Meripillus on Copper Beech

[Nick Harrison]

Had a look at a semi-mature Copper Beech the other day that appears to have the rotting remains of Giant Polypore. The fungus is spread over approximately half the root area around the base. The owner wants to have the tree removed whatever, very close to an expensive house! Does anyone have thoughts on how safe it would be for me to dismantle the tree whilst being rigged into the tree itself? Haven't dismantled a beech with this much fungus around the base before and am looking to keep the quote as cheap as poss, i.e. don't want to have to include the cost of hiring cherry picker/crane.

The canopy looked fine before leaf drop, just a couple of small areas of die-back which i know doesn't necessarily mean much with this type of fungus, owner has been in property for 3 years and says the fungus was there from the start and has got worse each year...am tempted to get up into it but wanted to see what others thought first?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I want to say "get on with it, just dont do any shock loading or heavey lumps"

 

but i shouldnt!

 

in fact, i didnt! did I?

[Nick Harrison]

my thoughts too, was planning on simply cutting and dropping small bits at a time, wouldn't need to do any lowering plus once back weight out could probably fell away from house...with enough stuff crossed might get away with it?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

sounds like a plan,