Monkey Puzzle dieback?

[Beezy]

Evening All,

 

A friend has a Monkey Puzzle tree in their garden, which appears to have quite an excessive amount of dieback, they have been trimming up the dead swirls as they die off, however, right now the dead is nearly half way up the lower crown, the pic isnt the best, but you can see the lower brown section, as oposed to the upper green area.

 

At the base from really old previous cuts, there is an escessive amount of exudation, which is normal, but more than I would have expected to be honest.

 

I know monkey puzzles grow naturally with a long slender trunk, and lower swirls die off, leaving a high open lateral crown. But seems a lot of dieback for a young tree.

 

Any advice or thoughts?

 

Thanks

Beezy

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Ive seen plenty of full crowned puzzles, but it is the exception rather than the rule.

 

Doesnt look that bad to me, and dont know of much that will kill of a monkey puzzle iether, guess armilaria ostoyea "the dark honey" might? but this would probably be rapid decline.

 

wouldnt worry too much, see how it progresses.

[Beezy]

Thanks Hama, do you think that the excessive exudation is a worry? A large HC died off recently nearish to the MPuzzle, but that was mainly due to dieback after a lightening strike i think!? Would a check around the base show the tell tale HF bootlaces, or other signs?

 

Theres a bit of a divide in the family, as it is smack bang in front of a pretty nice view of the lake in the background! So the dieback has fuelled the debate to fell the little fella! Me being the friendly Arborist buddy, has been drafted in to be the referee! Crikey the pressure! Help!

[nepia]

Theres a bit of a divide in the family, as it is smack bang in front of a pretty nice view of the lake in the background! So the dieback has fuelled the debate to fell the little fella! Me being the friendly Arborist buddy, has been drafted in to be the referee! Crikey the pressure! Help!

 

 

As a sop you could offer the idea of felling for the view if they're that way inclined and getting a woodturner to make something of one or two of the rings.

It's just a thought as to a way of softening the blow if they do decide it's gotta go but if the crown's receding upwards they're going to get the view back aren't they?