armybloke

I am searching for a picture to try to show you Gerrit but basically it would be a suitably strong and robust structure, much like a walking stick with a thumb rest (a 'V' on top of a pole) that would retain the tree in place by lodging it under limb union or similar to hold the tree upright. I am unsure if I have explained that very well? I am going to post a photo of a tree with a 'prop' soon!

I worked as a volunteer in Arb and Ecology for 6 years before I secured a job. Can I recommend that you seek out some arboretae and country parks in your local area (or even Edinburgh Botanical/Arboretum) and drop them a line and ask for a volunteer post on an ad-hoc basis. I found that, in my experience, if you are free labour, willing to learn, well turned out and have good communication skills they will grab you by the proverbials and take you on. I have had great success at a number of national arboretae, botanical gardens and nature reserves all willing to take on a volunteer and one especially in college as it shows an aptitude for learning. I wish you luck as you prepare for your career!

A couple of shots from the weekend showing Daedaleopsis confragosa brackets beginning to form on the stem of this Salix sp. The following picture shows what is happening insdie the tree at the point where a bracket was once attached. The tree was removed as part of the woodland management process I am carrying out at our local NR in my spare time

A very important tree of historical value? It is a shame that it can not be fenced but as you so rightly described the reduction could go along way in providing some well-earned extra life. Also, as I can not see the tree, would some form of 'prop' assist. I do not know if that would work or even does work on big trees , but I guess it is how much the owner values his/her tree?

Thank you David, it is something I personally practice in the field as often people overlook that part of tree retention over a complete fell It has worked on 2 ocassions so far

Can the public be deterred from entering the hazard area and can the entrance be diverted until such a time as the tree is reduced sufficiently that if it fell it would cause no damage? Post and rail fencing at Westonbirt Arboretum keeps visitors out of falling distance in order to retain important trees. Just a thought

Clever!

What in your opinion made the fork fail in the first instance? Presence of Fomes or was there an anditional vector involved?

You lucky fella, not a climber myself but always in awe of those that do - I take it the views were excellent?

Thanks David, there were far more fungi than those I have posted on here. A real delight and a place I can highly recommend to you and the family - ice cream van in the car park too!

Some pictures of hugging Beech trees and even one that sent a branch over 5m to another tree. You can hear the one tree telling the other 'don't worry I wont let you fall over even if you have got a big bracket fungi up on your stem!' A few pictures of some big Douglas firs and a couple of Giant redwoods too!

Went out to Ornamental Drive and Blackwater Arboretum today and found me some cool fungi - the size of the Sparassus crispa was unbelievable. Had a really sunny day for it too :thumbup:

so rule of thumb- reduction work outside in and only reduce the projections. pollards work from the inner to the outer leaving just enough growth to create sap flow and partial shade on thin barked species. That is a good analogy and it works for me. I was trying to explain what a reduction v pollard was the other day as he thought they were the same thing. I will write this down and use it in future I think - ta for that

You kinda make it look easy in your pics though trooper I couldn't do it so hat off to you Sir

That is such a shame and a waste of historical remains. Oddly I visited a park yesterday to find myself surrounded by veterans that the owners are only too keen to protect, keep and save as part of our heritage.

I apologise for the quantity and quality of pictures, light was fading and I only had my little Nokia but maybe my narrative will inspire you? Went up to this site yesterday and found many, many beautiful old Veterans full of ecological niches just ripe for the taking of bugs, bats, raptors and fungi. Sweet Chestnut, Oak, Scots Pine (yep even one of those with a lightning strike that burnt out 5 of its butresses - a beaut), Beech and Sycamore to name a few. Some of the stems were well over 2m in diameter and a delight to work with. On one Veteran Oak I found Ganoderma sp, Fistulina hepatica, Leitiporus and what looked like the remains of Collibia fusipies. The Oak was a hollow beast but stood out amongst the crowds. Griffola frondosa covered 270 degrees of a felled stump. Unfortunately it had gone over but if we'd been a week or so earlier it would have made a stunning picture (and Hama would have got a call for sure). Super sized Birch with Piptoporus betulinus evident and a host of other trees we did not have time to look at. A return journey is warranted I think. Awesome. A private site but none-the-less accessible if you asked nicely I bet.

Found this bifurcated Ash eating a Water Main sign. It looks a hungry tree and will no doubt devour it all soon....

Thank you Gerrit, always nice to hear interesting facts and also despite my theory being 'contadictory to the species' I thought it could have fit the case - heyho, I keep learning...

Thanks, you've not put it out forever as my brain continually ticks! Thanks for the insight anyway - I like quirky facts and Beech has more than many others

Its Merip for sure Rob, I think the verdict whether short term or in a few months is this one will have a short life - shame though

Need to attract the attention of Hama, Fungus or David H for this one to be sure of the diagnosis me thinks!

Hi Gerrit, Having done a little research with our results over 7 years and talking to our in-house 'expert' (he has been the main user for 7 years) he suggests that any brown rot in either broadleaves or conifers are far easier to identify in the PICUS Tomograph results over any white rot in a tree. He suggests that the white rot in trees often give a difficult or even 'false' reading and this is error is substantiated using a resistograph for proof. Hope this helps?

Ah, maybe my explanation was not good. Both were felled but I wanted to show you was that the tree that did not show the FFB had massive decay in the stem. The PICUS showed the stem of the 'other tree' with the very same internal structure as Tree 1. Is that better explained?

Listening to it!

I'm not being pedantic - I really would like to know why. Unless we are talikng BIG tree? Branches and side limbs are not included in the 5cuM so if the tree is dismantled to a stem (5cuM measured from butt) then surely a felling licence is not needed? Curious how this works in a private dwelling