This may be a daft question about bleed canker

[Scottie]

Ok I know how to identify bleeding canker on a horse chestnut, but has anybody came across a horse chestnut when it is in its final thros of live? What does it look like, has it shed limbs that were affected, does the tree simply fall over, has all the bark fallen from the tree and how long does is it take for all this to happen?

 

Thanks

[Johny Walker]

scottie your back how was it

[nuggsy]

sounds like phytopthora, nick named sudden oak death, will have rhizomorphs and honey fungus in there aswell. looked at a beech tree with these symptoms, not over yet but it wont be long before it is

[janey]

Extensive bark necrosis then delamination. When this starts to effect enough of the circunference then you will see crown decline. Caused mainly by Pseudomonas.

 

Though I have seen some tough old trees with literally no live bark up to about a metre above ground with a healthy looking crown.

[arnoldbuchsassinger]

I have worked on several massive trees with extensive vascular failrure from, i have always found big old trees which have failed to leaf up on on stem, big side lateral, at this point they usually become victim to everyother pathogenic attack, waterborne/airborne or saw borne. Have come across massive bark necrosis, whole bark shell peeling away, will just warn ya though, this is not just on horse chestnut, be warned. I am adding a new posting on the very subject

[nepia]

No intention of derailing Scottie but on a closely related subject that may be of use to yourself in the future...

 

Have been asked to reduce an infected HC. Owner wants to retain it as long as he can but feels there's too much of it now.

Is this a sensible/daft consideration? My slight knowledge has things going either way - could removing some infected canopy reduce stress on the tree as a whole or is the process likely to hammer the final nail into the thing's coffin?

For argument's sake at this stage I'll say that the tree was otherwise in good condition and the crown reduction is suggested at '20%' for what that's worth.

If owner insists on the work regardless of any advice to the contrary what would be the least bad time to do it? 'Not now' I'm guessing as the leaves will be brown in a month's time.

 

Thanks.

[gmanntpo]

Hi Nepia

 

A crown reduction would only create many pruning wounds on which the bleeding canker and other pathogens would use to colonise other parts of the tree. The removal of a large amount of leaf area would remove futher deplete energy reserves and the ability to produce energy on a tree already under stress. I consider this would put a tree with existing health problems into strain...

 

I consider the key question here is not when this tree is a pile of sticks on the ground but what is its safe useful life expectency (sule). From what you've described I reckon a compeletly objective sule assessment would give it a rating of 5 - 10 years before major failure/tree death occurs...

 

If this is the case then would it best removed altogether and a good sized replacement (14 - 16??) with decades/hundreds of years ahead of it...

 

You may or may not agree, but would like to hear the outcome...

 

Cheers mate

[nepia]

You may or may not agree, but would like to hear the outcome...

 

Cheers mate

 

 

Oh I agree because you know what you're talking about better than I. The decision has been to reduce after leaf fall. The tree's actually looking slightly better than at the same time last year - there are decent sized fruits instead of prematurely falling cherries.

Trouble is that the reduction includes 1/4 straight off the top despite all suggestions to the contrary! Yow.

 

Will update at the time. Thanks for the considered reply.

[benedmonds]

Have been asked to reduce an infected HC. O

For argument's sake at this stage I'll say that the tree was otherwise in good condition and the crown reduction is suggested at '20%' for what that's worth.

 

You get paid twice.. Once for the reduction and then next year for the take down... That's what happened to us after the council refused my initial request to fell but gave permision to reduce..

[nepia]

You get paid twice.. Once for the reduction and then next year for the take down... That's what happened to us after the council refused my initial request to fell but gave permision to reduce..

 

 

I'll settle for that!

 

Cheers.