Quercus x hispanica 'Fulhamensis'

[David Humphries]

Is she worth saving?

Mature Fulham Oak

Entire root plate was littered with fruiting bodies of Armillaria 2 weeks ago.

Rhizamorphs absolutely everywhere.

Thinking of reduction & redirecting heavily used desire line path away from underneath tree.

Thoughts anyone?

[Amelanchier]

I think you've got a while yet. No apparent crown symptoms. White rot = typically biomechanically visible symptoms, like bulging, bottle butt blah blah blah.

 

Move the path, leave the tree... let it have its resources for a few more years. Too heavy a red. could cause problems in the future.

 

Keep an eye on the ol' girl.

[David Humphries]

Stage Two - Move Target.

Blocked access underneath canopy both sides by fence on field side and dead hedge at the other end. Created new path to replace well used desire line, through woods away from tree.

 

Have now found Armillaria on the next tree along the avenue.

Original host possibly Old felled trunk lying in brambles between the first two trees, rhizamorphed up to the eyeballs!!!

Is Armilatox of any use?

Not comfortable leaving tree at current size due to heavy foot fall in the area, so have decided to reduce. (Stage three - TBC)

[Amelanchier]

I wouldn't go down the chemical road, apart from it being illegal (see http://www.armillatox.co.uk/ ), you'ld need tankers of the stuff. Even then it probably wouldn't work.

 

Good work on the target exclusion.

 

I know I haven't seen the tree but hypothetically I'd be asking: -

 

Whats the specific reason for the proposed reduction? Concern of windthrow?

Armillaria spp. cause white rot basal decay and cambium death via active pathogenisis of it mycelium.

Is there any cambial death? Any mycelium?

There don't appear to be any crown symptoms. Are there any?

Are there any visible symptoms of decay within the stem?

 

Trees can tolerate fungal presence for many years and even co-exist and adapt to decay rates. Its been a good season for most fungi. A flush of toadstool may not be related to decay progression.

 

All in all, it may be that there is no significant decay. Most white rot decay is visibly predictable from biomechanical symptoms.

 

If you undertake a reduction, what spec. would you go to? I'd be concerned about the disruption to the energy reserves of a med-heavy job. Also the timing of the operation, when would you prune?

 

Just playing devils advocate, its good to see great trees in safe hands! Keep up the pics.

[Jack-Arb aka Tiago Sinclair-Julio.]

Hi!

I do agree with Tony, its early days she shows no physical signs of dye back, it could be a good few years before any symptoms appear...

Nice fencing by the way! Probably the best thing that could be done for the time being.

 

Keep the news coming!

 

Bye,

 

Jack the arb

 

[David Humphries]

Thanks for the input Tony,

I am concerned mainly with windthrow, even though the tree is not showing any serious signs of decay above ground, and according to FC Bulletin 100 (1991) that Quercus has a degree of resistance to Armillaria, i have a gut instinct that to cover the trees and my arse, a reduction is needed.

At present i am thinking along the lines of 20% crown retrenchment using Natural Fracture Prunning

http://www.arborecology.co.uk/resources/coronetcuts_naturalfracture.PDF

The reply from the Arboricultural Advisory Information Service to our question on timing, relayed that mid-winter is the ideal time for pruning evergreen oaks quoting George E Brown.

Will post further pics during works.

[Amelanchier]

Good stuff sir!!!

 

Look forward to those pics!

[Rebecca Harrison]

Hi,

One thought and I don't know if anybody out there knows... if Armillatox is a 'cure' for honey fungus what does it do to other possible beneficial fungi ..just a thought....

[Marc]

Hi,

One thought and I don't know if anybody out there knows... if Armillatox is a 'cure' for honey fungus what does it do to other possible beneficial fungi ..just a thought....

 

 

Short answer, No.

 

Armillatox will not cure honey fungus, and is a rather impractical means of sterilising the soil.

 

Only time i've used it to transplant shrubs during winter months from beds with Honey Fungus, we'd blast the soil of the roots, then sterilise those with Armillatox.

 

How it affects other soil fungi i'm not sure but I can't imagine it be good.

 

We did try "saving" some small trees using Armillatox, with no success, maybe we did it wrong?

 

 

As far as i'm aware honey fungus is one of the largest spread fungi around, its probably everywhere. The best way of treating it is to improve the growing conditions giving the tree/s the greatest chance of naturally defending themselves.

[Lee Winger]

footpath you say, then decompact the root zone, I would. Think holistic ,why did the tree become a host for honey fungus in the first place.