Fagus with Ganoderma

[Paul Barton]

Dismantling is easier to chip and tidy up as well. Learnt that lesson last week after we felled an 80ft-ish ash tree in one and then spent a day and a half trying to chip the shattered and tangle brash. Yuk!!

[John Hancock]

Dismantling is easier to chip and tidy up as well. Learnt that lesson last week after we felled an 80ft-ish ash tree in one and then spent a day and a half trying to chip the shattered and tangle brash. Yuk!!

 

 

I know where you’re coming from! Much easier to be in the tree, I can dictate how fast the operation goes then. If I see the lads standing round, chatting...just 'lop' a bigger section out, that will wake them up!

 

I'm off to sprinkle some soil-conditioning fairy-dust now, on any tree with a hazard rating of 5 and above. :wave:

[Marc]

I'm off to sprinkle some soil-conditioning fairy-dust now, on any tree with a hazard rating of 5 and above. :wave:

 

It can work, i'm sure this tree has a higher hazard rating, the option to fell this tree has been on the cards for a long time, I recently took pictures of all the defects, it has cavities, hazard beams, old braces and fungi (Polyporus squamosa).

 

Its been reduced 3 times now, the 3rd time was on this visit and we only reduced the section over the path and bike racks. The soil has been aerated and mulched with great results, no mycor or feed has been used.

 

The only problems with the work carried out is some sun scaled. The tree is showing signs of good vigour.

 

A replacement has been planted and is doing very well its to the left.

[David Humphries]

 

A replacement has been planted and is doing very well its to the left.

 

Going by your brief history of works, this looks to me like exactly where Modern Tree Care should be.

 

It appears that all stake holders in this Trees past, present and future have been professionaly, sympatheticaly and safely considered.

 

Well done to all involved

[John Hancock]

It can work, i'm sure this tree has a higher hazard rating, the option to fell this tree has been on the cards for a long time, I recently took pictures of all the defects, it has cavities, hazard beams, old braces and fungi (Polyporus squamosa).

 

Its been reduced 3 times now, the 3rd time was on this visit and we only reduced the section over the path and bike racks. The soil has been aerated and mulched with great results, no mycor or feed has been used.

 

The only problems with the work carried out is some sun scaled. The tree is showing signs of good vigour.

 

A replacement has been planted and is doing very well its to the left.

 

 

Nice tree, in a very prominent position. Do you mean Polyporus squamosus (dryad’s saddle)? We get a lot of that here Worcestershire. As you know its usually confined to trees which have been ‘topped’ or damaged by excessively large or numerous pruning wounds or storm breakage.

 

The beech in Fort Royal was host to Ganoderma Sp. A completely different fungi with different decay characteristics, which can lead to mechanical failure of the stem base or root-plate.

 

I wouldn’t like to comment on which tree has the highest hazard rating as we are talking about two different trees, in different locations with different host pathogens.

[Marc]

Nice tree, in a very prominent position. Do you mean Polyporus squamosus (dryad’s saddle)? We get a lot of that here Worcestershire. As you know its usually confined to trees which have been ‘topped’ or damaged by excessively large or numerous pruning wounds or storm breakage.

 

The beech in Fort Royal was host to Ganoderma Sp. A completely different fungi with different decay characteristics, which can lead to mechanical failure of the stem base or root-plate.

 

I wouldn’t like to comment on which tree has the highest hazard rating as we are talking about two different trees, in different locations with different host pathogens.

 

The dryads saddle is in and old limb drop wound and seems to be contained.

 

Ganoderma is a deffirent kettle of fish, it was wrong of me to mention hazard ratings, it just sometime's you have to go with gut instinct as well as common sense.

Not all companies I know would of retained the Beech I pictured for so long, just pointing out alternatives can work.

 

We have felled many council Beech tree like yours sometimes for them its the more sensible option rather than the future maintenance cost and regular inspection schedules.

[John Hancock]

Mountain-bikers unite!

[nepia]

Thought it would be safe to hijack someone else's thread after two years. The title 'Beech with ganoderma' seemed appropriate somehow.

 

This little baby came down one night last week in woods near Horsham. The creaking before it went woke a lady 150 yards away and when the tree went over the crash made her jump out of bed in fright!

 

From my extensive research of photos in Encyclopedia ArbTalk I'm guessing G.applanatum?. How/what/why and 'you're way off the mark' comments most welcome.

 

One thing that struck me was the apparently small number of FBs that I could find; probably only a dozen on the whole tree, several in the buttress unions, yet just look at the condition of the wood.

 

A very rough guess at the tree's age is ~120 years but I could be way off; that's based on knowledge of local land use rather than the tree. Also the ground there (Sussex Weald clay) is hugely fertile.

 

The lad in the last pic is 6' tall for size comparison.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Thought it would be safe to hijack someone else's thread after two years. The title 'Beech with ganoderma' seemed appropriate somehow.

 

This little baby came down one night last week in woods near Horsham. The creaking before it went woke a lady 150 yards away and when the tree went over the crash made her jump out of bed in fright!

 

From my extensive research of photos in Encyclopedia ArbTalk I'm guessing G.applanatum?. How/what/why and 'you're way off the mark' comments most welcome.

 

One thing that struck me was the apparently small number of FBs that I could find; probably only a dozen on the whole tree, several in the buttress unions, yet just look at the condition of the wood.

 

A very rough guess at the tree's age is ~120 years but I could be way off; that's based on knowledge of local land use rather than the tree. Also the ground there (Sussex Weald clay) is hugely fertile.

 

The lad in the last pic is 6' tall for size comparison.

 

I would have to double at the least your age determinantion for this tree!

 

that beech is 300-400, the upper limit for a mature unmanaged tree, pollards can go longer.

 

Great photos, and hard to say on the Gano from those images, but would hazard a guess its applanatum too going by the rot and failure, applanatum being a more saprobic deadwood consumer.

 

I thoroughly enjoy going back to beeches like this after failure, the diversity of fungi that will break down this old warrior will suprise you and give you a decade at the least of interesting and tasty finds!

 

What a shame this old girl has fallen, but even now, in her demise, she will give rise to an amazing array of organisms and for many many decades.

 

good post!

Edited May 30, 2010 by Tony Croft aka hamadryad

[nepia]

Ah, there you are! Was hoping for your comment. I'll happily accept your age estimate. I did think I was being conservative I'll admit but my knowledge of local land use heavily influenced the guess, plainly along with poor knowledge of how fast/slow such a tree would grow.

The circumstances of the woods' ownership give this tree a good chance of being left alone - I hope. The public use it a bit but there is absolutely no management. If I think there comes a time when there is obvious and considerable danger I may try and settle the tree with a Tirfor but I'm certainly not going to take a saw to it: I'm not qualified or experienced in such work and am also looking forward to a natural future for it. Fingers crossed everyone leaves it be.

Thanks.