treeseer

Is that black crusty stuff on the right some plaque from Arm., or fb's of KD?

Been promoting arb work on the important half of the tree for some time. Roots wall off better than branches, so only when big wounds are near the trunk are they a concern. Here's a look at an unofficial copy of the US standard, that I had excellent help with putting together and getting passed. LBG III Managing Stem-Girdling Roots1.doc.pdf Arbor Age 1304.pdf A300Part8-Drft4-V1-PubRev-130510.pdf

Yes. Proper assessments begin with the obvious fact that the tree has the strength to stand up to all that's been thrown at it so far, consider all the benefits and value to people and other associates, and end with a proper list of treatments to improve the tree's condition. Decay of heartwood is natural, flushing the tree's toilet.

Yes. Proper assessments begin with the obvious fact that the tree has the strength to stand up to all that's been thrown at it so far, consider all the benefits and value to people and other associates, and end with a proper list of treatments to improve the tree's condition. Decay of heartwood is natural, flushing the tree's toilet.

"The location of the canker on the trunk and branch unions would rule out the effectiveness of any pruning to remove infected bark." Why? Cleaning the infections is effective. The longer one looks for problems, the more one finds. The same can be said for assets, though. 2 points to consider: 1: both P diseases are in the sapwood not the xylem, hence are non-structural issues, unless they are far advanced, which may or may not happen. 2: Rating targets MUST factor in occupancy. How many folks are under the tree in the sort of weather likely to cause failure? Risk entrepreneurs often overlook this.

Ringbarking does not affect water going up. Resources flowing down make response (scar) growth. Cambium is overrated. All parenchyma cells can divide.

What's the client's objective? There is no 'buckling'; as noted that reactive growth is a strength GAIN feature. Pines tolerate fill better than most trees. Sell an aerial assessment and load reduction. Repeat bi/triannually for the rest of your career. Or rape and run aka fell. This crazy thread is a poster child against defect-driven assessment!

The long-established process of Compartmentalisation of Dryness in Trees (CODIT) always happens to some extent. This is very often ignored by rookie risk assessors, and tree cutters selling removal work based on decay. I reduced 2 Liquidambar with 10 cm cuts; the CODIT in the one with root issues is poor/fair, the undisturbed tree is closing well.

Better to play with trowel and hammer. Arborists don't know enough about hazards to guess accurately without comprehensive inspection and analysis.

excessive sprouting may be more a result of taking off too much at once, in any species.

See To the Beech: Deborah Howe | Taking Place In The Trees | Page 3

Old trees more like likely to go into shock; young trees have functional parenchyma in the sapwood and the rays, so they can grow callus from inside of the wood. You could plant baby trees nearby and bend them over and graft them above the chewing. Better odds than bridge grafting...? "A guy a Dobbies said they will bi fine and put a sleeve around!" Dobbes is the man; a sleeve will lessen drying of the parenchyma and inhibiting cell division.

The haloing video was excellent all around--very nicely done!

OP asked, "what causes the tree to die?" Answer: "It was preordained". Umm I means "It depends; many variables in a trees' nature, and how it is nurtured." After viewing that Gallup poll I'm not feeling too patriotic!

Good pics thanks. The first pic shows little problem of shading; it's just time to cut it at the forks. The next 2 pics show shading and possible loading issues too, so it could be cut further down. If ivy doesn't compete for shade, it is still competing for root space. This is an issue with older trees in tight spaces; not these. "As you can see we're not short of habitat." Looks pretty open there really. " I know there are differing opinions on what is best for the environment as a whole, but I think the trees, their appearance and well being are the priority here." Thanks; establishing the objective should come first. The trees and their well being will be fine if the owner compromises and has it cut at the forks. Of course that would mean an arborist re-cutting it every 5-10 years. If you don't want ongoing work, and can get paid fairly for stripping it, the only caution would be to not expose the bark too suddenly. So it boils down to appearance: is ivy beautiful, or neutral, to the eye of the beholding owner? An arborist's idea of beauty might not count, but to me there's nothing uglier than dying ivy vines brown and gray and falling on the turf, for years.

"I fear that if we want to look for the next global hotspot of religious fundamentalism, then America is where we should be looking." Put your fears to rest. There've been no beheadings here, just noise. In most countries they lack the freedom to have these loud conversations, and the curriculum is handed down from above. On what level are these decisions made in the UK? For certain, England seems like a global hotspot for anti-religious Darwinism. The concept of 'tree lifespan' is riddled with assumptions and conditions, nature AND nurture. It depends.

Bren, your impressions of the US are remarkably skewed--where are you getting your info? When I visit Europe people wonder why I don't have my guns with me...sheesh! Trees are potentially immortal, if people treat them right (or in some cases, don't treat them at all) Rejuvenation of a tree’s physiology slows down its aging clock. This is best seen in trees that grow on stressful environments, like mountaintops. Among trees, some adversity can promote longevity. Recovery from damage enhances dignity in veteran trees, as they demonstrate endurance. As noted by Peter del Tredici of Harvard University (Cambridge, MA), “Pruning does it by inducing the growth of younger meristems, shortening the internal transport path, and balancing shoot load and activity with limited root activity and support. In trees, physiological and developmental aging operate independently. They can be simultaneously embryonic and senile, resulting in a form of ecological immortality. It is this potential for immortality that makes trees so fascinating to work with.” In his 2008 keynote talk at ISA’s international convention, canopy researcher Steve Sillett issued a challenge to arborists around the world. (The 2010 conference will be keynoted by another electrifying canopy researcher, Nalini Nadkarni.) Sillett’s assignment to us, echoed by most tree owners, is to apply arboricultural approaches to maintain stability, sustain contributions, and extend longevity. Restoration pruning follows trees’ tendencies to optimally harvest sunlight, which along with soil improvement can produce upward spirals of recovery. Trees are resilient; after all, they grow in urban soils and air, surviving damage from saws, storms, and the strains and insults of aging and living with people. By discovering and collaborating with trees’ abilities to sustain themselves, we can meet Sillett’s challenge, and further our facilitation of the coexistence of people and trees, one branch at a time.

What's the objective? Cutting the ivy higher up prevents light competition while retaining wildlife benefits. "It can be quite therapeutic if there's no time pressure." so be sure you're paid by the hour! 'Be prepared for a flush of water shoots/epicormic growth next year as light hits the inner structure of the tree." This points up the question--why remove dead ivy? If the owner thinks it's ugly they might reconsider the financial and biological costs of removing it.

Bump; i'll be on this property again next month so if anyone has any doubts about the advisability of cabling--NOT with lag bolts, which CAN pull out of soft wood--please let me know what measurements or pictures might be useful to consider.

It's not the same as feeling the fibers of the page, and seeing the soy stains convey concepts, but the price is right! The coverage of surveys and populations and saproxylics and pollards is state of the art, and fits the VETree mission. But from here it appears (after 7 months of working at it) that the guidance on assessments and treatments is difficult to translate to other continents. In my limited view, the book embraces intentional wounding without question, based in large part on aesthetic preference and despite the unnecessary stress on the tree system. Despite 1000's of examples in the field, and 100's of studies on supplemental support, that practice is dismissed. Without any guidance on installing a little cable to hold trees together, heavy pruning is the only recommended option. There is much good in this guidance, but I hate see the loss of living resource, and the extreme wounding on old trees. In the US, we have different cultural biases and limitations, like anywhere, so we're no better just different. Kevin, if you get a chance, where I'm off base please correct my US-centric view of the difference in cultural approaches, and the implications. O AND HO HO HO!

Did they add a chapter on supplemental support, or is it still lacking that guidance? I've shown the VETree vid on pruning to US folks, and they have a real hard time getting beyond the rip cuts. I try to explain that wildlife can be a major objective, sometimes at the expense of tree health, and the focus needs to be on how the tree will do in 5-10-50+ years. It's like PPE--if people see a guy without a hard hat in a vid, that is all they will talk about. Maddening. I make rip cuts when i can't get a good undercut with a polesaw, but intentional wounding to favor saproxylics does not fit most assignments here.

Quickly googleable, gave it a read. Very useful info for those who follow tree strength formulas that assume homogeneity. Bah humbug!

Good response growth, and the load above is fairly light, and symmetrical.

Totally true re root cuts. It's the same as with branches. Fibrous roots are not always needed. Root systems can be pollarded when they are exhumed, and do well. Those roots were lopped imo. Here' the new US standard; see pages 15-16 re diameter http://americanhort.org/documents/ANSI_Nursery_Stock_Standards_AmericanHort_2014.pdf

Yes to soil extraction, and inoculating the perimeter with Trichoderma or other fungi that are antagonistic to HF. Then you could go with the like species--if the replacement will be a like size, you guys must be pretty strong, or use a crane? Yes to managing HF; much other research on soil replacement and trunk cleaning and drenching, in Italy, US, etc. Removal is seldom warranted ime.