Ganoderma on Beech

[benedmonds]

Big fat TPO'd beech in a nursery playground with ganoderma brackets in root buttresses. What would you do/what additional tests would you recommend.

[Matthew Arnold]

Other than a very very light reduction and a 6 month check up i would leave it. Yes it is in a nursery but that tree has been there since the second world war and before that no doubt. The H+S brigade would fell it at a moments notice but i would leave as much as possible unless it has a bit of die back in the top. And even then i would just take out the deadwood. I wouldn't start hacking into the living tissue.

[Arb Rhino]

IMO i would use a resistograph to check for any rot/weakness in the base of the stem as a minimum, depending on results maybe recommend an arial inspection and decreasing the compaction on the root plate.

 

 

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[Will Ayers]

Very hard to suggest an action plan with such limited knowledge about the extent of decay. I dare say the tree may stand safely for many years but it is a high target area with frequent use by kids. So it should be made a priority to decide on any actions ASAP.

 

If it hasn't shed any big limbs this winter it may well do with the added weight of leaves later on in the spring/summer, so there is no time like the present! Given the fact the tree is TPO'd, the amenity value of the tree (kids remember the tree's in their play grounds forever) and, it's age and size, I would have thought it would be well worth fighting for its retention. In order to do that you need to know the extent of the decay so I would look in to a picus sonic tomograph at the base and perhaps a resistograph of some of the higher defects. If the results show only a mild cone of decay or less then I would still recommend a light reduction, deadwood and bit of a thin. Even in this best case scenario I would also make sure the tree is inspected frequently in the future. Beech trees can thrive while in the grips of ganoderma, but it is hard to say from a VTA wether it is showing vigour from good vitality or wether this is a direct response to the pathogens threat.

 

In other words trees sometimes spend all of their pension money at once on fancy haircuts and makeovers for the last years of their life. This can be tricky to perceive without some sort of further investigation.

 

I'm sure I'm teaching eggs to suck grannies here but thought I'd put in my two pence all the same.

 

 

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[treeseer]

Big fat TPO'd beech in a nursery playground with ganoderma brackets in root buttresses. What would you do/what additional tests would you recommend.

First, the brackets are in sinuses, which are between the butresses.

This matters because the tree stands on the buttresses.

 

What % of the sinuses have brackets?

 

Judging by the size of the tree, a crown cleaning and light reduction <10% with <2" cuts might be in order, brackets or no.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

the root flare form suggests a fair amount of decay but adapting, resistagraph in the case of G. australe (would need confirmation) would be unwise.

[Bob Rolfe]

Sorry chaps but pollard or fell or this could happen ..

 

This is from yesterday if it went the other way it would of been across a road that's bad let alone a nursery

 

 

 

 

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[JonnyVine]

Be careful posting pics like that, you'll have the retaining brigade down your neck

[daltontrees]

Is it by any chance a graft of say Copper Beech on common Beech? I am just wondering if there is some inherent graft weakness that might come into the equation?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Be careful posting pics like that, you'll have the retaining brigade down your neck

 

wont be breathing down anyones neck to retain a tree in this scenario:biggrin:

 

besides nowt wrong with opinions, even yours!