Author: Guy Meilleur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The corner store is no more, but the oak will stay.

Roots follow the foundation, so demolition was cautious. Continue reading “The Roundy Oak, by the corner store”

Always new things learned at ISA conferences.   First 2 pics show research indicating that fungal activity and interior decay can strengthen tree stability.  Drill-and-kill assessments that condemn hollow trees ass-u-me the opposite, with no scientific basis.

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A small brown moth was seen feeding at this site, so no surprise to see carpenter worms active in these oaks. The pic on page 36 is not the best but there’s no doubt these larvae are prodigious tunnelers! Biennial life cycle; they chew for 22 months and fly around (laying eggs while they feed) for just 2 months.

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This tree had small infections that were structurally insignificant.  The diagnosis was ‘growing decline’, but there was no documentation to support this opinion, or the recommendation to remove the tree.  Was this assessment compliant with industry standards?

It was far from the power lines, yet the power company targeted it for removal.

Ownership was never verified, yet the crew cut it down.   Is it time for a consulting arborist to appraise the loss of benefits from the taking of this private property?

http://abc11.com/news/familys-100-year-old-oak-cut-down-by-power-company-/889572/

Retrenchment for Habitat Fay 1507  Where increasing habitat for saproxylic insects is the objective, additional wounding is specified. See slides 10-11 of this excellent work by Luke Fay of Treework Environmental Practice, UK, as publicly presented to the Parliament of Europe.

“Environmental” practice in parts of the UK puts a priority on producing and promoting places for microorganisms found in old pollarded trees.  If the overriding objectives instead are regenerating a more sustainable structure, cuts would be kept small, with more living, dynamic mass conserved.

Despite traditionalist efforts in the US to confuse the subject, and discredit retrenchment pruning,  it does NOT involve extra wounding that is not specified.  It’s all in the objective.  For structure, reduction pruning with small cuts is identified by the German translation:  Regenerative Pruning.

Our approach, backed up with 45 references cited or quoted, and documentation from 28 different trees, is https://meeting.psu.edu/p94y60hp9zi/

O and…how can we get the US Congress interested in tree care?

 

 

Structural Pruning of Young Street Trees 150325

Research done on historic trees in Italy shows that replacing soil with expanded aggregate helps to retrench and regenerate the root system.  At the 2014 European Arboricultural Conference, I heard this great talk.  The speaker was kind enough to send me a translated version of the ppt: see Luigi pdf root regen english .  Slides 41-43.

Tyson Affidavit 150610 Here’s the affidavit written to support two tree owner’s rights to own and manage their trees.

Pacific Northwesters, I hope to see you in Bend, Oregon, September 20-22, 2015!

Here’s the program: file:///C:/Users/Guy/Downloads/PNW-ISA%20ATC%202015_Schedule%20at%20a%20Glance_060115.pdf
1. Tree Academy Sunday, September 20, 2015, 1-5:00 p.m.
Forcing Change to Large Trees: Smaller, Safer, Natural

Can we preserve the dignity of large-maturing trees while maintaining them at a smaller size? When should these trees be removed or retained, kept or killed? Restoration pruning after the storm has taught us that in many cases we must ‘head’ for better form. Veteran trees have historically been managed by pollarding and other crown reduction pruning. Bonsai are managed for centuries by specified pruning of branches and roots. We’ll see how these and other experiences can inform size control of trees in several different scenarios.

2. Field Day Monday, September 21, 2015
Kick Butt Rot! Decay and Tree Risk Management
Decay at the lower stem, flare and roots, aka “butt rot” can be managed by inspection, treatment and monitoring. Follow the ANSI A300 tree inspection standard as we assess big old trees in the park. Use the TRAQ and other forms to organize your observations. Enhance compartmentalization by surgery, sanitation, and heat treatment. Build long-term recovery with specified soil modifications using calcium, ‘good-guy’ microbes, and porous aggregate. Document strength gain on monitoring visits. Give trees a chance, to adapt to their environment, and our management.

3. Conference Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Changing Views of Hollow Trees: Forces within the Standards
Myths abound around hollowness in trees. Arborists are taught to manage decay with fear, loathing, and engineering formulas. But decay is beneficial–it recycles waste, decreases load, and improves flexibility. Aging trees naturally shed unneeded branches and heartwood, as they grow new branches and roots, closer to the core.
When in doubt about tree care, we read the directions! The German and US standards will be used to establish the objective, and write specifications that fit on a notecard. The trees respond, teaching tree owners and arborists how to work with, and trust, the tree.