Horse Chestnut Management

[Paul Barton]

Was it even the pesudomonas that contributed to the limb failure? Difficult to compare with other same species when this tree may have just had a weak union?

 

Sorry, that's not very helpful is it?!

 

Tricky situation really. I would tend to opt for remedial works e.g. pruning of some sort over 'monitoring'.

[alliaria]

Hi,

HCs seem to be predisposed to weak forks, and with added stress split out. I agree that remedial work is a better option, monitoring is a bit of a cop out. Top 50 urban trees Hama? Not sure I agree, but irrelevant ,they are there and need to be managed. Anyway thanks for all the answers.

Have a good day.

[arb culture]

Alliaria, this one is very tricky.

 

I've been surveying horse chestnuts with bleeding canker for over 5 years.

 

From my own observations this is what I've found.

 

The severity of the infection seems to vary from tree to tree. Those which are worst affected can die or have massive die back in a matter of months or even weeks.

 

Once a major limb suffers severe die-back it is very likely to fail.

 

However, minor die back or yellowing is not usually a sign of imminent failure.

 

In the vast majority of cases infected trees manage to remain fairly healthy and safe even when infected.

 

But when a tree is infected it can change in severity very quickly, so an annual re-inspection too long, it needs to be at least once every 6 months but preferably more.

 

Sorry for the long reply, but it's a tricky issue.

[arb culture]

Also, I've recommended that a few were reduced. But this was a specific reduction on individual limbs which were long, heavy, or showed poor taper - rather than an all over reduction which seems a bit pointless.

 

So far, all have responded well.

 

Although one or two have dropped limbs when people haven't carried out my recommendations.

[alliaria]

Thanks for that, problem with reduction is the cyclical pruning of the regrowth, but I think it,s horses for courses, as for severity, large trees seem to cope better, small trees can go very quickly espevially x carnea.

Cheers

[arb culture]

I think I might be thinking of a less severe reduction than you?

 

There's no cyclical nature to the ones I've recommended. The regrowth is not significantly different to the normal growth rate and pattern of an unpruned tree - it just occurs on a slightly shorter limb.

 

I'll try and dig out some photos at some point.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I think I might be thinking of a less severe reduction than you?

 

There's no cyclical nature to the ones I've recommended. The regrowth is not significantly different to the normal growth rate and pattern of an unpruned tree - it just occurs on a slightly shorter limb.

 

I'll try and dig out some photos at some point.

 

i dont need photos toknow exactly what you mean arb culture, trouble with the word reduction is it tend to cunjure up an image in most folks minds of what most reductions look like!

[alliaria]

Hi Both,

I.d be interested to see photos, I appreciate your responses and will take all on board.

Cheers

[gibbon]

Alliaria, this one is very tricky.

 

 

Once a major limb suffers severe die-back it is very likely to fail.

 

 

 

 

I read an article a few years back relating to this but can't find it or remember where. The content was along the lines that HC's with bleeding canker should be regarded as a higher risk than other dying or recently dead trees. The article pionted out that as the affected limb dies back, the drying of the of the limb causes the woody tissue to twist and crack in a simiar fashion how milled HC reacts.

 

Does this tie in with your experience?

[APC]

 

I would tend to opt for remedial works e.g. pruning of some sort over 'monitoring'.

 

Agreed.

 

My limited knowledge of tree surveys is that putting a tree down for "monitor" is a kop-out that leaves you open to getting shafted in court as it's essentially admitting that you recognise that a tree is going to fail, and you aren't going to do anything about it. How do you know that it won't fail tomorrow? etc. Makes it tough, particularly if you have thousands of trees to survey. Makes sense though.