Ash down?

[Goaty]

It could also be a graft failure but very unlikely, so bear it in mind but don't fret about it. As treecreeper says rotten roots are hard to determine, especially if the tree looks sound all the way to the floor.

On here are numerous posts about sudden failure. One in the last year was about the poplar in London that suddenly went in the daytime. Realistically its nature and things decay, its part of life. Trees also shed large limbs when they are stressed due to drought. This is documented well at Kew gardens and they proactively take such limbs off before it occurs.

Personally, I'd just do the obviously potentially dangerous that needs doing. Enjoy the woods and put tents etc out of reach of tree failure distances.It is very rare a tree fails on to people, when you think we are in proximity of them often.

[Crazy Cutter]

I have found over the last year more failure of ash at ground level. They usually have vertical cracks and snap clean, the cause i suspect is ash dieback which has quickly been invaded by honey fungus. We will soon be seeing more of this failure. I have numerous woods now with fallen madium size ash. People have recently been worrying about the lack of hardwood supplies but don't worry the warm winter has sped up the disease and supplies will be plentyful! Just remember it rots quickly so do not leave standing.

[Rupe]

Why 2012? Are you are considering Ash dieback? I thought that occured from the top down. The condition has always looked fine, at least to an untrained eye.

 

When I say "snapped off like a carrot", I mean it failed cleanly at ground level leaving the roots still buried.

 

I'll have a closer look at the point of failure this week, when we've had an opportunity to drag the trunk from the undergrowth.

 

 

He means 2012 because that is when your "comprehensive tree survey" was carried out. Nothing to do with ash dieback, what did the comprehensive tree survey say about this ash tree?

 

And no, its quite possible nothing was visibly wrong with the tree, thats why many tree surveys are a bit pointless, they are just ways of showing you have made an effort to look for risks.

 

If a tree has absolutly no visible problems and is inspected and deemed safe, and then it falls over then that is just how things go, no liabilty or negligence issues. A cause might be foud but stable door, horse etc. bit late now eh!

[Bosun]

Thanks for your comments guys,

 

The tree survey did not highlight any problems with this particular Ash tree, but did find another with inonutus brackets and recommended a significant crown reduction, which has been done. A Picus test revealed large areas of decay.

 

Now that we've had a chance to cut up and remove the trunk, there is evidence of rot/fungal attack. A dark brown soft mass about the size of a house brick.

 

Judging by the comments here, I think we should just have regular walk around looking for any obvious signs and changes. Currently we just go around and remove any broken or suspect branches from the lower canopy. Or at least those we can reach with our 6.4m pole saw.