?? This Oak needs your help ??

[Lee Winger]

keep it civil lads and this really good educational thread will be closed..

Edited January 24, 2009 by Lee Winger

[madclimber]

Just read the thread, i think threads like this are good for educational purposes, as well as a refresher to the more experienced arborists out their. I also think that if someone has a topic of which they already know the answer to it they should still post it as we all have our methods and its good to see how others would approach the situation.... Just a thought.

[Ben Ballard]

Just read the thread, i think threads like this are good for educational purposes, as well as a refresher to the more experienced arborists out their. I also think that if someone has a topic of which they already know the answer to it they should still post it as we all have our methods and its good to see how others would approach the situation.... Just a thought.

i enjoyed the thread i like reading and learning what other people would do and make my own mind up about things, with out been rude if i think i no better.iam no expert on paper ,most of my experience and knowledge is from doing the job and the odd book

[John Hancock]

keep it civil lads and this really good educational thread will be closed..

 

Update on the Oak……

 

Had a meeting with the tree officer. He’s keen on a fell and re-plant. Now please don’t be too hasty in putting him down, I understand and respect his views, being - this is an urban landscape, which is changing constantly, the tree has been there for many years and has served its purpose. If you felled it, and replaced with two good specimens in years to come they too will be enjoyed and appreciated.

 

I would love to do nothing, except monitor health and vitality of the tree, trouble is it’s on a green open space and ultimate responsibility stops with me. I can not do nothing.

 

Here is what I want to happen.

 

First I’m going to start consultation with the residents of the close. Inform them (in simple terms) that the tree has a recognised fungal infection and this, in turn may have compromised the strength of the trees’ rooting system. I’m also informing them of its possible implications to the tree.

 

Then I’m going to survey the tree (particularly the below ground portion of the tree/main supporting roots) as given the decay characteristics of this pathogen/fungi this is the part I expect to be most defective.

 

I think the most suitable survey tool would be a resistograph. (Picus would only tell me what’s going on above ground) and as far as I’m aware so would thermal imaging (although my knowledge on TI is limited)

 

Once I’ve gathered the survey results and the resident’s opinions/views then it’ll be time to make a decision. My heart is leaning towards planting some quality replacements ASAP and carrying out a ‘significant’ crown reduction.

 

My head is telling me to fell and replant, because I already know the characteristic decay this fungi causes. This still all depends on the results of the survey. If the decay is extensive and the tree has to come down I’ll still sleep at night. Whatever I decide it’ll have to be defensible in a court of law should failure occur.

 

John.

[Stephen Blair]

how big a tree can you plant john?if the tree is felled then this should cheaper than 2 bites of the apple. can you put the saving towards a really big replant?

[John Hancock]

how big a tree can you plant john?if the tree is felled then this should cheaper than 2 bites of the apple. can you put the saving towards a really big replant?

 

Mate, I’ve spent a fortune on planting in the past, only to have all the trees vandalised weeks later. If I put all my eggs in one basket its taking a risk. I’d prefer to plant two or even three smaller trees and hope some survive. Don’t you just love the youth of today!

[Stephen Blair]

Mate, I’ve spent a fortune on planting in the past, only to have all the trees vandalised weeks later. If I put all my eggs in one basket its taking a risk. I’d prefer to plant two or even three smaller trees and hope some survive. Don’t you just love the youth of today!

 

never thought of that, i just love it when you drive thru a crappy area thats falling to pieces and you see a really cracking tree, think of the abuse it has taken over the years and its still going.

[Ben Ballard]

i like the ideas of planting large specimins to get instant cover but i have found it can be a bit of a expencive risk if dies. i try to play it safe and plant smaller trees as find they can establish much better in the end and save a lot of graft ,herad that planting quercus robur or other oaks that has come from south of france or places warm like that. would be better for our future inviroment has any one else heard of this or have i heard wrong

[David oakman]

The thing that makes great britain great is veteran and ancient trees. If you go to windsor great park with ted green you will walk around hollow thin walled trees and thousands of people do this every year, but as HSE get more involved more trees that could live for hundreds of years will live possibly 100 and felled which is good for timber merchants but changes what we like to see old trees. I have a book 1883 forestry journals and in there are pictures of some veteran trees and some are still here if HSE was around in 1883 things may look a lot different than it does.

[Ben Ballard]

i realy think aswell that our vetran trees is something to be very proad of especially our old pollards and the history of there uses .seen a interesting experiment in a arb mag of seeing if a pollard would respond with growth better been cut with axe to be more like a natural break than with a flat saw cut ,or cut to look like a break with the saw