Tony Croft aka hamadryad

Liking your style Mr Humphries, always have always will:thumbup1:

That explains the extension! be a stump for habitat then!

missed this one! what a corker:thumbup1:

I see thats made some progress this year, timely reduction my old man, good decision.

Pathogens don't live in alkaline conditions, think about it.... No, really think about it... like cancer and acidity

stand 8 arborists under a tree and youll get 8 opinions, often all differing!

Argh I misunderstood, one might look to the soil as in Dr Lee Klingers sudden oak life work

artificialy speed up natures processes, the succession, use natures policies, use its employees who are all fit for the purpose of soil building:001_cool:

fell it

Defo a bit of Armillaria attack, willows are particularly vulnerable when drought stressed

because arbs are rigid in mind, because arbs make thier money via a chainsaw, because soil is a dirty word

Oh my old tinker, Yeah i get where your coming from on all points, I think as you well know it is all to easy to have one instance warp our thinking, fungi just like throwing you a curve ball once in a while to keep you on your toes and non too cocky! Gerrit didn't Come up witht the T.S.S.E without good cause, and if indeed your Fagus/Hispidus was 100% confirmed then a curve ball indeed, along with a one time only Inonotus dryadeus on Fagus that I witnessed and posted. Hispidus and cuticularis are parasites, both capable of forming necroses in order to fruit, weaker in that capacity than say the Phellinus group but parasites all the same, not a word Ted would favour but nature is what it is, both also heart rots in their respective hosts. I wouldn't disagree about the hydration limitations (boddy and Rayner) etc, and agree with the alumni (Rayner, green, Lonsdale et al) on the subject not of ultimate parasitism, but of coexistence in a fine balancing duet. This is a beech group, and as such the likelihood is that there is a beech specific biodiversity associated herein, add to the very a typical features associated and bingo we have a pretty conclusive set of circumstances. Think tree species specifics with curve ball possibles, not curve ball rules, one offs are rare.

I might suggest you get a closer look at the tree in the back here too! look to the left stem of the fork, That has Inonotus cuticularis written ALL over it (aka the clustered bracket) a beech specialist, sometimes acers.

Your fungus is Inonotus for sure, but its I. cuticularis, rather than hispidus. seems to be some beech canker associated with the wound which covers a larger area than we would like to see on a tall tree. I also wouldnt thin it at all, such a waste of time and not at all in keeping with the whole retrench to a lower crown idea that needs to be implemented to save this tree in the long haul. This tree is going to be a hard sell for long term retention, best option in my mind is allow the tree a few years to build reserves again after the initial work, try to encourage some shooting lower down, nick the bark above the crown break for example, or spike up it a few times! then come back in 2-3 years and pollard it at the crown break leaving 2 metre stubs with as much leaf as possible. Lime the major stems and limbs on the south facing side. In the wait between plant another close by, as a replacement for the potential removal.

Ive seen trees completely get over this fungus, the cavities are quite distinctive too, will try to dig out some images at some stage and discuss this one further. I know many people now say exactly what you said about my feelings on this fungus, I have seen literally thousands of cases Paul, and only two failures. there are obviously other documented failures, it is a feared root decay, but in my experience it is more the trees vitality than the fungus itself that poses the issues. A healthy tree can and will outpace this fungus, its just not that aggressive, and as long as were addressing the mechanical potentials for shear killing roots to be eroded, we don't need to fear it, act and work to the worst expectations and there will be few issues with a failure.

Apparently a consultant was brought in to asses that, never saw a report, nor knew who the consultant is. all I know is the specifications where for the reduction and to fell in thirty years. think about that one for a moment!

I know I did it for less a long long long time ago but i cant imagine climbing for 70 a day! madness, but we all gotta start somewhere

Not sure where the older photos are but this tree and me go back to about 2009-10, reduced here fairly hard due to Inonotus dryadeus colonisation. She has four to five years growth on her now and looking very very well indeed, check on her every year without fail, special tree to me this one, shall find the original line up of photos at some stage. I found one! the 5th image is in her original glory before the work, and after with one of the brackets too, been several fruitings over the last 4-5 years.

We had some perfect conditions for summer branch drop this weekend, in fact I watch one occur on my 300 year old Oak as we sat having tea! then at work the next day another while again drinking tea after the job we had done next door! though this was a root plate failure due to Honey. Would under drought conditions, then wieghted by a summer storm is going to have a few down, simples. This was complicated by a number of factors, most significant is Heart rot By Laetiporus which is one of the main fork splitters in the heart rot category

all heart rots are able to exploit in fact often prefer the high carbon atmosphere in wood

you beat me to it old boy!

Thanks to Jill Butler for the Link (ATF) http://www.trasmochos.net/images/Trasmochos/Documentos/trasmochos_eng_web.pdf

Nice find! there will be a few jobs to clear up over the bank holiday then!

i see a bootlace too do not rule out a very very dry dessicated auricularia mesenterica either (the tripe fungus)

I wouldn't rule out kretz at this stage, has all the flavour of a fruiting that got old and crumbled or took off/scraped off