sloth

Hmmm, more often than not bad news, and a healthy crown isn't uncommon with it. On a sycamore leaning toward a property? Be a brave man who leaves it vertical...

It's all I ever use!

I'm not going to comment on the tree itself, it really is not my place in a case like this. What I will say is a three yearly inspection might well be appropriate, the cost of a council surveying all its roadside trees yearly would be considerable, and to include less busy roads in yearly surveys would not be reasonable given the relatively low risks posed by trees in general. Maybe at the last inspection there were no identifiable defects on that tree. Sometimes accidents just happen, no one is to blame, and everyone involved has taken all reasonable steps to prevent any harm. I guess if you feel like the council were negligent in their inspection regime, or that the inspector they used wasn't competent, you'd have to take your chances taking them to court. I think you'd have a hard time though...

Purely speculative, but is it possible the branches removed from one side have exposed the 'opposite' branches to unaccustomed wind loading, resulting in snapping?

When I wanted my first job in arb, I sent a letter (with help wording and layout etc), not an email which just gets ignored, to everyone in the yellow pages and anywhere else I could find. Sent about 50 letters, had 2 or 3 replies to say no but we'll keep you in mind and one interview which landed me a job. It is hard but persistence and quantity of companies increases your chances of getting a job. I paid for all my own tickets on the agreement he'd put up with me being slow climbing to start with. The wages were very poor and the hours long, but in a few years I was quicker and had learnt loads. We parted on good terms and I did a year on the railway and then another decade of commercial/domestic before getting the guts to go alone. On the other hand a mate from school started at weekends with a gardener doing small trees, did a year at arb college then set up on his own with bugger all experience or funds. From an escort, to a hilux, to a tipper and chipper he now employs a couple of guys and is doing well. He did it the hard way and made very painful mistakes along the way, in all honesty he took on too much too soon and is lucky to be alive! There's more than one way to skin a cat and if you can't get employment you can sit on benefits or make your own work. If you don't try you'll never know...

Great shots, very impressed

I guess it depends on several factors, one being 15 ft off what height tree? A silver birch won't be keen on being topped, but will likely survive if it still has plenty of canopy...

That is wonderful, nature at its finest!

Hi KTSmith, I'm certainly not posing any question in particular. I just feel Slater's paper makes some big statements. It got me thinking that I always just took Shigo's model of attachment as fact without question. When someone comes along 20 odd years later and casts doubt on it publicly for the first time, I feel I ought to have a closer look at the whole situation...

I'm in Colchester, and I reckon I do at least one, often two or three jobs in London or north Kent each month. Even with my extra travel and time, the job price is about equal to those who live in London and have higher costs to start with. So if you have the availability or come recommended, the client pays little if any more for the job; and I spend just as many hours working in the day, only a bit more of them are spent in a car listening to tunes - which isn't a bad thing. It's my only time alone with nothing to do but think! I quite like it...

Also in Fungal Strategies of Wood Decay in Trees, Schwarzenegger says on p.120, of Armillaria being able to decay saturated wood "these observations agree with the results of Metzler (1994) who detected degradation by Armillaria on water saturated wood, where the fungus clearly forms radial canals or channels in order to maintain contact with the air outside." So a little different to wet soil, but the same principle applies. Also I noted that he suggests infection through roots occurs through woody larger diameter roots or grafts, rather that the fibrous roots - as such mycorhizal fungi offer no direct protection from it. I guess it's not that black and white, as the myco fungi could still gain territory of other food sources within the rooting zone, preventing the honey fungus from using it. Deeper into the rabbit hole, curiouser and curiouser...

http://www.unsworks.unsw.edu.au/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?vid=UNSWORKS&docId=unsworks_979 A. luteabubalina is referenced in this 2006 abstract, it suggests that specific structures (air pores) grow up from the rhizomorphs and differentiate to have a somewhat cylindrical nature to allow oxygen diffusion to the mycellium and rhizomorphs below.

No ref I'm afraid, but I've heard it more than once. I know that doesn't make it true, but I'm fairly certain one of the places I heard it was a text book, just need to remember which one!

Yeah, it's tough but fun, and home schooling is a choice so I can't complain about that! I'm lucky really to spend so much time with my kids

And I'd not bother with a picus in many cases ever, and certainly not without a thorough visual inspection 'in the flesh' first. They are expensive and only really good for confirming what the initial inspection suggests. Even then, they are only one piece of a tree's care puzzle, and not even a corner or edge piece...

He he

I know how you feel, the knowledge displayed in some posts leaves my intellect cowering in the corner! And with a 4yo and a nearly 3yo, and a 3 month old, all to be home schooled, and wife with health problems, and paid work to do, time is my biggest 'holder backer' too. I'm in Essex and would likely do it through tree life, I guess at Harlow if they still run the course there- probably a bit far for you!

Poor old tree, must be a haven for the inverts though

Still at work eh, long day! No rush, and thanks again

Not sure if it's l6 stuff. It certainly wasn't covered when I did the old tech cert, but a personal interest and a-level chemistry and biology helps! I'm just waiting till funds and familiy life give me the time to commit to the l6. Maybe I'll see you there...

If you could that'd be most appreciated, I think I cleared it out when I moved...

I'd say it looks more like Innonotus dryadeus than any Ganoderma sp. The basal flare and buttress roots suggest this has been a fairly longstanding fungal colonisation, probably older than any grading for the gravel. What's the land been used for previously? Old soil compaction and/or basal damage from livestock perhaps? If it is dryadeus it's not such a terrible thing, the tree could quite easily have decades left yet. If you're really concerned and what to retain the tree with minimal if any pruning get a local consultant to have a look. It could pay for itself in saving or lessening the need for reduction that might be recommended 'just in case' by a tree surgeon (who may also just want the work - it happens!).

Cheers fella, much appreciated. I'll see if I still have that issue. On another note, any word on the new book release date?

A few years back with the last company I worked for we felled several hundred apples in an orchard. Average clean stem of 1.5-2m tall, and around 30-40cm diameter, then the branches on top. Only 2mins from the yard, owner wanted them gone to either replant or go arable. No rot in the stems and every last piece went on the firewood heap! Tragedy really, but quick and easy and kept us employees in firewood cutting & splitting through the days we couldn't climb over winter. Don't know if he asked any saw mills, was friendly with one nearby but they wouldn't have been interested anyway. Makes me shudder to think what I've been involved with turning to firewood over the years

Cheers mate. I've felt since Slater's article came out I haven't given it enough consideration. I'm just now making the time to look into it and see what to make of it. I searched uktc and arbtalk, and this thread was about the most discussion I found - quite surprising really, given the regard some hold Shigo and his work in. That and the fact it's the only major questioning of the widely accepted theory of branch attachment since its introduction in the 80's, I'm shocked opinions haven't been voiced more, particularly over at uktc where aren't normally shy about this sort of thing...