Gary Prentice

39 minutes ago, devon TWiG said:

I do not think the browning is caused by trimming too hard , but by trimming off the outer foliage you have exposed some foliage that was previously quite shaded to higher levels of sun than it has had to tolerate and has become  scorched / desiccated

That's my best guess too.

I've seen hedges pruned in cool weather stay green for 4-5 weeks before a hot spell starts to see browning off. A close looks reveals that the dying foliage hasn't been cut back and that green foliage, which would have been exposed to sunlight (pre cutting) remains good. 

11 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

I have injured myself twice in those trees

And you've only worked on two? 

They sure weed out the unwary, with quite large limbs breaking under you.

20 hours ago, richy_B said:

20 hours ago, richy_B said:

I was wondering about making some sort of basic bridge. Some trakmats a couple of metres either side of the sewer and maybe some beams or something - so basically at no point are we putting direct downward pressure on it. Hoping this might alleviate clients concerns. 

I was in a meeting with demolition contractors who needed to get some much larger kit across a condemned bridge, with a safe limit of less than a tone or two. Waterways were playing holy hell about it collapsing into the river. I suggested the same as this, big I or H section beans for the span itself, topped with suitable plates, located on the roadway at either side. I.e no pressure on the bridge at. 

 

The only sticking point I can see would be identifying the locations of the ends of the 'bridge' that satisfy the client. 

On 21st of April 2020 the UK increased its measures to reduce the risk of introducing plants that could introduce Xylella into the UK

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/strict-new-controls-to-protect-the-uks-tr
ees-and-plants-against-damaging-threats

It's worth reading this document because it highlights a number of other pathogens that the UK is currently free of.

European trade interests objected to this and on 4th June the EU issued an instruction to the UK to alter it's legislation 

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2020/758/oj

The date to remove the amendments required to comply with the obligation was 20th June - so it's already passed.

Difficult to believe that in the worlds current situation Biosecurity, of any kind, would be reduced.

On 25/06/2020 at 12:09, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

But a new TPO could be subject to challenge and the LA would have to show the interests of amenity for something they’d just declared their approval for removal of. 
 

So, perhaps technically an option, how likely would it be that they’d choose that COA?  
 

I don’t think it’d get past internal scrutiny. 

I'd think that the course of action might just be decided by office politics, along with whatever axe to grind the local councillors may have. An admission that a 'clerical error' was made and that these trees have high amenity value, screening and environmental benefits etc might well sway the decision in serving a new order. Personally I wouldn't bank on no new orders when deciding my next move in this situation. Take nothing for granted. 

One shouldn't assume that every LA operates to the guidelines, or even to the regulations. I made an objection to a new TPO a couple of years back, with the sole intention of getting the case in front of planning committee (elected councillors) and away from the TO.  Apparently that LA has no procedure to deal with representations or objections , seems like the TO decides what warrants protection, tells the legal department who then serves it.  

13 hours ago, Hornbeamfella said:

The council have part declined and part approved a TPO (opposite way to what was requested) :-

Request to fell 2 sycamores and crown lift 5 hornbeam. 

 

Its come back saying that the sycamores add value. These are shared trees at the back of 3 properties and we didn't request the tpo lifted the neighbour did. We are however in favour of the way the decision has gone as the hornbeams back onto our property rather than the sycamore. 

 

The appeal date has past with no objections but the tree surgeon is submitting the same request again to fell the sycamore but not the hornbeam, apparently the council thought the decision might be wrong and that in fact its the hornbeam that add value not the sycamore (opposite reason stated in tpo decision) is this likely to be overturned and the tpo placed back onto the hornbeams by the council? We have 2 years from Feb to fell the hornbeam according to the decision. 

 

The ideal scenario would be for all trees to be felled. Not sure if we should fell what's been agreed now or wait to see if the others can be lifted but don't want this if the tpo goes back on those. 

 

Will a new application make this decision null and void? 

Looks like the council?LA have truly cocked up here.

As I'm reading this, you currently have consent to fell 5 hornbeam and crown lift two sycamores?

As far as I'm aware, the LA have only one option now if they want to protect the hornbeam, which would be to create a new TPO on them. They'd be in the embarrassing position of then claiming that the trees were of significant benefit to the locale. After serving a new TPO there's 28 days to make representation, with regard to confirming a permanent order. I suspect that attempts would be made to confirm.

Whether you attempt to remove the hornbeam (with all 'owners' agreement probably depends on whether in doing so you'd improve or reduce the chances of gaining consent to remove the sycamore. I imagine that all the trees create a linear feature so altering that and seeing how the sycamores actually look as individual trees will (should) have bearing on how that application is determined. 

Can you post some photos?

On 23/06/2020 at 19:13, monkeybusiness said:

I heard the term ‘Cisgender’ for the first time last week, and had to google it. I’ve since heard it twice more and am confused as to why we need this apparently new term?...

One word, entitlement.

Floral dresses? Must be posh parents, it's normally PJs and onesies 

On 20/06/2020 at 18:27, Stubby said:

I want one .  

You could ask Spud to port it 

32 minutes ago, Jonathanm said:

Thank you guys, should I prune the dead branches? And if so close to trunk or a node?

Pruning wouldn't be a bad thing.

Cut side branches to the outside of the branch collar, if you don't know what this is, ask. The central/leading stem can be cut back to a bud, slope the cut slightly so that the highest point is a bit above the bud to allow water to run off. It'll callus over quicker. The bud should create a new dominant leading shoot and maintain the natural growth habit. If two shoots develop in competition, later on select the strongest and remove the other.

5 hours ago, rapalaman said:

found one with the stump grinder,

That well known detection device.

One company tried to bill us when we destroyed one. Surprising they backed down when I emailed the installation guidelines and asked for a link to a webpage where they stated that they ignored the existing guidelines regularly when installing. 

Possibly a root problem. If it's been adequately watered The next question is. Was it pot bound when you moved it to a bigger pot? I.e. were there roots circling the edge of the rootmass. If there was it's difficult for new root growth to get established and take advantage of the new compost outside of the original soil - the roots want to mostly continue to follow their original direction.

Try to lift the out of the pot to check whether there are new roots at around the edges. Do it carefully to prevent damaging the new roots - they new roots should be visible and are generally white. If there is no roots present crumble away the new soil back to the original soil and gently untease and loosen encircling roots outwards so that they'll be in the new compost when you put it into the pot again. 

Regarding watering, lots of people underestimate the amount of water plants need in pots. Particularly during dry spells of a few days or more. Trees are transpiring, a lot, water is lost through the compost through evaporation and the there is a limited soil volume in the first place. They may need watering two or three times a day at times, depending on where the trees are situated. You should find that moving the tree into the shade on hot days reduces the watering needs a bit.

18 hours ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

Seriously.....

 

'...We are reviewing its historical context and our role in educating fans to make informed decisions...'  

 

Educating fans?  I think someone seriously needs to take their head outta their ass and get a grip!

 

England rugby fans could be BANNED from singing 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' | Daily Mail Online

WWW.DAILYMAIL.CO.UK

---

The iconic song that supporters belt out at Twickenham and across the world at away games may be axed as the RFU...

 

 

You'll like this one Mr S! @Stubby

Cos there's no irony at all in the photo's. 

What are they going to do, ban everyone in the crowd who participates in the sing. The virtual signalling won't last that long if they start that game.

On 17/06/2020 at 18:21, Khriss said:

am relying on the charity of Esso these days

Charity and Esso? Surely a contradiction in terms!

On 17/06/2020 at 15:22, Gary Prentice said:

Do you think that if highly tolerant trees interbreed there may be some likelihood that in time a properly immune genotype (is that the term?) would occur? 

Coincidentally this popped on another forum;

'I have received this request from Dr Jo Clark of the Future Trees Trust, for
help identifying ash trees that may be tolerant to ash dieback for inclusion
in a nationwide study aimed at producing tolerant ash seed.

Dr Clark is the lead researcher at the Living Ash Project, a Defra-funded
project collecting together ash trees that appear to be tolerant for further
testing and, in the long term, to produce a breeding population and a seed
source for tolerant ash. She is interested in receiving reports of ash trees
that appear to be tolerant, for inclusion in the project. At this stage she
is only asking for reports from expert practitioners who are skilled in
identifying ash and ash dieback (i.e. not the general public), to ensure a
high quality of reports. 

The Living Ash Project is identifying, securing and testing trees that
appear tolerant to ash dieback.  We are keen to work with industry to secure
additional trees.  Leaving tolerant trees, or trees that shows significant
signs of healed lesions, can help natural selection ensure ash is around for
many years to come.  Additionally, we can capitalize on this and bring
forward material for reforestation more quickly if we bring tolerant trees
together in a breeding population that can be monitored and improved over
time.'

'Basic site details: we are interested in trees, particularly in woodlands,
where there is plenty of evidence of high ash dieback around.  Single
isolated trees are not of interest at present, due to possibilities if
disease escape.'

Seems like a plan.

1 hour ago, Paul in the woods said:

I would suggest the bark beetles are attacking dead or dying wood. When I've felled healthy ash and left the logs down for a few months I notice ash bark beetle damage. I've not noticed it on healthy living trees.

I've been reading about the Spruce beetle in the states and that it usually infests dead, dying and stressed trees - while the beetle population is moderate. When there's more suitable trees available the population explodes and the problem gets worse. Recommendations are to remove infected trees, dead and dying etc (obviously not practical in their forest locations) and only to plant spruce on 'ideal' sites (soil types, suitably drained etc) to reduce stress. 

It would probably help to encourage predators, towards maintaining the beetle population to a tolerable level.

16 hours ago, Tilio-acerion said:

As far as I last knew, as yet no trees have been found to not be infected. Those which are non symptomatic are just very highly tolerant, yet still have ADB present.

What about 'Betty', discovered a few years ago 

Jokes aside, the media coverage read 'tolerant' or something like. A quick search this morning just shows that there doesn't seem to be that much up to date information available. 

Around 2014 I read that something like 90% of Denmark's trees were infected. It would be interesting to see what their situation is now. Do you think that if highly tolerant trees interbreed there may be some likelihood that in time a properly immune genotype (is that the term?) would occur? 

19 hours ago, Khriss said:

Sometimes severing one side one year and other side next year, this gives less shock to the tree.

More importantly a load of new fibrous roots will appear at the site of severance (the ones that actually take up water). Good nursery practice is to periodically undercut and 'cut around' the root system in preparation for root wrapping of rootballed trees. 

The leaves might have just died off because they're trying to transpire water that isn't being drawn up due to some root loss. A self preservation reaction. A young tree, with good vitality, might produce a second flush of lammas growth.

17 hours ago, Khriss said:

Somewhere 'like' China.....??   There is only one place ' like China'  that would be CHINA   ?  ( unless there is a China in Delaware or summat) K

You're just being pedantic! 

4 minutes ago, Stubby said:

Hope so Gary . Fingers crossed mate .

If we do have truly immune trees there's an additional bonus that we don't have to spend years and years trying to breed a tree that's tolerant/resistant, like the attempts to find something to combat DED.

Imagine growing a tree for ten years +, pinning your hopes that this is the one and then it dies on you and dashes your hopes. Ash 'should' look after itself to some extent and only need human intervention in areas where there are no immune trees.  

3 hours ago, Stubby said:

2 years ago I said something similar but now , well its depressing Khriss .

It's just evolution Stubby. In a couple of hundred years there will be a new population of immune ash trees, the progeny of the immune trees that exist now. On the bright side there seems to be a small number of immune trees and they seed like mad.

What we should be doing is learning from this, particularly in urban environments and doing more to create sustainability through species diversity.

5 hours ago, difflock said:

If an Ash survives Ash die back, and is still throwing out fresh growth(below the dead wood) 3 years later, is it going to survive, or will it likely eventually succumb, and therefore best removed and burned, since I have a few like that.

I was guessing these specimens have some natural resistence, or they would have died outright the first year, which is why I left them alone.

Marcus

We only started to see ADD in mature trees last year, so our observations are limited as to resistance but one site is particularly interesting. Last autumn the right hand tree had died back a couple of metres at the branch extremities. The adjacent tree had a few dead twigs but this wasn't necessarily ADD. They're protected and the LA asked to defer any application to fell that we might submit (in justification of any decision they made), so the larger deadwood was removed.

Returning to the site at the beginning of this month, this is the situation now. Almost all the canopy of the left tree is sans foliage. The right tree has no symptoms at all. 

It's to soon to draw conclusions, based on my own experience, but if pressed I would think that there are some trees that, for whatever reason, are just immune - some will succumb over an extended period of time and others will die rapidly. I also suspect that infected trees that throw out new growth are simply reacting and using stored resources to activate dormant buds, as stressed trees do. You might remember the progression of Dutch elm disease through the crown and the trees response to it, throwing out epicormics lower down and below the areas  where the tree was compartmentalizing the fungus?

29 minutes ago, Khriss said:

@difflock  absolutely astounding- where will this crap end  k

Didn't it used to be China or somewhere like that? ? Anyway, as long as it's not in our backyard it wasn't an issue.

On 15/06/2020 at 12:41, Puffingbilly413 said:

That's really bad - doesn't make sense really either as surely it makes it just as much of a pain for the LA to search their own records?

The TOs have their own online access, which is quite limited so isn't ideal for everyone. But it's what they've got to work with. 

We now have just a TO dealing with day to day applications instead of planning officers (with input from TOs) so at least things are moving in the right direction. TOs are home based at present and one has driven two hours this morning for a pre-application site meeting, which I greatly appreciate, so they have my sympathy (most of the time)

On 10/06/2020 at 22:43, Puffingbilly413 said:

I often get frustrated with my LA but at least all their stuff is easily searchable online.

Absolutely nothing is online. If you just want to find the boundaries of a Conservation Area you have to delve into a UDP, clear dozens of layers etc so that you you can see the boundaries. 

Current TPO apps and 211 notifications, forget it. I've never checked, but I'm 'interested parties' don't get any notifications of their neighbours submissions and as for posting notices - forget it.

Things have been done a certain way since like forever and there is no impetus to change.