Areas order - aaargh!

[dumper]

I have a leylandi in the garden I know is 76 yrs old very good deep topsoil over alluvial subsoil less than 40 feet tall and three feet across, got to be careful 

[Peasgood]

I forgot to measure until today, biggest I could find was more like 30” at a push. 
still big mind. 
 

[daltontrees]

At the last meeting of the Arb Association scottish branch there was a talk by a dendrochronologist. When asked about the reliability of various girth/diameter based methods of estimating the age of trees she said it was ridiculous to try.

 

The Whyte method published by the forestry commission is a bit more scientific than Mitchell's 'rule', it gives lists for species and growing situations and is based on a fixed increase in diameter to maturity then a fixed increase in cross sectional area.

 

But clearly Leyland's Rat doesn't read books. I recall that the Collins Guide by Owen and Moore which is the successor to the Mitchell guide says if it 'Grows quickly in any soil to 30 metres then blows over'.

[James Royston]

On 19/05/2021 at 08:15, daltontrees said:

At the last meeting of the Arb Association scottish branch there was a talk by a dendrochronologist. When asked about the reliability of various girth/diameter based methods of estimating the age of trees she said it was ridiculous to try.

 

The Whyte method published by the forestry commission is a bit more scientific than Mitchell's 'rule', it gives lists for species and growing situations and is based on a fixed increase in diameter to maturity then a fixed increase in cross sectional area.

 

But clearly Leyland's Rat doesn't read books. I recall that the Collins Guide by Owen and Moore which is the successor to the Mitchell guide says if it 'Grows quickly in any soil to 30 metres then blows over'.

The problem is that this particular tree officer didn't go to that meeting.

[daltontrees]

Whether the trees are protected is a matter of fact. They were either there when the Order was made or they weren't. It is down to proof.

If the Council say anything under 32 cm diameter is not protected, I'd take that. 32cm is a girth of 100 cm, and with 2.5cm = 1 inch that means by Mitchell's 'rule' the tree would be 40 years old. The Council's not giving much away but if they are slow grown individuals they could be 32cm and still be well over 50.

I'd probably be looking to take an increment bore of a representative tree and count rings. I did this recently for a client and it worked a treat, it shut up the objectors immediately.