opinions please

[Dean O]

i'd second peter's comment - that it seems to be forming reaction wood, and as its leaning away from targets the risk could be mediated rather than removed altogether.

on the other hand if the client wont accept this opinion then suggest a removal and replant to keep the continuity of the row.

[gmanntpo]

Hi guys

 

I supply the following comments:

 

1. It seems likely that the damage has been caused by a lightening strike. This has exposed the sapwood leaving it open to colonisation by decay fungi. With such extensive wounding on this tree, it is a certainty.

2. The wound wood formation can take many years and possibly, as with this tree, will never occlude the damaged area and as stated above fungal colonisation will have taken place already.

3. Thus the fungi will be merrily decaying the wood. This is also combined with internal defects caused by the damaging agent (lightening/drought crack etc). Such causation often results in radial/transverse cracking, combined with wind stress on a tree with a growth bias (as this one).

4. This can cause a shear crack. Ironically the formation of the wound wood with occluded ribs can mean the that the two surfaces of the seperate wound wood are able to slide against each other freely, making the wound wood formation at best irrelevent and at worst making the tree structurally weaker. This is combined with the bending stresses from the growth bias of the tree.

5. You have provided excellent pics of the damage. Nevertheless, what is happening on the opposite side of the stem? Are bulges forming from localised reaction growth to compensate from the internal stresses? Or is the bark formation looking thin and elongated suggesting the stem is subsiding on the downward side?

6. If the damage is caused by lightening (in my opinion, it is) then don't forget that the tissue damage is often worse at the base of the tree and it decays signicantly at ground level.

7. I'm like a stuck record going on about SULE I know! I bet the SULE of this tree is very low. If, however it has no target then it could be left standing or reduced as previous post state.

8. As a TO, I would allow it to be felled under DDD exemption and go for a lovely new shiny replacement tree!

 

Hope this is off a bit of use to you.

 

Cheers dudes!

[moorcrofttreesurgery]

Well I reckon you do what the customer says, no? Is that not how business works? Has the customer asked for alternatives to felling?

 

:thumbup:id go with that.he hasnt asked for any alternatives.

[moorcrofttreesurgery]

really helpful that gmann thanks.it will be intresting to see what are to officer says to do with it..

[Nimby]

Well I reckon you do what the customer says, no? Is that not how business works? Has the customer asked for alternatives to felling?

 

Im my book this is not how it works. You are the educated contractor with qualifications therefore you need to advise the customer of the best way to proceed.

 

Is this tree subject to TPO or in a CA?

[arbaholic]

If the customer actually wants it removed i would not talk them out of it, it just wouldnt make sense IMO. A dangerous tree should be cut down and then replant with a nice healthy no risk tree if thats what they want.

[gmanntpo]

Thanks mate!

 

Would be interested to know the outcome...

 

Best wishes Gmann

[moorcrofttreesurgery]

Thanks mate!

 

Would be interested to know the outcome...

 

Best wishes Gmann

 

ill let you know.cheers

[Gavin]

sounds good to me.spoke to the tree officer and he said email me some photos and if its dangerous it will be excempt from a tpo.a few more photos the tree has got a nice lean on it towards a field which is very handy.

 

wheres the weight in the crown and what exsposure to mwinds does it have.

 

is the crack under tension ?

[moorcrofttreesurgery]

 

wheres the weight in the crown and what exsposure to mwinds does it have.

 

is the crack under tension ?

 

its got a real good lean on it so i rekon there must be a fair bit of tension on it.higher up its exposed to wind as its open fields but lower down theres a row of conifers takeing a lot of the wind...