Beech with Meripilus Giganteus

[PRob]

Hi All,

A little advice please. I have a beech which is infected by Meripilus Giganteus. The fruiting bodies have appeared in the last 3 years. We have been in the house 20 years and have reduced the crown 3 times to manage its size. Regretfully it was butchered by a brutal topping by the previous owner about 25 years ago and some rot is set in on the stumps at the top of the tree. However it always comes into full leaf as can be seen by the pictures. We have now been advised to remove it entirely by a tree company as it may prove a danger to people on the path and road. How unstable is the tree likely to be, it seems solid as a rock to me?! I have said I would rather not take it down but reduce the crown by about 40% as i have some concerns of causing heave on the foundations of the house. Is this a valid worry or if I plant something as a replacement - perhaps a hornbeam hedge will this counteract any swelling of the soil (we are on clay). General views and opinions welcome as it would be sad to see the tree go! Thank you in advance!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

A bold (misguided) statement....

 

You may have assumed from pic 1 that it is curbing, but pic 3 should have illustrated that it is, in fact, a granite topped retaining wall installed during the major church refurbishment in the early 1800's. I wonder which came first, the tree or the wall?

 

I initially considered wind loading to be the primary cause of failure, it was only after a little thought and consideration of the broader environmental situation that I concluded it was more likely to be a combination of wind (direction), root decay and restricted root plate development.

 

You can take your dozens of top consultants and pick your best, then ask him / her (based upon the pictures provided) to validate your statement "not one iota." Call me when you're ready......

 

By inserting it in the thread your suggesting principally Meripilus (in order to defend the fell camp) even knowing by the quoted statement that there was much compounding the issues, elevated soil (banked) restricted root development on one side due to walling ( maybe when this beech was a sapling), with only partial decay via meripilus, a crown reduction say 3 metres overall would have seen that still standing, and i don't think any man worth his salt would argue. Bring it onto Uktc and we can find out the consensus!

 

Ive been wrong before, im sure I will be again, I dont mind, its good to discuss and debate.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

By inserting it in the thread your suggesting principally Meripilus (in order to defend the fell camp) even knowing by the quoted statement that there was much compounding the issues, elevated soil (banked) restricted root development on one side due to walling ( maybe when this beech was a sapling), with only partial decay via meripilus, a crown reduction say 3 metres overall would have seen that still standing, and i don't think any man worth his salt would argue. Bring it onto Uktc and we can find out the consensus!

 

Ive been wrong before, im sure I will be again, I dont mind, its good to discuss and debate.

 

I haven't suggested M is the principal cause Tony, I said my initial prognosis was wind and later considered M a possible contributory factor. I didn't feel the need to defend my (earlier, based upon the presented information) view that removal might be preferred to retention (if I was the homeowner.) That's just what my view would be if I lived there and it doesn't need anymore justification than that. There will be those that like to see (and live with) large trees in small spaces, but it's not my preference.

 

It's a little off topic (for the original poster) and maybe better suited to a separate thread, but mention (both for and against retention in this case) of "amenity value" has got me thinking and it's what I was looking for earlier; has there been a discussion of the definition / calculation of amenity value previously? I seem to be seeing the term used as a fairly blaze catch-all without due consideration to what it may have originally been coined for. Is there, for example, a balancing factor - value to one person minus nuisance to another equals "value?" That's a discussion I'd be interested in. And also, how might the rural definition of amenity value vary to the urban one? I'd appreciate any views and happy to start a separate thread if (mods?) it's more appropriate?

[daltontrees]

Definitely one for a separate thread. The current preferred mechanism for assessing amenity value in Britain is deeply flawed. Ask a question about tree amenity value in a new thread and I for one will probably be unable to stop myself contributing frankly.

[Jesse]

Definitely one for a separate thread. The current preferred mechanism for assessing amenity value in Britain is deeply flawed. Ask a question about tree amenity value in a new thread and I for one will probably be unable to stop myself contributing frankly.

 

I can't stop my self either,. Amenity, lots of different ways to value a tree, species, location, how many and who can see it ?, that's a start, for me whats also important ,is it the best tree for that location, can it be left alone , (not routinely maintained in size) for me the best examples are trees which can stand alone or as groups which have little pressure / conflict about there existence, A large tree like this Beech should have been allowed to develop to its full potential, once topped or heavily reduced and done repeatedly , to me its value is lost, Incorporate a serious defect, disease, disorder in association with any moderate to high value targets and all Amenity value is lost, its true form would be better seen after leaf abscission, the poor quality historical pruning works would be for all to see, the constant leaflet drops ,door knocking and questions from rouge traders - 'Do you want your tree topped ?' have put the nail in the coffin for this tree, spend as much money as you like now on consultants, its days are numbered, better to remove and replace.

[daltontrees]

It's a little off topic (for the original poster) and maybe better suited to a separate thread, but mention (both for and against retention in this case) of "amenity value" has got me thinking and it's what I was looking for earlier; has there been a discussion of the definition / calculation of amenity value previously? I seem to be seeing the term used as a fairly blaze catch-all without due consideration to what it may have originally been coined for. Is there, for example, a balancing factor - value to one person minus nuisance to another equals "value?" That's a discussion I'd be interested in. And also, how might the rural definition of amenity value vary to the urban one? I'd appreciate any views and happy to start a separate thread if (mods?) it's more appropriate?

 

I knew I couldn't stop myself. I am going to start another thread about this just now. I don't mean to steal your thunder, but I am laid up with the cold today and have time on my hands to do it.

 

I will put it in the 'General Chat' section and call it something like 'Valuation of Amenity Trees'. See you there, folks?

[PRob]

OK my decision is made - I plan to remove the tree entirely!

 

Next this raises what to replace it with, hornbeam has been suggested. However won't the spores of Meripilus be in the ground and likely to cause further problems with other trees. Which ones are resistant to Meripilus? I would prefer a tree or 2 or 3 small trees hence the hornbeam suggestion (maybe pleached?!).

 

Any other suggestions - ideas. Or do I have to leave the ground and not plant anything for a while?