reduce or top/pollard

[haljam]

Lovely oak tree near community hall has lost a major limb, no obvious signs of rot and fungus, but the base of the wound site is at the location of a previous pruning point which has obviously caused some weakness there. Probably sudden summer limb drop syndrome, as it failed following 3 week drought in May.

Wondered what is the best cause of action. The main trunk is now about half the diameter, and all the weight is on one side. Various branches have been hacked off the tree in the past, and there is evidence of an historic similar major failure on another branch.

Branches overhang car park, and the hall is used by nursery/scout and pensioner groups.

Are there any options worth considering other than monolith?

What would you do with it.?

Your comments and advice would be appreciated.

[Stephen Blair]

End load that limb on the right by a metre or so and leave it alone.

The re-growth from the centre the will balance the crown out in a year or 2.

[ShooTa]

Without knowing the reason for the limb to fall off - but would assume some drought related weakness so the oak has ditched a weak limb - so i myself would be thinking of not doing anything to it stability wise - as the tree will just crack on, ive had a fair number do that around here recently.

 

however if there was weakness caused by something else then yes i would think about "beautifying it"

[haljam]

Thanks for you advice, Yes branch fell off in typical SBD conditions. Is there a formula for working out the acceptable loading of a damaged trunk based on the moment weight of the remaining limbs and the cross section area of the trunk? (or are trees just too clever to succumb to maths). In an open field away from people this tree would not be a problem, but daily foot fall and car parking underneath what is left, makes me nervous of leaving it to correct itself.

[Gary Prentice]

There may be something in the SIA that's used in Germany, but I can't think of anything that doesn't use a lot of software.

 

My memories a bit vague, but I seem to remember a YouTube video on Frank Rinners version of the Picus that takes the canopy geometry/exposure/extent of decay etc to produce a 'safe' canopy size.

 

 

I may be dreaming though:001_rolleyes: