Multi stemmed Horse Chestnut Disease management advice?

[Climber Dave]

Hi, I’ve been looking at mature 15m multi stemmed Horse Chestnut. Its had Bleeding Canker for a fair few years from what I can tell, last two years had leaf minor. It has a TPO, and had an independent survey/report from a tree consultant done just over a year ago which in summary stated no work was necercery as it posed no risk. Just had a look at it and found a large area of bark loss in a strip about 3 m long and 30cm wide running along the length of the trunk with bracket fungi on it fairly low down on one of the 4 main trunks, which sounds like its happened some time this past year. Its effectively four trunks which split at/just below ground level, all trunks lean away from each other (with fairly significant lean), and its in very close proximity to road/houses/ phone wires/garages/neighbouring gardens. 

 

Would you look to only take out the effected trunk, and try to save the rest of the tree with close monitoring over the future, a risk of unbalancing the rest of the tree? or look to take down the whole tree? Another tree survey?

[daltontrees]

I'd say tyhat defect is at least 5 years old. And I'd also say the tree is not going to recover from it.

 

Two questions. Did the report on the survey last year mention the defect? What reinspection period did the report recommend?

[Climber Dave]

Thanks for the input.

 

Tree survey was carried out 18 Nov 2018, inspected using "Visual Tree Assessment" and each of the four trunks were "sounded". Numerous pruning wounds, signs of bleeding canker were noted in the report but I quote "no significant decay was noted". No re inspection period mentioned. The final recommendations of the report was "no work is required at this moment in time"

 

Clients are keen to save as much of the tree as possible, as it is a high value tree and would have major impact to the area if it was removed, but also would threaten quite a few neighbouring properties as well as the clients own if it was to fail. I'd rather just remove the effected stem and EdwardC recommends (TPO permission permitting) then monitor the rest of the tree, but open to suggestions...

 

 

Edited January 1, 2020 by Climber Dave

[daltontrees]

11 hours ago, Climber Dave said:

Tree survey was carried out 18 Nov 2018, inspected using "Visual Tree Assessment" and each of the four trunks were "sounded". Numerous pruning wounds, signs of bleeding canker were noted in the report but I quote "no significant decay was noted". No re inspection period mentioned. The final recommendations of the report was "no work is required at this moment in time"

 

The reason I asked was to get an idea of whether the survey covered you in the event of harm or damage to toy or a neighbour or BT etc. Based on what you have said and the photographs showing decay probably established for a number of years, there is a possibility that the major defect was missed by the surveyor.  The only other option is tha the decay was seen but the surveyor consciously decided it was not 'significant' (which, based on the photos is a questionable decision).

 

I frequently get shown tree survey reports by others and I correlate the use of certain phraseology with people of known abilities/inabilities, and anyone that says 'no wokr is required at this moment in time' is probably not fully understanding the role of the surveyor and how risk should be assessed. The fact that no re-inspection recommendation is given is I think the conclusive proof that this is an amateurish survey. You say it was by a consultant. Wow!

 

I only know part of the story based on pictures and what you have said, but I'd suggest that the survey is close to useless to you. I hope you didn't pay a lot for it. If you did, you could be looking for your money back so you can spend it on a proper tree risk assessment from someone who is insured and competent.

 

I am of the 'another tree survey' opinion. It might cost money but it might save a lot.

 

But if you are worried enough to do some work to it, consider this. That would is never going to heal over. The wood is probably going to get weaker and weaker, and perhaps the branches above it are going to get heavier and heavier. Removing any branches is goign to remove the only chance the tree has to fend off decay and to put on reaction wood to compensate for the loss of strength. So it might be an all-or-nothing moment.

 

There's an in-between possibility, and that is bracing, which needn't be fancy, nothing more than rope and a couple of slings.

 

Or, removal of the top few metres of the affected stem wold buy you a number of years, even if it does accelerate the eventual inevitable removal of dead weight.

[Climber Dave]

Thanks Jules,

 

Yes survey completed by someone who advertises themselves as a Consultant, and does seem to have the right credentials.....but you never know for sure how good they actually are...... They were brought in by the home owner via a recomendation from their gardener, not sure how much they actually paid but from whats been said sounds like its around the £200 mark - he apparently looked at a couple of other trees and verbally told them they were fine but no mention of them in the report.........

 

Thanks again both of you for your input, its alway good to ask those with a lifes worth of experieance and knowledge.