2 fungi on beech, ID needed...

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

If its leaning towards the house I know what I would recommend.

 

Seen plenty of merrip beech's on the floor with the root plate sticking out of the ground.

 

and how many have you seen standing with it for a decade or more?

 

and how many of those fallen where full crowned or just minor pruned?

 

Just HOW many merip failures have you seen?

 

10-20-50- 500?

[Mesterh]

I dunno maybe 10.

 

I do know that everyone had merrip.

 

Prune, reduce, thin do whatever you like but if it was my house with my kids and my wife I know what I would do.

 

What would be it's lifespan after a good bit of hacking to make it 'safe'?

 

Fell and replant, lifes too short.

[Andy Collins]

Like many others, I was led to believe that the signs of meripilus in an advanced stage could only mean one thing....to fell the tree. But I have, for the last 6 years or so, been watching a very large beech with Meripilus all around the root plate, it doesnt seem to deteriorating as yet. This tree isnt near property, or in fact any targets at all, so if she fails it will not matter. I am interested to know how quickly the decline occurs, maybe this tree will out-live us all.

[Bundle 2]

Its an interesting debate...well, it would be if it ever gets past the first page of "fell it"

I have to say however that with merip. gano, a lean and property (residential) as a target; I would deffo get a more scientific assimilation of the tree's status. You cannot recommend the client do much else unless he does this 'cept fell it. And felling is as much a kneejerk reaction as you'd expect given this scenario. The bummer seems to me that without a more detailed assessment, you cannot but srr on the side of caution, and not that of the client ( arguably ) or tree care frankly! its the blind leading the blind!

I hate to say it but a thermal camera would be very helpful here I feel!

Edited August 18, 2010 by Bundle 2

[Mesterh]

I hate to say it but a thermal camera would be very helpful here I feel!

 

Will that check out the roots?

[Lorry thompson]

Looked at the tree today told them about the danger and they didn't care to be honest and where we removed the snapped branch in the oak the tree was rotten in the centre and leaning over a very fast road they didn't fancy spending money there either but this tree def is a real danger also the other tree I climbed had a snapped branch in it still attached when I got up there about 50 foot up I could see someone had been up with a handsaw trying to cut it off they must be mental it hangs over both sides of the road these people are loaded can't believe It

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Will that check out the roots?

 

it would, indirectly by, asses the functionality of the roots.

 

I would fell this and replace given that it has Australe?, targets? decayed roots, symptom clorotic leaves, fine twigs dying in crown?

 

The australe is in my view a bigger threat than the merip!

 

Trust me, gano australe has far greater implications in a tree that is healthy and showing good health (no die back, big green leaf etc) than merip which can be wholey saprobic.

[stampy]

Haha, I'm not sure who's post is referring to who's merip infected beech, given that we've got two in this thread now, but I spoke to Andrew Cowan of Arborecology and he recommended thermal imaging. And as you say, Hamadryad, apparently thermal imaging will be able to determine, to a certain degree, the functionality of the roots. Just got to sell the idea to the client now....

[Lorry thompson]

Sorry stamp mate didn't mean to but in on your thread was glad you put it though cos just seen that tree day before

[stampy]

Sorry stamp mate didn't mean to but in on your thread was glad you put it though cos just seen that tree day before

 

No worries mate, I'm glad we can both get some advice!