2nd guess me on this

[supertopper]

View attachment 302087View attachment 302088View attachment 302089Long story short- what would you recommend doing with this honey locust if you came across it
doing a hazard evaluation for a property management company?

Realized I didn't get any scale in pics- I'd guess 20" DBH

Buttload of other healthy trees on property

Roots ok

Crown ok

Conk(s) were taken off by someone before the pics were taken (off the trunk, not the roots)

Can bury a screwdriver fairly easily at the old dirt line

Leans toward dwelling (not excessively, but decidedly so)

What would you recommend they do with this tree?

Edit: Should say- if this looks odd to some- someone has been repeatedly piling dirt around it so I assume the level has probably changed/been uneven, etc. over time as the dirt washed away and was periodically replaced. The tree was actually planted correctly.

 

[treesmith]

do you mean at the dirt line you can easily push a screwdriver into the tree itself?

 

[supertopper]

Yes

 

[treesmith]

Don't see many of these if at all so its hard to say without examining it but for me if the bottom circumference of the tree and bark is just mush then its on borrowed time whatever the rest looks like. If it was my choice, next to a house, removal.

I'm interested to see what everyone else has to say as I haven't much experience with this. Do mushy trees recover?

 

[Zale]

If there is evidence of decay and a target for the tree to hit, I would take it out. Whats your gut tell you to do?

 

[Bandit Man]

Is the damage from a borer, or a fungus?

 

[pdqdl]

It is always a fungus that causes decay. Borers might spread pathogens and kill trees, but the fungii are what weakens the wood. Given that the OP stated the crown and roots were ok, I would be willing to bet that borers are not an issue.

I question how thoroughly the OP has tested that screwdriver around the perimeter of the trunk. I have never seen a tree that had a rotten base all the way around it's circumference that still had a healthy crown.

The cambium is the life of the tree, and it is always found just under the bark. If all of it was rotten, the tree would be dead.

 

[PassionForTrees]

It is always a fungus that causes decay. Borers might spread pathogens and kill trees, but the fungii are what weakens the wood. Given that the OP stated the crown and roots were ok, I would be willing to bet that borers are not an issue.

I question how thoroughly the OP has tested that screwdriver around the perimeter of the trunk. I have never seen a tree that had a rotten base all the way around it's circumference that still had a healthy crown.

The cambium is the life of the tree, and it is always found just under the bark. If all of it was rotten, the tree would be dead.

I agree!! Also what are the desires of the tree owner? do they want to put $$ into it and give it a chance then I would do a soil sample and then take care of what it needs and too deep root feeding for stress damage recovery along with root growth endo and ecto myccorhizae. Locusts are pretty resilient trees that can handle alot of ailments. I would put a ring of wood chips in a circumference around the base but NOT UP THE TREE TRUNK like every freaking landscraper I see it everywhere, as far out as possible just a couple inches of chips. Now if the tree owner doesnt want to put and $ into it and they decide it's a risk... welll you know what to do. I have seen seriously girdled roots around trees and there are no signs of decline from it and I can not understand it but if the cambium is working and continuity is there well enjoy it for as long as you can. Id be inclined to try to see the tree live and recover but that has alot to do with the risk and target in the area and of course the owner of the tree. Keep us posted on what decision is made. Nice that some are asking and seeking advise before just cutting it down! :msp_sneaky:

 

[popwarlick]

The main thing

Is what does the ho want and how much do they want to spend.Healthy crown,point that out,let them make the decision and just be sure to tell them nothing is guaranteed. IMO

 

[beastmaster]

Sense there is a potential target a more thorough investigation of the roots are in order. Does the mushy wood have mycelial visible? The fact conks were growing on the trunk could be bad news. You need to id what kind of conks they were. White rots are often only in localize areas and don't necessarily effect the integrity of the tree, but sometimes they do. Exposing it to the air will cause them to dry out, but whats going on where you can't see?
Depending on the target, it's sometimes better to err on the hazard part and remove it if its not a high value tree. I bet not only was the grade changed, but the soil is kept moist to much.
Before giving the tree a pass, I'd call in an expert to evaluate them. Then its on his shoulders.

 

[slice'N'dice'M]

This creepy Locust needs cut the F' down........ WTF! just doesn't look right down there, if ya know what I mean......

 

[imagineero]

Welcome to Arboristsite!

A bit of background on yourself would help; are you selling quality tree work, or are you a super topper?

Is it safe to assume that if you are performing paid hazard evaluations for a property managament company, that you are qualified to do so, and that you have professional indemnity insurance as well as public liability, some sort of qualification, and are using a 'defensible' approach to the assessment like at least VTA? The answers to those questions would seriously change the answers I'd be giving to clients. If it's a formal written assessment of the health of all the trees on the property, you need to be able to back that up with sound inspecting methods, or you will find yourself in court pretty fast. Without all the above, the only answer you can give (regardless of the health of the tree, or how long you think it might last) "the tree is a serious hazard to property and anybody near to it and it ought to be removed at the earliest possibility".

I'd never second guess anybody based on a few stump pics anyhow.

Shaun

 

[Zale]

My experience with property management companies is that they want zero liability. Once they hear the word "decay", they'll be making the decision for you.

 

[isaaccarlson]

Yep. Liability is a huge issue now. If it were mine, I would remove it and plant something else.

 

[BC WetCoast]

A few questions I would ask before I can give some advice:
- where were the conks, where on the stem, what size
- is there noticable rot/cavity behind where the conks were
- some varieties of honey locust will lean, usually phototropically. Is this leaning phototropically? Did it lean in the past and then self corrected?
- Can you bury the screwdriver at the base in one spot or in several spots
- Did you bury the screwdriver in a cavity?
- If you believe there is a cavity, have you drilled the shell to determine thickness of the shell?
- How tall
- What are the targets?

When I do evaluations, I give recommendations, it is the owner who makes the decision.

I trust your practices don't follow your screen name, for it they do, you are on the wrong forum. You would really want www.treehacks.com

 

[pdqdl]

Drilling the shell is a good way to determine the thickness of the shell, but it is only useful when you are trying to come up with a reason/justification to condemn the tree. When you poke holes through the healthy tissue, you defeat the trees defenses against the decay, CODIT get tossed out the window, and you have accelerated the decay.

Pretty good idea to do if you are trying to determine how strong the tree is before you dismantle it though.

 

[capetrees]

It's a locust. Easy to remove, good firewood and easy to replace with vigorous growth. Who cares if the other trees around it are healthy. One of them at some point has to go bad. They all die eventually. The conks were a tip off to me to make the decision easy along with what I mentioned earlier. And this too;

Conks

Make your money, get it gone!

 

[supertopper]

Thanks for responses.

I ended up talking them into topping it.

I'm also going to spray some white paint on the trunk to cure the rot and keep bugs out.

And put some fertilizer on.

 

[imagineero]

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

[treesmith]

Problem solved, I'd recommend polyurethane paint, it will last and keep the damp from getting back in

:msp_scared: