Managing Horse Chestnuts with Bleeding canker

[ScottF]

I inspected an avenue of HCs near a nursery in 2001, some of which were starting to show signs. After 10 or so years of watching them, about 40% of the 104 trees have survived and with a bit of retrenchment, would probably look OK, bar some disfigurement. It just makes me wonder whether certain trees with a genetic resistance or robustness will survive and provide a new genetic cohort for the specie, and the rest will succumb.

Sounds a bit ruthless, but nature can be a bit like that.

[Fungus]

It just makes me wonder whether certain trees with a genetic resistance or robustness will survive and provide a new genetic cohort for the specie, and the rest will succumb. Sounds a bit ruthless, but nature can be a bit like that.

 

Scott,

It certainly can, as is shown by certain Ulmus species being resistant to Dutch Elm Disease.

[Wesste]

Pretty sure Dr. G. Percival has carried out recent experiments looking at nutrient deficiencies in soil, and how applying fertiliser, soil de-compaction, improved drainage and controlling C.ohridella can aid HC defense and resistance to BC...... the results seem pretty convincing...

 

Hope this helps.

Information was found in Arb Journal.

 

Wesste

[Alycidon]

My brothers have a massive HC on their farm that has been showing signs for a couple of years, this is a HUGE tree, maybe 60 feet tall with a trunk at least six feet ( maybe 10) in diameter.

 

It stands in a field hedge, grass with livestock one side, cerials the other, not on a road. Is there anything that can be done, I was not aware that there was,

 

A

[RobRainford]

Bleeding canker doesn't necessarily kill the tree though, it weakens the tree and is a vector for other pathogens and creates colonisation sites for decay fungi to enter and lead to the trees demise. We've got a young (less than 20 years) chestnut and it's got bleeding canker, some bark necrosis but it is still vigorous.

 

I believe that's right anyway.

[Wesste]

My brothers have a massive HC on their farm that has been showing signs for a couple of years, this is a HUGE tree, maybe 60 feet tall with a trunk at least six feet ( maybe 10) in diameter.

 

It stands in a field hedge, grass with livestock one side, cerials the other, not on a road. Is there anything that can be done, I was not aware that there was,

 

A

 

Early studies suggested that cutting away the lesions of canker with a sterilised blade would work, however I think that experts have gone back on this suggestion. Also there has been work into the use of a copper fungicide with mixed results. Also work has been done to see if a phosphite that aids the trees natural defences works.... again with mixed results (seems to work against oomycete fungi!?). Personally, I would just monitor it for safety reasons, looking at the health of the scaffold limbs as these are prone to snap out.... As trees with just trunk infections can survive for many years. Other than that, see my past post about work by Percival.

Hope that helps

 

Wesste

[treeseer]

Early studies suggested that cutting away the lesions of canker with a sterilised blade would work, however I think that experts have gone back on this suggestion.

 

I don't know why they would. tracing followed by torching disinfects the area. I've had good response with callus after hydrogen peroxide and cauterization on oak and beech and maple infections.

[Lee Winger]

I wonder if this is why Ramsons, Allium ursinum — [also known as buckrams, wild garlic, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek, and bear's garlic] and lots of other similar species are found in woodlands, like a kind of front-line defence

[likeitorlumpit]

Its a tricky one

We,ve got a chestnut to fell. It lost a large limb earlier in the year. Theres a lot of children play around it

If we retrench I think it will require monitoring.

Hmm...

Any thoughts.?