Branch ripped off in Gales

[James grant]

Hi, I had a huge branch rip off a Horse Chestnut tree in my garden in the recent gales and I'd like to know if I should treat the scar on the trunk where it was damaged to protect the tree ?

 

As you can see from the photo the damage to the trunk is quite large and is actually in a V shape at the bottom which I think needs cutting flush with the trunk so water doesn't settle in the damaged area and rots the trunk.

 

I think the large branch next to the damaged trunk should also be removed as it's about the same size as the one that came off, and although we don't get 85 mph gales every winter, it looks like they are too heavy for the tree so I might cut that off before it gets ripped off.

 

Any advice on what to do most appreciated

thanks

[10 Bears]

Hello James,

 

I wouldn't recommend any of your suggestions I'm afraid. You would be best to just monitor it over time to see if there are any pathogen ingress that would lead to future structural compromise e.g. fungal infection etc.

 

All structures have a safety factor i.e. an amount of stress they can withstand before failure - including trees, it is just that your tree was compromised beyond its limit in an unusual event.

 

Treating the wound area with paints/treatments actually causes the opposite effect than the one you want. It used to be common practice to paint wounds, until knowledge informs us what is going on. The paint used to keep fungi at bay, can actually create an ideal zone for fungal proliferation just immediately under the surface ie dark, moist, food source etc., so painting can give the fungi just the advantage it needs to become established.

 

You don't want to flush cut - again another thing that was practised but is now frowned upon as this will cause additional damage to the vascular system in the stem wood, the plumbing between the roots and the crown. Damage this by flush cutting the stem and you will prolong any healing the wound can do. A build up of water is actually no problem at all, as the environment will be anaerobic i.e. without air, so pathogens will not be able to establish there.

 

The other large limb you refer to has been adapted over time to be in its location. The tree has put in additional supporting structures to cope with the weight of the branch. Yes there is the possibility that these supports are now damaged (cant tell from the pictures though), but the likelihood is that during the healing process, more adaptation will take place and the branches supported further to cope with the new crown shape. Loss of another branch and resultant loss of more photosynthetic area will increase the amount of time needed for recovery. You could consider getting an expert in to install a bracing system like Cobra for instance - but this attracts installation and maintenance costs.

 

What to do in my opinion? Tidy up the wind snap and just monitor for deterioration over time - of course seek the occasional professional expert opinion ie survey. There will be healing and most likely you will receive the benefit of additional wildlife once some wood boring insects get in there - which is actually a positive!

 

I hope all this is of use to you. If you let us all know where you are in the country, Im sure someone will be able to offer whatever services you may require.

 

Best wishes...

[Ian C]

What he said. Spot on.

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Arbtalk mobile app

[James grant]

Hi thank you for the info. I'll leave it alone then and see how it goes.

 

I'm in West Lancs / Merseyside. If anyone is in the area and wants to pop by for a look by all means drop me a pm

 

Thank you.

[treeseer]

Applying sealant might slow drying, dysfunction, and potential decay.

 

Reducing, not removing the opposite leader would be a very good idea. Any self-optimization done before is not reliable, under the new exposure to the elements. Perhaps 10-20% off the end; an arborist on site can assess and improve structure.

[Paul Cleaver]

that's a young tree and because of its age - it should deal with that wound just fine

[10 Bears]

Applying sealant might slow drying, dysfunction, and potential decay.

 

Well, perhaps in the 1980's when this was considered good practice, but not now knowledge has moved on.

 

Please read this very straightforward piece that provides a clear overview

 

or you could read this piece written by Shigo - the second to last paragraph on P108 says it all

 

I appreciate that time moves on from where your original knowledge came from, but in fact this is actually quite well known. I note from your avatar that you are from the US, and although I have not worked there personally, I have friends who have and they tell me that painting wounds is still fairly common practice, but a little bit of research will inform you that actually its not good practice at all.

 

If you PM me I will be happy to direct you to more scientific resources that I cannot openly post here...

[afro reductions]

My uncle in south Africa ( swaziland )is headmaster at an agricultural college and they use some recently developed tree paint from the US( can't remember the brand but will find out!) . He has had amazing results with it , it's not like the damaging stuff from the 80s but actively encourages codit and occlusion of the wound , he mentioned that it used growth hormones... However water does not cause rot but acts as a barrier to most pathogens so don't worry about the cavity filling with water ...

[treeseer]

Schhwarze's Fungal Strategies (2000) Chapter 4 begins with the compartmentalization model, and verifies that theory with microscopic assessment. Since most fungi which endanger trees’ stability work from the inside out, the ways that trees resist that outward spread are reviewed at some length. Xylem rays can be the trees’ Achilles Heels, the pathogens’ paths of least resistance. Similarly, xylem cracks produced by rapid drying after removal of a branch are “motorways” for infection, so the authors suggest that “the use of wound sealants could be quite successful against wound parasites. However there is still a great need for research here.” When large branches must be removed, experimenting with sealants seems preferable to opening the heartwood to decay.

 

Aesculus is not so good with rot ime. How long do you all reckin that the wound will take to close?

 

Is there anything that an arborist can do to speed this closure?