Trees - Our Botanicultural Heritage

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Thank you David.

 

Joining this place has truly inspired me! The people are great. I can always find something good to read and I enjoy the banter!

 

Thats the kind of post AT members never tire of seeing/hearing:thumbup1:

 

I am kinda fond of AT too!

[David Humphries]

Been working on this fine old brute of a Beech last couple of days.

 

Have posted shots of the tree before, but this is by way of an update.

 

The Arch is listed & from 1766.

The Tree has been pushing over the flank wall for decades.

Rather than just let the Tree do it's thing & push over the wall (my prefered choice) the engineers came up with a concrete slab foundation & metal support too hold the wall up.

 

Suffice to say, there was always going to be a root issue.

We've airspaded out the area of the intended foundation, & have now planned a new meeting with the structural guys, to see if there is a more tree freindly alternative.

 

 

First shots the Tree in context.

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Edited March 29, 2011 by Monkey-D

[David Humphries]

The Airspade work......

 

 

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[Amelanchier]

Interesting work David. I have a similar situation (although in far less auspicious and grand circumstances) and will be interested to see the final design.

 

Are they pouring straight into that pit? We've specced some similar pads with a compressible expanded foam underlay to distribute point loading from secondary growth and during wind loading.

[David Humphries]

Interesting work David. I have a similar situation (although in far less auspicious and grand circumstances) and will be interested to see the final design.

 

Are they pouring straight into that pit? We've specced some similar pads with a compressible expanded foam underlay to distribute point loading from secondary growth and during wind loading.

 

Certainly is an interesting one Tony.

 

the original planned proposal is/was a slab within the entire excavated area.

 

Having a meet in the next couple of days with engineer & contractors, which should instigate something completely different.

 

 

Funnily enough, out of the 4/5 original proposals, none of them mentioned what has been offered up by a passing member of the public. Which is to put up an info board with photos/images of the Arch from over the last 100 or so years with some additional text, and then just let nature take it's course.

 

Sounds like the best situation all round

 

less money

retention of this relic in context with it's 'now' surroundings

 

............and most significantly, best situation for the Tree

 

 

 

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[Amelanchier]

A tree of that size and vigour will tolerate a little slab easily. Don't be so precious Think of it as the ultimate mulch - weed proof, low maintenance and collects a great deal of moisture for those hot summer days...

[David Humphries]

Think of it as the ultimate mulch - weed proof, low maintenance and collects a great deal of moisture for those hot summer days...

 

 

You office wallahs are sooooo good at lateral thinking

 

 

 

Tree has Kretzschmaria, possibly only saprophytically within butress cracks.

 

 

 

 

 

I'll update the situation in a week or so.

 

 

 

stay tooooooooned

 

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Passed by this Beech earlier in the morning, stopped & took a shot for posterity

 

Although obviously a tree outside it's prefered growing environment, it looks like someone from a by gone time, liked their tree enough, to find a solution that enabled them keep it relatively unmolested in such a tight spot.

 

Take me hat off to em

 

Not the majorities cup of cha !

 

 

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[sean freeman]

Brilliant approach:thumbup1: but I'd be getting that bricky back to redo the arch hard to get good help even back then:sneaky2:

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

that wall aint old, it was a replacement for one that the roots pushed out previously.