Opinions please?

[T & C Tree Services]

I recently did a survey for a local Town Council. This Horse Chestnut is a major landmark for the town. Its a real old veteran. Its on all the old postcards etc etc. Its growing in a heavily pedestrianised block paved area with a coffee shop and war memorial surrounding it. Its had alot of work done to it previously. Overall the tree is still in surprisingly good health showing minor deadwood and a bit of epicormic. The only thing that worries me is the extent of decay/hollow within the main stem. I recommended a deadwood and some decompaction work. I have also got John Harroway out this Tuesday to run his expert eye over it with his tomograph. A reduction looks likely?

 

Just wondered what you guys thought?

 

 

 

[T & C Tree Services]

Hers a postcard from 1902 showing the tree in its youth.

 

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

she will reduce nicely, was done before and has around 15-20ft of regrowth beyond the old points, so aslong as its done beyond the old point and ont the length of the regrowth she will be dandy! nice tree, obviously coping with a colonisation of either P ostreatus or P squamosa, maybe probably both.

[RobRainford]

Would using the Picus (I'm assuming) not be more detrimental than good? Especially because it's not in brilliant shape already, and because chestnuts aren't good at compartmentalising. A possibility of a ganoderma or pseudomonas infection?

 

Ditto tony on the reduction, it's been done before so same point again will be good.

 

I would suggest maybe finding space for some mulch to aid the rhizosphere and mycos in the soil, although they are probably limited because of its location.

[T & C Tree Services]

Would using the Picus (I'm assuming) not be more detrimental than good? Especially because it's not in brilliant shape already, and because chestnuts aren't good at compartmentalising. A possibility of a ganoderma or pseudomonas infection?

 

Ditto tony on the reduction, it's been done before so same point again will be good.

 

I would suggest maybe finding space for some mulch to aid the rhizosphere and mycos in the soil, although they are probably limited because of its location.

 

Looking at the advanced state of decay at present, a Picus scan would be very helpful in the determining the exact extent? I believe the positives would outway he negatives in this situation. There is no sign of pseudomonas (surprisingly) and its hard to track down the original fungi but prob Polyporus squamosus. I agree with the reduction/ weight reduction.

[Marc]

The crown looks scrappy a nice reduction would tidy it up and help alleviate the sail area/end weight.

 

Rob horse chesnut can actually compartmentalise quite well as long as no significant pathogens are present and it has good vigour

 

T & C what does it look like in full leaf? Decompaction look impractical and probably no help here if the tree is showing good vigour. Out of interest how would you decompact?

I reckon at varying levels if the cost is not an issue would be worth while.

[Treecreeper1961]

A bit surprised by the negative reference to Picus. What are the negatives? Is it not one of the best and least invasive decay detection options?

[David Goss]

Ditto on the reduction, chestnuts are notorious for snapping out their crowns so a bit less sail would be the business IMO.

[T & C Tree Services]

The crown looks scrappy a nice reduction would tidy it up and help alleviate the sail area/end weight.

 

Rob horse chesnut can actually compartmentalise quite well as long as no significant pathogens are present and it has good vigour

 

T & C what does it look like in full leaf? Decompaction look impractical and probably no help here if the tree is showing good vigour. Out of interest how would you decompact?

I reckon at varying levels if the cost is not an issue would be worth while.

 

In full leaf the crown is a little thin but no more than expected with a tree of this age and location. For decompaction I recommended removing an area of the block paving from around the root plate and laying a porous surface material down. Doubt the council will go with it though.

[john p]

really nice to see an old tree flourishing in a place like that,becoming much less common,must have seen and been part of so much given its location. bollox,gone all sentimental!