For Mrtree and Hammy

[Stephen Blair]

Hi guys, i took the big beech tree down today and i have some pictures for you, before i post them, what would you guys be expecting to see on the cross section at the base with your vta from the pictures? I understand and fully respect your ideas and opinions, also what would you want to see to warrant your own approval to felling.

It was a magnificent tree and could be a contender for the biggest tree i have ever sectioned out, the pictures do not do it justice. The hollies at the base are about 25 feet tall:001_smile:

[Buzzsurgeon]

Aerial roots and rot

[Tom D]

Are they the only pics?

 

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Well stephen, looking at the fluting and force flows I would expect to see some butt rot but certainly within T/R thresholds, and if it had gon beyond the threshold then this tree was way vital enough to handle a drastic reduction, say 30 %

 

im expecting a little pocket of white rot, surrounded by a discoloured ripe wood region and reaction zone

[Frank]

Thats only a baby Stevie.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

in the second image is the left side on the downhill side or uphill?

[Pat Ferrett]

The last Beech I did that size was ball ache from word go ! I had complaints from a 10 mile area and was watched by 1 member of the public that swore blind that the tree was fine and should have been left. When I got down to the last couple of metres it was like cutting chocolate cake and I ended up digging the centre of the tree out with a pitch fork. Got to give the man that shadowed me for the 2 days credit as when he saw the state of the butt he apologised not only to me and the gang but also to the woman that ran the estate

[mrtree]

Just quickly the strong growth is a good sign.

 

T/r threshold of 30% is likely not to be meet in this case besides 30% is not very indicative of tree safety.

 

Reasons for felling? If we are only basing on risk, I would want to see a massive crown with perhaps around 20% T/r. Would look at safety calculators and want something less than 250% before I would consider felling.

 

Excessive (I now that is an opinion) fungal conks or root/trunk interface becoming pedestals would also be a reason.

 

I would say remove if other options are not available (and yes the home owners desire may make only one option feasible).

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

The last Beech I did that size was ball ache from word go ! I had complaints from a 10 mile area and was watched by 1 member of the public that swore blind that the tree was fine and should have been left. When I got down to the last couple of metres it was like cutting chocolate cake and I ended up digging the centre of the tree out with a pitch fork. Got to give the man that shadowed me for the 2 days credit as when he saw the state of the butt he apologised not only to me and the gang but also to the woman that ran the estate

 

the centre may well have been cake, but what residual wall and strength was left? decay is normal in the ancient tree.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Just quickly the strong growth is a good sign.

 

T/r threshold of 30% is likely not to be meet in this case besides 30% is not very indicative of tree safety.

 

Reasons for felling? If we are only basing on risk, I would want to see a massive crown with perhaps around 20% T/r. Would look at safety calculators and want something less than 250% before I would consider felling.

 

Excessive (I now that is an opinion) fungal conks or root/trunk interface becoming pedestals would also be a reason.

 

I would say remove if other options are not available (and yes the home owners desire may make only one option feasible).

 

what do you mean by 250%? and I presume by pedastal yor talking of a discontinuos /fluted trunk, or in otherwords a series of columns rather than a ring of wood?