Ganoderma on holm oak

[jeanesy]

I was asked to go look at a tree in a school as the head teacher was concerned about a fungus growing at the base. It turned out to be a holm oak about 30/40 ft tall, single stem with not much of a top to it, it had what I believe to be a ganoderma bracket at the base. The tree is in a raised area with a play ground and play area underneath it. I wouldn't normally be overly concerned as I've seen loads of trees happily live with gano for years and years but it is in a high risk area. I have a level 3 qual and am more of a cutter than a consultant type so was after a bit of advice. Thanks.

[David Humphries]

Lots of questions.....

 

Any images of the bracket and the context of the tree in its setting?

 

Is the tree covered any Preservation order?

 

Have you sounded the area of fruiting with a mallet/hammer?

Does it sound decayed?

 

Has anyone determined which species of Ganoderma it is?

This can help determine whether the tree can maintain enough residual wall to keep the tree standing.

 

I would look to get the level of dysfunction and decay tested by Tomogram and/or Resistograph.

 

Is there any scope to reduce the tree?

 

 

 

.

[jeanesy]

Lots of questions.....

 

 

 

Any images of the bracket and the context of the tree in its setting?

 

 

 

Is the tree covered any Preservation order?

 

 

 

Have you sounded the area of fruiting with a mallet/hammer?

 

Does it sound decayed?

 

 

 

Has anyone determined which species of Ganoderma it is?

 

This can help determine whether the tree can maintain enough residual wall to keep the tree standing.

 

 

 

I would look to get the level of dysfunction and decay tested by Tomogram and/or Resistograph.

 

 

 

Is there any scope to reduce the tree?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

Thanks for the reply David. I believe it's either g. Aplanatum or adspersum. No photos in afraid. The tree did not sound hollow and seemed in good health. There's not much up there to reduce. There is a larger holm oak next to it which has totally dominated it. What's your experiences with gano on holm oak?

[David Humphries]

Thanks for the reply David. I believe it's either g. Aplanatum or adspersum. No photos in afraid. The tree did not sound hollow and seemed in good health. There's not much up there to reduce. There is a larger holm oak next to it which has totally dominated it. What's your experiences with gano on holm oak?

 

 

 

We carried out an assessment for a client on a roadside holm oak last year.

 

Probably an older one than the one on your site.

 

 

 

I had the spores microscopically identified to determine which species of Ganoderma it actually was. (This is the only sure fire way to be sure between the two species)

I suspected G. applanatum but wanted to rule out G. adspersum as the latter species can extend in to sap wood more readily than G. applanatum.

 

 

There was fairly extensive white rot within the heart of the tree but the residual walls were sound and functioning.

We ascertained this via sounding and using a Resistograph to determine the wall thickness.

 

This gave the client the confidence to retain the tree without any works other than further ongoing inspection.

 

Your tree may warrant removal, but further investigation will provide you with a better understanding of the trees vitality and stability. This will then give you a measured approach to feed back to the client in terms of risk management and may give you both other options to explore rather than just leave or fell.

 

 

 

.

[treeseer]

Top notch work.

 

Compartmentalisation happens--look at the response wood on either side of those brackets!

 

Impossible to advise on schoolyard tree with no images.