My friends suffering tree

[Matthew Arnold]

I would pollard it down to its lowest union point (just above fracture). Even if it dies it can still be there for the bugs n beasties.

[slack ma girdle]

Its got Ganoderma, it is going to die. So you might a well remove all the branches, and leave some stanging dead wood.

[armchairarborist]

if its soo precious then get a cutting to grow in its place and fell, ugly scrappy firewood:thumbup:

[janey]

I'm having a definate sense of deja vous with the developing, it's knackered, fell it v's it's habitat, retain it, arguments

 

It's about what the customer wants and then doing what's feasable. In this case, I do believe they want to keep up

 

One up for us habitat huggers, I think

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I'm having a definate sense of deja vous with the developing, it's knackered, fell it v's it's habitat, retain it, arguments

 

It's about what the customer wants and then doing what's feasable. In this case, I do believe they want to keep up

 

One up for us habitat huggers, I think

 

Ignore them Janey, ignorance is bliss apparently:lol:

[Andy Collins]

The customer seeks advice. Personally I would view this tree from several aspects. Health/vigour, safety, cost in the event of failure (ie damage to property, both the clients and neighbours, and cost in clearing it up in the event of failure). If it were in the corner of a woodland i would leave it be. In the corner of a garden I would recommend removal and re-plant.

[Andy Collins]

In a similar vein, I looked at a copper beech the other day, full canopy, stunning spring colour. 4foot dbh, about 50feet tall and similar spread, slight signs of dieback at the extremities of the crown, a large long cavity filled way back with concrete and rubble to "seal" the wound. On closer inspection around the base of the butt, very advanced state of Ustulina deusta, a small open cavity filled with very crumbly brown rot. My advice, remove asap due to neighbouring properties and public access. Independent advice from our local TO, the same. The client loves the tree, would love to save it, and in fact bought the property 20 odd years ago because of the tree, but common sense surely prevails. This tree is a feature in the area, part of a series of planting scheme back in Victorian times when there was one large (13acre) garden, and it the last beech standing.

Would you fight to save it, and if so how? I'm open to serious options, but I cant see any with my "felling" specs on:001_smile:

[Andy Collins]

Couple of pics of above tree, cavity is callousing over quite well. Though not shown in the pics, Ustulina is virtually all around the base of the butt.

[janey]

Couple of pics of above tree, cavity is callousing over quite well. Though not shown in the pics, Ustulina is virtually all around the base of the butt.

 

From what you have described, I would go along with the felling spec'.

 

Yes, your clients would love to keep the tree, but in this situation it's not really feasable due to the H&S implications.

 

Would your clients be interested in leaving it as a low monolith and leaving some of the wood on site?

[Andy Collins]

Would your clients be interested in leaving it as a low monolith and leaving some of the wood on site?

 

Due to the concrete filling in the butt, this suggestion was made to the client, partly to save him money and me the grief of large chains getting clobbered, however due to the fact that there are already 3 such monolithic eyesores his words, not mine!!) in the surrounding area it is not something he wishes for.