The jobsite dictionary · Lawn & Tree Care
🌳 Tree Work
30 tree work terms with how to say them in Spanish, an example from the job, and audio. From ChambaTalk's free lawn & tree glossary.
- arborist AR-bor-istarbolista ahr-boh-LEES-tah
The certified tree professional; assessments, big removals, and anything near primary lines go through one.
The city wants an arborist report before that oak comes down. — La ciudad pide un reporte de arbolista antes de tumbar ese encino.
- back cut BAK kutcorte de atrás KOHR-teh deh ah-TRAHS Safety-critical
The final cut opposite the notch, leaving a hinge of wood that controls the fall.
Everyone clear before the back cut starts. — Todos fuera antes de empezar el corte de atrás.
- barber chair BAR-ber chairtronco rajado TROHN-koh rrah-HAH-doh Safety-critical
A trunk splitting vertically mid-fell and kicking back over the stump — a killer; heavy leaners need special cuts.
That heavy leaner will barber chair if you back-cut it straight — bore cut it. — Ese árbol tan recargado se va a rajar si le haces el corte derecho — hazle corte de perforación.
- branch collar BRANCH KOL-ercuello de la rama KWEH-yoh deh lah RRAH-mah
The swollen ring where a branch meets the trunk; cut just outside it — flush cuts don't heal.
Cut outside the branch collar, don't shave the trunk. — Corta afuera del cuello de la rama, no rasures el tronco.
- brush BRUSHramaje rrah-MAH-heh
The pile of cut limbs and greenery headed for the chipper.
Drag the brush to the curb, butt ends toward the chipper. — Arrastra el ramaje a la orilla, con lo grueso hacia la chipeadora.
Also: ramas cortadas (general)
- bucking BUK-ingtrocear troh-seh-AHR Safety-critical
Cutting a felled trunk into lengths; read the tension first so the log doesn't pinch the bar or roll.
Buck it into 16-inch rounds, the customer wants firewood. — Trocéalo en rodajas de 16 pulgadas, el cliente quiere leña.
- cabling KAY-blingcableado del árbol kah-bleh-AH-doh
Steel or synthetic support installed between big limbs to keep a weak crotch from splitting.
That split crotch on the maple needs cabling or removal. — Esa horqueta rajada del arce necesita cableado o derribo.
- canopy KAN-uh-peecopa KOH-pah
The leafy top of a tree.
Thin the canopy ten percent, no more. — Aclara la copa un diez por ciento, no más.
- chipper CHIP-erchipeadora chee-peh-ah-DOH-rah Safety-critical
The machine that shreds brush and limbs into chips; feed butt-end first, never reach past the feed table.
Feed the chipper from the side and keep the ropes clear of it. — Alimenta la chipeadora desde el lado y mantén las cuerdas lejos de ella.
Also: trituradora (general) · astilladora (MX)
- climber KLAY-mertrepador treh-pah-DOHR Safety-critical
The crew member who works the tree from ropes and saddle; the ground crew works for the climber.
Nobody moves brush under the tree while the climber is cutting. — Nadie mueve ramas debajo del árbol mientras el trepador está cortando.
- climbing rope KLAYM-ing rohpcuerda de trepa KWEHR-dah deh TREH-pah Safety-critical
The arborist's life-support rope; inspected before every climb and retired after any shock load.
That climbing rope got pinched under the log — it's retired. — Esa cuerda de trepa quedó prensada bajo el tronco — se retira.
- crown reduction KROWN ree-DUK-shunreducción de copa rreh-dook-SYOHN deh KOH-pah
Shortening the canopy with cuts back to side branches — the professional alternative to topping.
Sell them a crown reduction — topping ruins the tree and our name. — Véndele una reducción de copa — el desmoche arruina el árbol y nuestro nombre.
- deadwood DED-wudrama seca RRAH-mah SEH-kah
Dead branches pruned out for safety and tree health; the first thing removed on any tree job.
Deadwood the oaks over the play area first. — Quita primero las ramas secas de los encinos sobre el área de juegos.
- felling FEL-ingtumbar el árbol toom-BAHR el AHR-bohl Safety-critical
Cutting a standing tree down from the ground with a notch and a back cut.
There's room to drop it whole — felling beats climbing here. — Hay espacio para tumbarlo entero — aquí conviene más tumbarlo que treparlo.
Also: derribo (general)
- groundman GROWND-manayudante de piso ah-yoo-DAHN-teh deh PEE-soh
The ground crew: runs ropes, clears brush, feeds the chipper, and keeps eyes on the climber.
The groundman controls the lowering rope on every big limb. — El ayudante de piso controla la cuerda de bajada en cada rama grande.
- hinge HINJbisagra bee-SAH-grah Safety-critical
The strip of uncut wood between notch and back cut; cut through it and the tree goes wherever it wants.
Leave a two-inch hinge on a trunk that size. — Déjale dos pulgadas de bisagra a un tronco de ese grosor.
- limb LIMrama RRAH-mah
A main branch of a tree.
Rope that limb before you cut — it's over the fence. — Amarra esa rama con cuerda antes de cortar — está encima de la cerca.
- limbing LIM-ingdesramar des-rrah-MAHR Safety-critical
Cutting the branches off a felled trunk — work the uphill side, watch for spring poles.
Start limbing from the butt and stay on the high side. — Empieza a desramar desde lo grueso y quédate del lado alto.
- log truck LAWG trukcamión de troncos kah-MYOHN deh TROHN-kohs
The truck with the grapple or winch that hauls big wood off removals.
Stack the rounds where the log truck can reach them. — Apila las rodajas donde el camión de troncos las alcance.
- notch NOCHmuesca MWEHS-kah Safety-critical
The wedge cut on the felling side that steers where the tree falls.
Face the notch at the open lawn, not the fence. — Apunta la muesca hacia el pasto abierto, no hacia la cerca.
Also: corte de dirección (general)
- pole saw POHL sawpodadora de altura poh-dah-DOH-rah deh al-TOO-rah
A saw on an extendable pole for limbs you can reach from the ground; keep it away from power lines.
Get the pole saw for those low branches over the walk. — Trae la podadora de altura para esas ramas bajas sobre la banqueta.
Also: sierra de pértiga (general)
- rigging RIG-ingaparejo ah-pah-REH-hoh Safety-critical
The ropes, blocks, and slings used to lower cut limbs under control instead of dropping them.
That limb goes over the pool — set up rigging, nothing free-falls today. — Esa rama queda sobre la alberca — arma el aparejo, hoy nada cae libre.
Also: cuerdas de bajada (general)
- spring pole SPRING pohlrama tensada RRAH-mah ten-SAH-dah Safety-critical
A bent sapling or limb loaded like a spring under a fallen tree; cut wrong, it releases into your face.
That's a spring pole — shave the inside of the bend, small cuts. — Esa es una rama tensada — rebájala por dentro de la curva, con cortes chicos.
- stump STUMPtocón toh-KOHN
What's left of the trunk after a tree is cut down.
Grind the stump two inches below grade and rake the chips into the hole. — Muele el tocón dos pulgadas abajo del nivel y rastrilla las astillas al hoyo.
Also: tronco (MX)
- stump grinder STUMP GRAYN-derdestoconadora des-toh-koh-nah-DOH-rah
The machine with a toothed wheel that grinds a stump below grade.
Call in utility locates before the stump grinder touches that yard. — Pide la localización de líneas antes de que la destoconadora entre a ese jardín.
Also: trituradora de tocones (general)
- three-cut method THREE-kut METH-udmétodo de tres cortes MEH-toh-doh deh trehs KOHR-tehs
Undercut, top cut farther out, then the finish cut at the collar — so the falling limb can't strip bark down the trunk.
Any limb thicker than your arm gets the three-cut method. — Toda rama más gruesa que tu brazo lleva el método de tres cortes.
- throw line THROH layncuerda de lanzamiento KWEHR-dah deh lahn-sah-MYEN-toh
The thin line with a weighted bag thrown over a high limb to set the climbing rope.
Set the throw line over that second union. — Lanza la cuerda de lanzamiento sobre esa segunda horqueta.
- top TOPdesmochar des-moh-CHAHR
Cut the main leader or upper canopy of a tree down to a set height; bad for the tree, but the word crews use.
The customer wants us to top that tree — talk him into a crown reduction instead. — El cliente quiere que desmochemos ese árbol — convéncelo de mejor hacer una reducción de copa.
Also: despuntar (general)
- trim TRIMpodar poh-DAHR
Cut back branches to shape a tree or shrub or clear a structure.
Trim that maple away from the roof line. — Poda ese arce para separarlo de la línea del techo.
Also: recortar (general)
- wedge WEJcuña KOO-nyah Safety-critical
The plastic wedge driven into the back cut to keep the saw from pinching and tip the tree over.
It's leaning back — set a wedge before you cut deeper. — Está recargado hacia atrás — mete una cuña antes de cortar más.
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