Damaged Blue Cedar

[Jxl254]

This beautiful blue cedar tree in my parents garden has had a large branch ripped off in a recent storm leaving a very big wound. Is there anything we can do to help preserve the tree for as long as possible?

Should anything be done to the wound? There’s a ledge that is collecting water so was wondering if that should be cut to let it drain?

 

The remainder of the tree seems to be stable, there’s no movement in the trunk at all and the roots haven’t been lifted. 

 

It’s such a special tree to us so trying to get as much advice as possible. 

[Mark Bolam]

Fair do’s Ben, good result.

[Mick Dempsey]

6 hours ago, trigger_andy said:

 

 

If the tree ends up being a total loss then perhaps consider having the timber milled on location and when dried have something made out of it to remember it by? Some outdoor furniture in the same location for example.

 

 

The very last thing you want to do is persuade the client to get a glorified spoon whittler in their garden, making noise and mess over a couple of days, creating planks they’ll never use whilst boring the tits off YOUR client going on about graining and spalting and showing them pictures of their kids.

 

[trigger_andy]

2 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

The very last thing you want to do is persuade the client to get a glorified spoon whittler in their garden, making noise and mess over a couple of days, creating planks they’ll never use whilst boring the tits off YOUR client going on about graining and spalting and showing them pictures of their kids.

 

Fair enough. 🤣

 

Pot calling the Kettle Black springs to mind though.  Glorified garden maintenance workers who on the whole barely making more than minimum wage who go around complaining about dog shit in the grass. 

[Mick Dempsey]

Thought you’d like it!

[trigger_andy]

Thought you’d like it!

It’s all good. I don’t mind if you take the mick of my hobby. [emoji16]

[benedmonds]

On 04/11/2021 at 14:38, AHPP said:

On advice:

.... Ben is perhaps the worst businessman in the world. 

While I admit that in the 18 years I have been in business I have yet to become rich.. Retaining the tree preserves it and we get to return and do more works so can continue to generate income from said tree,  so perhaps NOT the worst business decision..🙂 

 

[AHPP]

21 minutes ago, benedmonds said:

While I admit that in the 18 years I have been in business I have yet to become rich.. Retaining the tree preserves it and we get to return and do more works so can continue to generate income from said tree,  so perhaps NOT the worst business decision..🙂 

Yeah. I get that. You'd find a way to balls it up though.

In any event, you've probably now been pretty helpful to the OP.

[Treeation]

22 hours ago, tomo567 said:

Your not touting for work by any chance are you

? No, I'm giving the OP my best advice 

[Jxl254]

Thank you everyone for all the really interesting, helpful (and entertaining) thoughts and advice. We’ll take some time to get the tree looked at in person and digest all the information before deciding what to do next but I’ll post an update.
They obviously didn’t realise how big it would get when it was planted but it’s hard to imagine anything else being there now.