Advice on Cricket Bat Willows

[Hawkes Trees]

Hi, I am after some advice on a possible disease on some Cricket Bat Willows that I have recently started looking after. The trees are approximately 8 years old and are currently 6-8m tall. They were all planted for the eventual harvest and production of cricket bats.

 

In the top third of the tree is a substantial amount of loose and missing bark. This I have been assured by landowners is squirrel damage. Whilst this seems a reasonable explanation, it would appear to have affected a lot of the (CBW) trees in the area. If this is true why have surrounding Beech, Oak and Sycamore trees not been damaged in a similar way?

 

I suspect that this could be watermark disease as there have been cases in our area before. I have some info on diagnostic testing but do not want to fell a tree if this could be just squirrel damage.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

Thanks

 

Steve

[gibbon]

Any photos? Doubt its squirrel damage on Willow, they seem to prefer Maples and Beech in sunny Devon

[Hawkes Trees]

I will get some pics tomorrow,It seems to be too much damage on too many trees to me for squirrels.

[Charlieh]

just a long shot as a mate has a farm in north essex with cricket bat willows, they are having some serious problems with fallow deer knackering the trees, might what your seeing be historic damage from deer before the trees got properly established? mostly theres is fraying damage when the bucks (which seem to be disproportionately abundant in n essex) are shedding velvet prior to the rut, like i say a long shot but one to consider

[Graham]

High maintenance trees!

 

I know one or two LAs in Essex used to employ dedicated CB willow inspectors. May be worth enquiring.

[Hawkes Trees]

Thanks for that. I am a qualified Deer Manager and it isn't Deer damage, There are no resident Fallow in our area just muntjac. They would have browsed a lot of the other trees too and none are damaged. The trees were also fitted with 5 foot plastic mesh type tree guards. I took some pics today for your perusal. I have heard today of a case of watermark virus less than half a mile upwind. I still think it could be a disease.

 

Steve

[Marcus B-T]

Essex County Council have a person who has reponsibility for Cricket Bat Willows. My wife is an expert in Cricket Bat Willows though the usual kid thing has meant she hasn't had involvement with the industry for a few years. Also we have looked at wilows with watermark and other diseases in willows and it shows up quite nicely with the thermal imaging. Have to say we have limited numbers of samples, it isn't the most popular request we have for the technology so don't know at what stage it shows up in younger trees. But from what I know of the disease from my wife we should be able to pick it up moderately early and we know we can quantify the effects in larger trees 30 cm diameter plus. From the symptoms you have described it could be watermark disease.

 

Marcus B-T

[Hawkes Trees]

Thanks Marcus, I will inform my boss to speak to Essex County Council.

 

Steve

[Marcus B-T]

If you have any problems let me know and I will dig out a contact, alternatively if you stand me a lunch and a beer I will come and have a look with my thermal camera out of curiosity

[David oakman]

I have got cricket bat willows, i get squirels at the top fallow deer pull the tubes off and rub them and badgers sharpen there claws on them. Also there are black spots on the trunk and when you cut twigs off the wood is brown and not white could this be water mark disease?