acer fungi?

[chrisgilltreesurgery]

Hi all,

Just been called out to give my opinion on a sycamore.

I told the customer I would come here with the pics and get a second opinion, so don't let me down!

 

I have recommended the limb to be removed from above the wound as the new extension of the house is well within the target area.

 

Here are the photo's I took below:

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers lads :thumbup:

[Jesse]

I'd say it looks like old bark damage with decay now present and occlusion taking place, Cryptostroma corticale , probably still latent but i'd be sure its in there as well as what any one else comes up with. Hi risk target i'd be thinking take it down. hope that helps.

[Jesse]

I'd say it looks like old bark damage with decay now present and occlusion taking place, Cryptostroma corticale , probably still latent but i'd be sure its in there as well as what any one else comes up with. Hi risk target i'd be thinking take it down. hope that helps.

 

Looking at the photo again its almost twin forked at that point , with that amount of decay at that point, if you remove the branch it would adversely unbalance the tree , my recommendation would defiantly be to remove the tree. Structurally its very poor.

[Paul Cleaver]

have to agree - I can see that limb failing where it bifurcates

[treeseer]

have to agree - I can see that limb failing where it bifurcates

 

I can't see that at all. Those ribs of adaptive growth/woundwood could probably hold up the lot of us! That is a small amount of strength loss, even if the branch were hollow.

 

It is on the edge of the crown, so exposure and length of lever arm are risk factors. Both can be quite readily managed, mitigated by reduction, based on the pics. Yes the tree has poor structure--so prune the *(()*())*&^*'n thing!

 

The Arborist formerly known as hama goes on sabbatical, and the place goes to the dogs.

 

Seriously, the best way to assess the risk might be to get a rope up there and pull on it; see how it moves.

[Jesse]

I can't see that at all. Those ribs of adaptive growth/woundwood could probably hold up the lot of us! That is a small amount of strength loss, even if the branch were hollow.

 

It is on the edge of the crown, so exposure and length of lever arm are risk factors. Both can be quite readily managed, mitigated by reduction, based on the pics. Yes the tree has poor structure--so prune the *(()*())*&^*'n thing!

 

The Arborist formerly known as hama goes on sabbatical, and the place goes to the dogs.

 

Seriously, the best way to assess the risk might be to get a rope up there and pull on it; see how it moves.

Sycamore-reduction ?? not what i would recommend. Pull/shake test?-see how it moves?, Just a few 'what if's 'and 'hows' How will you measure the amount of pull and how many people will pull the tree? or do you just increase the number of people pulling/shaking the tree as part of the test and if you run out of staff do you ask the client to get on the end of the rope?, that way if the tree fails you can blame the client. What if it fails the pull test and a branch lands on your head or worse still the client or his property? EVEN WORSE- lets say it does not completely fail but it makes the unnerving ' CREEK' followed by a' CRACK' and stays there. Do you then just suggest he gets someone else to look at it, or do you send a member of staff up the tree to dismantle and rig it down or do you climb it and rig it down? Good management of trees is not just about seeing how long you can leave a tree standing just because it pleases the client,or that you love trees more than your wife, you should also take into account the safety of a climber and not leave it to the last minute of a trees life at the point when failure is immanent. Rigging down a stem decayed tree where the climber has to work above the area of decay requires a great deal of skill. Not all sites can accommodate a cherry picker. The safety of a climber comes first with me, then the client, then his property, then me last. I always climb and rig down the dodgy trees as its a big ask which i don't like to put on my staff. Just my opinion and i'm not having a dig treeseer.

[treeseer]

"Sycamore-reduction ?? not what i would recommend.

 

Why not?

 

" How will you measure the amount of pull and how many people will pull the tree?

 

No numerical measurement--2 people should be enough.

 

"or do you just increase the number of people pulling/shaking

 

shaking would be silly--no coconuts up there. :001_rolleyes:

 

" the tree as part of the test and if you run out of staff do you ask the client to get on the end of the rope?, that way if the tree fails you can blame the client. What if it fails the pull test and a branch lands on your head or worse still the client or his property? EVEN WORSE- lets say it does not completely fail but it makes the unnerving ' CREEK' followed by a' CRACK' and stays there.

Do you then just suggest he gets someone else to look at it, or do you send a member of staff up the tree to dismantle and rig it down or do you climb it and rig it down?"

 

Well then you pull the rope through--you did not pull a knot up there did you? I did not think that needed explanation--both ends on the ground of course... That's not a dig; that is 6 digs, based on a very sketchy scenario. Unless your staff is all gorillas they could not break those ribs of woundwood. Fella named Detter from Germany showed me this basic pull test; no dynamometers involved. Climbing up there and checking the area out is best of course; simples.

 

"Good management of trees is not just about seeing how long you can leave a tree standing just because it pleases the client,or that you love trees more than your wife,

 

Hm where do you get your information?

 

"you should also take into account the safety of a climber and not leave it to the last minute of a trees life at the point when failure is immanent.

 

By what objective factor does this assessment come from? Behind on payments to make on your chipper?

 

"Rigging down a stem decayed tree where the climber has to work above the area of decay requires a great deal of skill.

 

Pruning that stem would be done from tying in to the adjacent stem. If no other stem is available (hypothetically) then pole tools are an option, attached. Very low risk operation.

 

"Not all sites can accommodate a cherry picker.

 

Ah those are bigger payments; understood.

 

"The safety of a climber comes first with me, then the client, then his property, then me last. I always climb and rig down the dodgy trees as its a big ask which i don't like to put on my staff. Just my opinion and i'm not having a dig treeseer.

 

Oh no of course not. You're just exaggerating risk to justify removal, that's okay, we all gotta eat. Dodgy indeed. Good management of trees is not based on arborphobia--or is it called dendrophobia over there?

PolePruning_2008_06-1.pdf

[Jesse]

"Sycamore-reduction ?? not what i would recommend.

 

Why not?

 

" How will you measure the amount of pull and how many people will pull the tree?

 

No numerical measurement--2 people should be enough.

 

"or do you just increase the number of people pulling/shaking

 

shaking would be silly--no coconuts up there. :001_rolleyes:

 

" the tree as part of the test and if you run out of staff do you ask the client to get on the end of the rope?, that way if the tree fails you can blame the client. What if it fails the pull test and a branch lands on your head or worse still the client or his property? EVEN WORSE- lets say it does not completely fail but it makes the unnerving ' CREEK' followed by a' CRACK' and stays there.

Do you then just suggest he gets someone else to look at it, or do you send a member of staff up the tree to dismantle and rig it down or do you climb it and rig it down?"

 

Well then you pull the rope through--you did not pull a knot up there did you? I did not think that needed explanation--both ends on the ground of course... That's not a dig; that is 6 digs, based on a very sketchy scenario. Unless your staff is all gorillas they could not break those ribs of woundwood. Fella named Detter from Germany showed me this basic pull test; no dynamometers involved. Climbing up there and checking the area out is best of course; simples.

 

"Good management of trees is not just about seeing how long you can leave a tree standing just because it pleases the client,or that you love trees more than your wife,

 

Hm where do you get your information?

 

"you should also take into account the safety of a climber and not leave it to the last minute of a trees life at the point when failure is immanent.

 

By what objective factor does this assessment come from? Behind on payments to make on your chipper?

 

"Rigging down a stem decayed tree where the climber has to work above the area of decay requires a great deal of skill.

 

Pruning that stem would be done from tying in to the adjacent stem. If no other stem is available (hypothetically) then pole tools are an option, attached. Very low risk operation.

 

"Not all sites can accommodate a cherry picker.

 

Ah those are bigger payments; understood.

 

"The safety of a climber comes first with me, then the client, then his property, then me last. I always climb and rig down the dodgy trees as its a big ask which i don't like to put on my staff. Just my opinion and i'm not having a dig treeseer.

 

Oh no of course not. You're just exaggerating risk to justify removal, that's okay, we all gotta eat. Dodgy indeed. Good management of trees is not based on arborphobia--or is it called dendrophobia over there?

That's cool, there,s no skin off my nose I can take one on the chin .

[chrisgilltreesurgery]

Ok then......... whats the verdict lol

[Jesse]

Ok then......... whats the verdict lol

 

I'v said what i would do and recommend, Its up to you Chris, I live in the uk and am an approved Lantra Professional Tree Inspector, and Professional member of another well known organization, I have also done the job for about 20 years and as well as consultancy work I still climb trees , on an open forum you will get a range of options . I also have P I insurance so I am happy to voice my opinions with out any worries of reprisals. I may be should have typed things a little more sensitively , but it is an open forum , if people don't like what I write that's fine. I have always been a little bit vocal and some times jump straight in , but I do not intentionally mean to offend any one or disrespect there opinions . With Arbs you will always get a variety of options.