Arbtalk.co.uk | Discussion Forum for Arborists

Had a local farmer do that to one of his oaks. He cut the butresses off as much as possible and then just ripped the roots out with a big swing bucket just so he could get the posts in the exact same spots. The tree is still standing but when we had the wind and rain you could hear it sucking clearly.

Were they your trees, or tpo/conservation area? That is very poor

No not my trees, I'm not sure who the owners are tbh. The farmer who had the fencing done is a tenant farmer on the estate we live on but I think the hedgerow belongs to the farm the other side of us who have bought their farm from the estate.

I came across some other fencing butchery too not too far away, that was done around the same time (not sure if it was the same company) but they had cut a row of hedgerow trees off a breast height for about a hundred yards then put the fence up!

I think this is a bit of a grey area of when a hedge becomes a row of trees?
It was originally a hedgrow but when you have regrowth stems of 12" I'd say it's definitely a tree?! Plus this "hedge" borders a NNR so might possible have restrictions on it?

If it's let on a Farm Business Tenancy then he could/should/will be in serious trouble under 5.6 (B) as long as his tenancy has that clause in, yet to see one that doesn't;

"The Tenant will prevent trees, saplings and hedges on the Holding from being injured by livestock and will not attach any wire to them or damage or injure them in any way. If any tree, sapling or hedge is damaged or injured the Tenant will replace it with equivalent stock on the first suitable occasion."

No but most treated softwood is done badly. The stake fails and gets abandoned or worse burned. At least chestnut degrades gracefully. Old chestnit fencing is also good firewodd as though it dries slowly it resists re wetting, so the above ground bit remains dry. I'm burning some old pales at home now. Surprising for a May bank holiday.

I reiterate charring is likely to reduce the life of the stake.

Heat-treating seems to have merit, to disinfect and preserve. Cauterization. Not to the point of cracking or charring, though.

Live oak, q virginiana wood left exposed to the sun gets petrified.