lot of the bark where it had grown round the brackets.

Two months ago a tree surgeon recommended they be chopped down as they're dying and are right next to a main road.

Perhaps he should have left the old brackets in place to allow the tree to heal itself, as it seemed to have been doing before he made the damage worse, by removing the old brackets.

Or perhaps not screw them to the tree in the first place.

By all accounts so far with the bark growing around the old bracket, seem to point to the tree coming to terms with this unnatural intrusion into it' s normally carefree life, Mother Nature has a unique way of curing/coming to terms with Man kinds interference, don't you think?

 

[Richard Burns]

Initially consider if you can install a mounting pole near (but not too near) the tree instead, but try and avoid damaging roots.
If you have to mount on a tree don't constrain any trunk or branch, and minimise any penetration of the bark, use stainless steel as an inert substance, try and use single point fixings, don't fix cable flat against the trunk mount it away from the trunk with minimal fixings. The light and cabling would need regular maintenance to avoid damage to the tree, if this is not going to happen choose an alternative.
Don't use this method!

 

[Octopus]

Is there a tree surgeons forum?

 

[Andy78]

Is there a tree surgeons forum?

Arbtalk is the one my brother uses

 

[Octopus]

Is there a tree surgeons forum?

maybe try here:

Arbtalk | The Social Network for Arborists - https://arbtalk.co.uk/

EDIT: Andy78 beat me to it...

 

[snowhead]

Or use a Tree strap, suitable for the flood light to be used;
Strap-on tree mount bracket - https://www.lightingforgardens.com/strap-on-tree-mount-bracket

 

[GMES]

Or use a Tree strap, suitable for the flood light to be used;
Strap-on tree mount bracket - https://www.lightingforgardens.com/strap-on-tree-mount-bracket

That will teach me to read and use the correct link, I just googled strap on, oh my eyes

 

[Pete999]

Roughly 15 years ago my mother in law had a builder fit some 100w lamps to illuminate a couple of trees in her garden, he screwed them directly to the trunk which I suggested at the time was wrong.

Five years ago she decided she wanted them swapped for LED so I bought some, made some 6" posts to mount them on, got the postcrete etc and dropped it all off at hers.

Mr builder called by on some other related job and she asked him to swap the lamps out as I wouldn't be able to do it for a couple of weeks.

Yes you guessed it, he screwed them to the tree again but when removing the old ones he damaged a lot of the bark where it had grown round the brackets.

Two months ago a tree surgeon recommended they be chopped down as they're dying and are right next to a main road.

Did this Tree Surgeon carry out a Biopsy on the tree to ascertain what, if anything was killing the tree, or was he touting for work, as some people when blindly recommending a CU change, for no better reason than it will make them money?

 

[Strima]

Did this Tree Surgeon carry out a Biopsy on the tree to ascertain what, if anything was killing the tree, or was he touting for work, as some people when blindly recommending a CU change, for no better reason than it will make them money?

I'll ask my mother in law when she comes round later. strange though as the other five birches they have are all doing very well, only the two with spots fitted are dying.

 

[telectrix]

he should have used wood glue.

 

[Pete999]

I'll ask my mother in law when she comes round later. strange though as the other five birches they have are all doing very well, only the two with spots fitted are dying.

Is your Mum in Law the arborist?

 

[Pete999]

he should have used wood glue.

No Mate you would have to cut all the bark down to bare wood to allow the glue to work, that would be worse than screwing it on.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

In recent times we have had a number of diseases affecting native species (horse chestnut for example is under threat, as is the ash). As far as I know the majority of these diseases are fungal.

In securing the light/cable if you break the bark of a tree you run the risk of allowing disease to enter the tree. Depending on the species of tree and what gets in, it could be the end of it.

I think you should change your profile name to HappyHippySparkyChicky!

 

[SparkyChick]

I like tree's what can I say