Ash - Daldinia concentrica - Cramp balls/King Alfreds Cakes

[Paul Barton]

What height are the Daldinia in the picture at? I am supposing head height/lower stem. With saprophytes in that area, quite severe dieback in the crown and Ash's relatively poor ability to contain decay I would err on the side of caution.

 

In a different location I would say try and retain, but I wouldn't want to put my name against a recommendation to retain that tree next to a road.

[Bundle 2]

Its good to get the range of views. It keeps the overview a little more balanced.

At the end of the day, none of us have seen the tree in question and only offer up "opinion".

Dont forget, the LA have given the ok for a reduction.!

[MaxJ]

What height are the Daldinia in the picture at? I am supposing head height/lower stem. With saprophytes in that area, quite severe dieback in the crown and Ash's relatively poor ability to contain decay I would err on the side of caution.

 

In a different location I would say try and retain, but I wouldn't want to put my name against a recommendation to retain that tree next to a road.

 

The Daldina are on the lower branches (15feet roughly).

 

I would like to try and keep the tree as would the owner, but as it is so close to the road I am tempted to remove it. That road is on a bank that wagons come down and would struggle to stop if there was an unknown obstruction in the road.

 

Its good to see a range of opinions on here but as said above the LA have suggested a reduction not a removal:confused1:

[Paul Barton]

The LA can suggest a reduction but they have no liability if the tree fails in to the road and causes an incident!

 

Even if you were in a Conservation Area and the LA had some control, they couldn't warrant making a TPO on that tree so they couldn't reject a notification to fell it.

 

Not that I am saying that's what you should do - as Bundle2 says, we can't really make a proper judgment from a photo.

[Mick Stockbridge]

Good thread Max. I have a job very similar that has been dragging on for weeks and on Thursday when the TO that has stuck by her guns on a 33% reduction meets up with the customer, a consultant and me to finally resolve the matter.

[Alinicoll]

33%

 

That`s very specific.

[MaxJ]

Good thread Max. I have a job very similar that has been dragging on for weeks and on Thursday when the TO that has stuck by her guns on a 33% reduction meets up with the customer, a consultant and me to finally resolve the matter.

 

The LA have said it's got to be done by the end of the month, I can see this dragging on until after that! My client is really not happy about removing it but he even thinks that a reduction might be a waste of time and money - to him of course not me!!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Its not a waste of time and money to reduce it, old as pollards are one of the finest for entomological beasties, especialy stags that love the ash wood.

 

this tree could be stable and happy for decades maybe a lot longer given the right approach, ash being a light loving species, getting the ivy to die of and pollarded will see it shoot nicley.

 

But as has been said, where only going on a photo.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

As long as a tree is vital and showing all the signs of occluding old wounds, and even a hollow centre say decayed by Pholiota squarosus (typical ash root decay) is not an issue in a heavily reduced tree such as this.

 

It would be such a shame to lose it.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

If you do end up going for the fell, how about a six foot stump that may re shoot? and if it doesnt its low enough to not be a risk and can still provide much habitat to boring insects/fungi and all that feed on these.