Diseased tree

[Mother Theresa]

First post so please be gentle...

 

I have just bought a 3 acre wood that hasn’t seen a human in it for about 20 years. It is an ancient deciduous wood bordering a biggish (at the moment anyway) stream. It is mainly beech, dying ash and chestnut to my untrained eye. The attached photos, if I can get them to upload, show a diseased bough. The question is where should I make the cut to remove the dead bit. If you carefully you can see a lengthwise split along the branch horizontally.

 

Though I am a woodland novice I am not a chainsaw noob so cutting safely shouldn’t be an issue.

 

he says.

[daltontrees]

If no-one goes there then there's no risk and no reason to remove the limb. The tree will already have compartmentalised he damage and decay at an appropriate point. Cutting off a branch will only open up decay again. You'll not stop the spread of any disease by removing the limb. I'd say leave it.

[openspaceman]

2 minutes ago, daltontrees said:

If no-one goes there then there's no risk and no reason to remove the limb. The tree will already have compartmentalised he damage and decay at an appropriate point. Cutting off a branch will only open up decay again. You'll not stop the spread of any disease by removing the limb. I'd say leave it.

I definitely second that.

 

[Mother Theresa]

Then leave it well alone is what I shall do. Thank-you. 
 

Back to clearing up all the fallen stuff then now the snow has stopped falling.
 

MT.

[Mother Theresa]

Nope, just a private sale from someone who moved away many years ago and just held onto this patch of woodland - but then needed the cash and as I live next to it offered it to me.

 

Can you recommend me something to read?

[daltontrees]

Tis was my grounding in the subject

Woodland Management A Practical Guide - Second Edition 9781847976178 | Brand New

WWW.EBAY.CO.UK

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<br />Woodland Management A Practical Guide - Second Edition by Chris Starr 9781847976178 (Hardback, 2013) <br...

 

[Mother Theresa]

Ordered!

[openspaceman]

4 hours ago, Mother Theresa said:

Can you recommend me something to read?

If you follow this link it takes you to the (updated) chapters of a book Jo Ellis wrote when she was private woodlands officer for surrey

 

So, you own a woodland?

WWW.RFS.ORG.UK

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So you own a woodland provides online guidance for new woodland owners including videos and links to other helpful...

 

[AJStrees]

On 27/02/2020 at 17:06, Mother Theresa said:

Nope, just a private sale from someone who moved away many years ago and just held onto this patch of woodland - but then needed the cash and as I live next to it offered it to me.

 

Can you recommend me something to read?

As regards management of deadwood in the woodland. Forestry Commission guide on this subject is very good. The idea of tidying woodland was something introduced in a big way back in the day as a misunderstanding of what deadwood does and is in your woodland. The Chris Starr book you ordered is very good, though I would recommend reading some of the Forestry Commission woodland guides that have come out fairly recently they are pretty simple to understand there is a "beginners" one called "so you own a woodland?". They are all free to download and include more to do with the ecosystem in your woodland and not just what to do with wood itself. Its a fascinating subject when you get into it. 

[Mother Theresa]

According to the forestry commission site everything I have done so far is wrong!

Edited February 29, 2020 by Mother Theresa