K-K-K-K-K-Kretzch

[Fungus]

1. Looking at these fruiting bodies, the White parts, in the centre they are grey. This would be on top of previous crusts? The grey parts being the asexual stage?

2. From what I've read here and what I know, would you say the decay is at early stages judging by crown condition? Although kretz doesn't always show strong signs in the crown? If that is correct?

3. Change the host to a sycamore with kretz, found in a cavity at the base approximately fist size, black crusts found a few inches long and 1cm thick, is this a cause for alarm? It's an old lapsed pollard I viewed back in late January this year. I've read sycamore degrades fairly quickly?

 

Rob,

No problem asking questions, I have joined this forum to answer them as much and far as I can.

1. Correct.

2. Correct, partial defoliation of the crown is always an indication of widely spread infection and/or blockage of the cambium by the mycelium or crusts of Ustulina (or by Armillaria or Meripilus giganteus).

3. Correct, the same goes for a lot of other tree species without heartwood.

---

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Everyone on this forum knows i would NEVER fell a tree needlessly, and that I have more than enough ability to know when its time up, and I would never leave a kretzschmaria deusta infected beech, hornbeam, sycamore nor lime standing (diffuse porus), for even if it could be retained in the short term, that term is so short as to be totally worthless and verging on the incompetence/malpractice side of tree retention. (where targets exist)

 

There are very few fungi that have the savage reputation K. deusta has, its o.k to make the calls when these fungi are present, and no need to feel giult over what could or could not have been done differently. There is a limit to tree retention.

[RobRainford]

Rob,

No problem asking questions, I have joined this forum to answer them as much and far as I can.

1. Correct.

2. Correct, partial defoliation of the crown is always an indication of widely spread infection and/or blockage of the cambium by the mycelium or crusts of Ustulina (or by Armillaria or Meripilus giganteus).

3. Correct, the same goes for a lot of other tree species without heartwood.

---

 

I got stuff right woohoo

 

Sorry to hijack your thread RangerMatt, but its not being derailed completely!

 

I went back to visit the tree, more fruiting bodies, i can confirm, the circled areas in previous pictures ARE mature fruiting bodies, and i found a few more with a larger amount of white/grey telemorphic stages (if thats right) of our little friend.

 

had a bit of a dig, noticed an old wound at the base which may have been the site of initial infection? There are also some tips that are without leaf, as mentioned earlier this would indicate a restriction/blockage of the cambium.

 

Something tells me that his neighbour will be lonely in the coming month or two.

 

Sorry for some blurred pics, couldnt see my phone properly when i took the photo!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I will dig out some photos later of a hornbeam monolith I inspected some time this year, it had been killed by one of the worst Chondrostereum purpureum colonisations ive ever seen after being pollarded, it then became colonised by Kretzshmaria deusta.

 

the monolith was large, and leaning, a very nice (expensive) summer house had been built under it since the monolith was created.

 

the leaning nature and remaining wieght of the hornbeam monolith had due to the soft rot become very brittle due to the ktrezschmaria deusta and I spotted the tell tale macro cracks forming in a horizontal plain at the rear of the stem. pictures to follow.

[RobRainford]

I will dig out some photos later of a hornbeam monolith I inspected some time this year, it had been killed by one of the worst Chondrostereum purpureum colonisations ive ever seen after being pollarded, it then became colonised by Kretzshmaria deusta.

 

the monolith was large, and leaning, a very nice (expensive) summer house had been built under it since the monolith was created.

 

the leaning nature and remaining wieght of the hornbeam monolith had due to the soft rot become very brittle due to the ktrezschmaria deusta and I spotted the tell tale macro cracks forming in a horizontal plain at the rear of the stem. pictures to follow.

 

very intriguing, i think its ace being able to tell a story about a fungus, knowing how it works, what it causes and how its dealt with.

 

I like to tell customers about phantom honey fungus that eats all their grass then will eventually get them if they stand in the garden long eonugh

[Matthew Arnold]

Informed the TO and head of Arb today and the wheels are in motion for them to be reduced to a 2 metre monolith with top coronet cuts. We are thinking about MEWPing it and use the Sessile Oak behind as the lowering tree as we hit butresses with a hammer and instead of a nice "doink" it was a sickening thud. So hopefully within 2 months they will be down. Unless the local tree group objects:001_rolleyes:. They think all trees are good no matter how nackered they are and how important the targets.

[Fungus]

So hopefully within 2 months they will be down. Unless the local tree group objects. They think all trees are good no matter how nackered they are and how important the targets.

 

Matt,

Maybe ask them to put up their tents at a camping site underneath the tree to give a bit of "body" to their action ?

[Matthew Arnold]

Matt,

Maybe ask them to put up their tents at a camping site underneath the tree to give a bit of "body" to their action ?

 

Trust me its tempting. Would get rid of a few tree huggers too

[Fungus]

Would get rid of a few tree huggers too

 

Like we have our royal princess Irene, sister of queen Beatrix, who runs a tree hugging center in The Netherlands ?

[Matthew Arnold]

Like we have our royal princess Irene, sister of queen Beatrix, who runs a tree hugging center in The Netherlands ?

 

Wasnt meaning to be an insulting comment:blushing:. Its just the select few in my area that make merry hell when we fell the smallest sapling. We were made the anti christ the other day for deadwooding an old Oak with a 20 mm rope and a van. Deadwooding and fracture pruning in one