Rip-off tactics

[AHPP]

Oak tree had a branch rip and hang in some wind a while ago. Tidied it up today. Choice was to cut at the red line and leave a hangnail on with a crevice down to the orange line or to do what I did and finish ripping it off to the green line essentially. My reasoning was that the crevice would harbour insects etc and the full, flat wound could heal better because it’s a simpler shape than the closed in crevice bit. 

 

 

Thoughts? Pros? Cons?

[AHPP]

Context if it matters. 
 

 

[Joe Newton]

Personally, in the absence of targets if leave it as is.

 

Not a great business model, granted

[Alan Smith]

I think I would do the same, winch off to avoid leaving a crevice as you say.

[manco]

i tell em "that price was for cutting it down, if you want it all taken way thats another 500 quid"

[AHPP]

As coincidence would have it, that VALID tree risk bloke posted something I think related on faceboook this morning.

 

 

Quote

 

VALID Tree Risk

oposntSdrea104ee ciS64bfu mga0810950ctr l9t4egha11t0h8ph0c:2  ·

 

𝗖𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗧 - 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴

In the recent 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 - 𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗕𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝗱𝘆 post we shared. There are some very odd and old takes of what some think CODIT means - even allowing for the first model made popular by Shigo, which is out of date.

We posted this in the comments, but there are so many comments, it might be missed.

We're sharing it as a separate post because some might find it useful.

𝗖𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗧

The most widely accepted take is its Compartmentalisation Of 𝗗𝗬𝗦𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 In Trees - but even that has important limitations.

Not DECAY

Here's why.

𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱 is higher in water and lower in air.

𝗗𝘆𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱 is lower in water and higher in air.

Xylem is functional.

Wood becomes dysfunctional when it becomes aerated by storm damage, pruning, root cutting, or damage to the roots or soil by drought or water logging.

Dysfunction caused by storm damage or pruning is sealed off by the tree when it happens.

After branch failure or pruning, you have a volume of dysfunctional wood surrounded by functional wood - in CODIT language Reaction Zone Walls 1 - 3 (walls is not a great analogy).

There's a compelling argument the anatomy and functionality of the tree is what maps out the volume of dysfunction; it's not decay.

Trees are riddled with dormant decay fungi in functional wood as spores, latent propagules, and yeasts. They can't germinate and colonise functional wood - It's too wet and there's not enough air. They're bidding their time, waiting for wood to become dysfunctional so they can germinate, colonise the wood, and do their important recycling work.

What fungus germinates and colonises dysfunctional wood is driven by how wet, how dry, and whether that species is there when conditions favour it.

Whether you're a storm or an Arborist pruning, you're damaging a tree and creating dysfunctional wood.

Leaving a storm damaged limb is causing much less dysfunction than pruning it off and doubling up on the damage.

𝗢𝗰𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀

Occluding a wound with new growth, makes little difference in extent of dysfunction and the decay from the branch failure or pruning.

The volume of dysfunction was mapped out when the branch failed or was pruned. Whatever decay fungi are colonising the dysfunctional wood cannot colonise the surrounding functional wood - it's too wet and there's not enough air.

What Occlusion does is to rob the decay colonies of air, and this likely slows down their metabolism. The dysfunctional wood will decay at a slower rate, but the volume of wood affected doesn't change.

Large wounds, like the Ash in the first photo in the 'Lets Be Less Tidy' post, seldom occlude.

Creating even more dysfunction by pruning off a broken branch to favour occlusion costs more than it benefits.

Want to know more.

Have a read of this…

https://validtreerisk.help/Fungi-and-Trees

And watch this.

https://validtreerisk.help/Lynne-Boddy-AA-Webinar

You might be interested in this argument from Duncan Slater about CODIT limitations.

https://validtreerisk.help/Slater-CODIT

 

 

I think he's on here.

 

@Acer ventura

 

Are these things linked? Talk down a bit please. I don't know much about tree biology.

[Mick Dempsey]

I’d leave the hangnail bit, cut to the red line.

[sime42]

Google Search

WWW.GOOGLE.COM

 

 

 

[AHPP]

38 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

I’d leave the hangnail bit, cut to the red line.

 

Why?

[Mick Dempsey]

Not adding to the damage, plus you don’t know where the rip will stop.