Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Creative solution to problem with leaves?

Hello and thanks in advance for your help.

I have a 1 acre stocked farm pond in SW Ohio, the pond is aerated using a 2HP surface aerator . The prior owner allowed 4 Maple trees to grow around the perimeter (non dam side). The trees are in the 45 to 50 height range and have grown in clusters with each of the 4 trees appearing to have multiple independent trunks.

I've played around with the idea of cutting them down but with my luck they would fall into the pond or crush the farm fence that runs about 30 feet away from the bank. I may end up going this route if the idea I have you all feel is terrible. My sole reason for wanting to remove the trees is because of the number of leaves that end up in the pond each fall. I use muck away to treat the pond but I doubt the bacteria can keep up with the leaf load.

With the above said, I'm thinking of waiting until the leaves change in the fall and torching them while on the tree before they fall off. I doubt the tree itself would burn as the trunk and branches still have a high moisture content.

Thoughts on this idea? Crazy? Stupid? Or is it worth a shot?

Thanks for your help.

If you light those trees up and they take...WE WANT VIDEO! Do it at night too.

I can't say I have heard of anyone trying this to remove leaves. I have heard of people burning thorns off the honey locust, but that ussually takes some desiel mix to get it started and the end result is to have a thorn-less tree to cut for firewood.

I'm going to bet that IF the leaves readily burned that the smaller branches would suffer greatly. A few leaves burning is hot and fast...a large tree's worth of leaves burning, all spread out, would be super HOT.

It sure would be cool to see though.

Hey! welcome to the forums,

Dunno if it will work, but +1 to the video.

I'm going to do it on one of the 4 and will post video here, probably late Sep, early October.

Conceptually it should work and be pretty cool to watch as well. Ash should lift/blow away.

Thanks for the welcome, good news is no big loss if the tree is damaged.

Have a great day.