treeseer

Very soft stuff powdery really. Not seen in US oaks by me anyway This in Europe,s Tree of the Year 2015.

This in Estonia, in a split, new one on me!

What's the objective? Kd in sinuses may not be a big issue for a long while. If they like the tree, sell pruning, if the dead branches bother them. Smart to ? professionalism of the whacker.

Tidying up a broken branch would be cutting it back to the first growth point behind the break. Cutting it off at the origin is amputation. Good for fungi, bad for tree. After the Storm from TCI Magazine April-2003 small.pdf

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.

Best to let the tree become the new kerb after it eats the old one. Not uncommon to see this; 80ish year old quercus phellos.

David, that one's visible to my old eyes only on the left side, 2nd pic. but indicated by the flat flare there. Is it on the list for surgery? Lowestoft, those look like they'll be broken by the expanding flare, but it may be good to anticipate nature.

Moving in the foxes to manage the henhouse, and cover up with lies--sounds like a US move. Inefficiency.... Anyway I'm glad to hear the US was represented by del Tredici; a keen and independent mind, far removed from the corporate wonks that distort and dominate arb in the US and ISA. Good news about the book effort; a worthy endeavour! How far along are they; what news to share about the book's thrust? No reps from Asia or Oz?

Odd; it originates high on the stem?!?

Gently removing dead bark and loose material comes first. Then a garden hose can finish the cleaning.

On the subject of visual assessment, is there any way to tell the extent of internal decay based purely on the extent of bracket growth? NO. When is it acceptable to label a tree safe in a high frequency area, where drayadeus is found at the base but all other factors indicate that the tree is sound? Never ok to label a tree safe. I've seen dozens as David showed where I.d. just hung out in the butt for decades. If one is asked to assess the tree, then the whole tree needs to be inspected, not just the associated fungi. Mitigation options would come next. Judgments on safety and soundness after mitigation come last, if at all. imo.

Love those new roots! Why is so much soil on the stem?

Giving a hand hahaha that's good! After a rain one could wiggle the ends loose to relieve girdling, even lay a stick to delay re-girdling. As a contract spec yes more detail re grafting and harm should be specified. This adapted from the US standard--comments welcome! Flare Clearing Protocol Scope: Any tree flares that are not completely visible. Objectives: Clear trunk and flare to enable inspection and (if necessary) treatment. Prevent possible damage to the tree from the effects of any material contacting trunk tissue. Increase the tree’s health and safety, using tools such as a rake, fork, shovel, trowel, lopping shears, hand pruners, chisel, brush, water, heat, and air. Steps: Clear around the trunk any foreign material, rocks, coarse woody debris or fresh mulch. Position the blade of a shovel or a trowel against the trunk, pointing downward. Slide the blade carefully downward until it is met with resistance. Avoid bark damage. Push the handle toward the trunk, moving the blade away from the trunk. Scoop the loose material away from the trunk and set aside. Set aside fertile soil, fine roots, mycorrhizae, and decomposed mulch. Separate and dispose of any infertile soil and debris. Locate the flare and the largest roots coming off the trunk. Locate and remove any stem-girdling roots that are <5 cm (2”) diameter and <10% of the trunk diameter, using tools such as a lopping shears, hand pruners, or chisel. Manage larger roots per A300 84.4 below. *Avoid damaging tree tissue with trowel or shovel.* Repeat until trunk and flare are clear. Clear any loose material from the the bottom of the flare using hand tools, compressed water and/or compressed air.to expose the bark. Allow to dry before final inspection. Assess conditions and consider continuing to the root collar (where buttress roots divide) to meet the objective. **If decay or oozing is present** Scrape, brush, or rinse dead material. Stop at green or white tissue. Locate the source of moisture fluxing. Apply heat using tools such as a mirror or a torch, until steaming stops. Maintain drier conditions by increasing water drainage. Use a metal rod or a watering wand to make holes between the buttress roots. Avoid bark damage. Move tool to make cracks in soil. Fill holes and replace soil around flare (15cm (6”) minimum) with specified amendments including expanded sterile aggregate such as pumice or lava. (Brand names: Leca, Permatill) Apply mulch on top of the aggregate to meet the surrounding soil level. Incorporate or rake the excavated soil into the rootzone under the branch tips. Ensure that the flare remains visible. Tree Care Experts: Specifications for monitoring and maintaining tree health and stability should be established. When root loss is unavoidable, selective pruning shall be preferred. ANSI A300 Standard 84.4: Selective root pruning – girdling roots 84.4.1 Roots that encircle or contact (girdle) the trunk or a buttress root should be considered for redirecting or pruning. 84.4.2 Girdling roots should be exposed before pruning cuts are planned or made. 84.4.3 Retain girdling roots that provide more benefit than damage. 84.4.4 Retain roots that cross other roots. 84.4.5 Avoid damage to the trunk and buttress roots beyond the scope of the work. 84.4.6 If more than one large girdling root is present, root pruning over time should be considered. If the bark under the girdling root has been compressed, consider scraping off the compressed bark. Stop when you reach living tissue.

That could work, but lose a lot of crown. I like the overall reduction idea, 3m+ off the ends, cuts <10cm.

Do you think it was of no further use to the tree then?

See the first column in the poster. What part is unclear?

Is there any use to trying surgery to remove the included bark at the graft point, so tissues above and below can connect? Such surgery can work in branch unions--why not incomplete grafts? Response Growth after Pruning Compartmentalization Rules!.pdf

Shade-killed?

Cool looking patterns. On the south side of the stem?

Looking at your first pic I was also thinking that a portion of the crown might be directly connected to the rootstock. One vascular channel arising to the left seems to bypass the faulty graft. Is the leaf color consistent? (if there are leaves now...) At any rate yes a light crown reduction might be in order. So hard to understand what is going on under there!

I hope their preemptive killing is on hold too!

Looks like many options for reduction, if it comes to that.

Mallets are pretty cheap...is the growth rate of *this* poplar enough that high maintenance is inevitable?Also I'm wondering how you monolith a tree with good vitality. I've done girdling with chainsaw and been amazed at the refusal of trees to die. The deeper the cut is, the less stability, so how deep do you go? Not a rigidoporus/poplar expert but with other species I'd suggest crown reduction and retention, based on aural data from the mallet. Maybe throw a rope up there and pull, for more data?

WMG blocked content to US; copyright. (

Litt le success with the extra wounding; no surprise. i see a lot of response low in the crown from light reduction to nodes. Guess I'll check your other thread!