Last years drought and damage to mature trees.

[Baldbloke]

I haven't noticed any significant loss of beech trees here in Fife. That one that lifted the root plate maay well have suffered from compaction of roots under the track. I couldn't see any significant roots coming off the root plate on that side. It is hard to tell with pics though. As Gary said mulching may help.

Where the rootplate appeared severed is actually as far as the roots went. Topsoil is pretty thin here and the track is an ancient roadway going down deeper than any worthwhile sustenance for roots to benefit from. Tree was in full leaf and strong wind came from the (unusual for summer) easterly direction. Roots didn’t extend far enough to offset sail effect of tree in leaf

[Old Mill Tree Care]

I’m in Surrey and I’ve seen loads of trees ruined by lack of water.
Loads of Birch and Willow died at the end of last summer and lots more have not survived the (very mild, dry) winter.
I’ve recently seen three Horse Chestnut that are 50% dead, like a cleaver down the middle.
Also a big Cedar last summer, although there were other circumstances.

[Rough Hewn]

Last summer there were hundreds of young birch dying and dead.
West Yorkshire
[emoji51]

[Gary Prentice]

6 hours ago, Rough Hewn said:

Last summer there were hundreds of young birch dying and dead.
West Yorkshire

Same over the hill here. More recent Council street planting of birch appeared to be around 100% loss (must be cheaper to replace than to water although apparently the grass cutting staff had no grass to cut ) but self-seeded stuff seemed to fare a little better.

 

Some of the well established street planting didn't fare well at all, lots of dieback of the branch extremities observable now. Tarmac doesn't appear to be a great moisture retentive mulch! 

Edited May 29, 2019 by Gary Prentice

[Rough Hewn]

I was working with the local council last summer.
The regular guys were horrified that the hundreds of trees they had planted were drying out.
Sad really.
[emoji51]

[mulberrytreeservices]

Hi i,m just trying to find out what a disease on a row of mature beech trees is.

The symptoms are leaves going completely brown and some blotchy just on one side of a row?

I,m thinking drought does anyone have any further ideas?

 

[Gary Prentice]

3 hours ago, Rough Hewn said:

I was working with the local council last summer.
The regular guys were horrified that the hundreds of trees they had planted were drying out.
Sad really.

It's annoying that most LAs have the resources to water hanging baskets and planters to keep flowers alive for a few months and ignore more costly tree planting that will provide benefits for years and years. Maybe long suffering TOs need to fight their corner more to make the other council bods understand better!

 

I'm told locally that last summer some residents 'adopted' some new street trees and went out watering them themselves 

1 hour ago, mulberrytreeservices said:

Hi i,m just trying to find out what a disease on a row of mature beech trees is.

The symptoms are leaves going completely brown and some blotchy just on one side of a row?

I,m thinking drought does anyone have any further ideas?

 

Could be due to frost or wind scorch if it's localised to one side of the trees. Drought symptoms would generally be expected to be evident throughout the crown rather than being localised unless there are other factors involved. Have you some photos of the trees and their surroundings (buildings/hardstandings/roads etc that would affect root usual root distribution or water uptake.

[mulberrytreeservices]

I,m seeing it a lot here around Winchester Hampshire now lots of mature beech with a large percentage of the crowns going brown.

I will take some pics later today.

I have clients asking what it is but all i can come up with is drought!

[Baldbloke]

Yesterday I noticed three Sycamore trees in a row have snuffed it, and some of the Alders around a pond aren’t looking too good either.