TPO Oak Tree Is it Healthy?

[Mick Dempsey]

11 minutes ago, AHPP said:

More photos and/or sketch map to show surroundings please. Would also be interested to see the work spec approved for the prune. It’ll be on the planning portal for your council. Search by your address. 

I would describe that as a retrenchment. Almost certainly a dead top.

 

[CharlieOak]

Around 5 years ago planning permission had been granted for this tree and another oak on the estate to be removed due to subsidence to a neighbours extension. The previous owners of this tree decided against the removal for reasons unknown and applied for the reduction which was also approved. The other Oak was removed. This wasn’t known to us at the time of purchase as sellers chose not to disclose that info, only that it had been heavily cut back due to disease and it also did not show up on the local searches. 

Edited February 25 by CharlieOak

[Mark Bolam]

1 hour ago, CharlieOak said:

Thank you both for your help.

Tree is about 4 metres from mine and my neighbours properties. Is it at any risk of coming down or am I fine to leave it as it is? Is there anything that can be done to eradicate the ganoderma? Google has put the fear in me saying tress with ganodermas are at risk of sudden collapse. 

 

You won’t get any professional saying there is no risk of it coming down.

[CharlieOak]

Thank you all for your input.

As you can probably tell my tree knowledge is very poor. Are there things I can do to improve the health. I can certainly remove some of the soil around the base, anything else? Or should I reach out to a local arborist who can hopefully monitor the tree and advise going forward.  

[Mark J]

I think you should plant a new tree and consider it a replacement for that oak.

If there is a history of subsidence with that tree you should have been made aware of it at the time of purchase. You might want to check what the conveyancer has to say.

When trees are implicated in subsidence they are often felled outright. If that tree was implicated in subsidence it will have had a 40+% reduction, and it will also most likely have been put on a management plan where pruning back to the new dimensions on a regular basis is recommended as part of any agreement to keep it. 

Edited February 25 by Mark J

[MattyF]

Crown appears healthy , I would say that was about 5 years worth of regrowth, you could spend a fortune on root mapping and decay detection… but in my opinion  
if it was mine I would retrench the crown again and leave alone , shame any regrowth had been removed from the stem as it could of been retrenched significantly lower. 

[peds]

On 25/02/2025 at 18:52, Mick Dempsey said:

I would describe that as a retrenchment. Almost certainly a dead top.

 

Can I ask how you would go about explaining the difference between topping and retrenchment to a clueless homeowner or some other layperson. 

[Mick Dempsey]

7 hours ago, peds said:

 

Can I ask how you would go about explaining the difference between topping and retrenchment to a clueless homeowner or some other layperson. 

I baulk a bit at describing homeowners as clueless, usually better educated than me.

 

If I had to explain it, I’d use exactly the same language as I would use on here.

Or is that your question?

 

[Retired Climber]

9 hours ago, peds said:

 

Can I ask how you would go about explaining the difference between topping and retrenchment to a clueless homeowner or some other layperson. 

If you can't explain something in simple terms, there's a fairly high chance you don't understand it yourself. 

[Mark Bolam]

10 hours ago, peds said:

 

Can I ask how you would go about explaining the difference between topping and retrenchment to a clueless homeowner or some other layperson. 

 

It’s about £900.