Bad graft in beech or embedded wire

[MarianneD]

Not sure whether this is a bad graft in a beech or embedded wire causing all the adaptive growth, but either way am amazed its still standing. Looks like a bad cut and shut car weld.

[David Humphries]

If copper beech, likely a graft 

[AJStrees]

We have an old copper beech like that with pretty similar graft point. Might be a little less obvious than that picture though. 👍

[daltontrees]

I've never known graft points to be structural weaknesses (i.e. failed at graft preferentially to any other part). Not even a common entry point for decay, even if they do look messy.  I'd be interested in hearing of examples where they are.

[JaySmith]

Never personally seen a failure at the graft. Have two lines of mature copper beech trees relatively local to me and some have failed at ground level over the years due to Kretzchmaria or Meripilus and have snapped out at included bark unions but not at the graft. 

[David Humphries]

I’d tend to agree that graft points are uncommon failure points in beech. We looked at some copper grafts in 2016 and didn’t find much to be alarmed about. 

[daltontrees]

YEs I usually takea a long section of any grafted trees tat I am involved with and which have to be felled. There's usually a bit of perturbed fibres at the graft but strong enough. The only problem I see arising is some species producing suckers right under the graft line and if trhese get left too long and then are removed then decay arises.

Oddly the worst consequence of grafting I see is incompatible (C+2 or higher) grafts in Prunus avium that cause ridiculously outsized surface roots which then get mullered by mowers. 

[Suffolk Dave]

Have dealt with two beech failed on the graft, one over 3 gardens another on park land

[Suffolk Dave]

Both looked like pulled apart one was like 

Rough parting, the other  looked just liked it popped off  clean

[David Humphries]

9 hours ago, Suffolk Dave said:

Both looked like pulled apart one was like 

Rough parting, the other  looked just liked it popped off  clean

Any images of the failures?