Co-dom Stems

[ROLLACOSTA]

just wondering if there are any statistics out there regarding the failiure rate of mature trees with co-dominant stems.

i know its all about species age etc but mattheck has acheived an overall percentage rate for failure regarding stem decay ..so is there a percentage rate out there for co-doms on mature trees ..thanks for any replies ..good pic and report of co-dom faliure on www.aie.org.uk

 

[Stumper]

The failure rate is 100%-excluding those that are removed prior to failure. The failure rate for single stems is also 100%. This is why some people are paranoid about trees-They all fall down-- it is just a matter of time.

I have no official stats about otherwise healthy trees but (not surprisingly) most of the total tree failures in our recent storm were codom or multistemmed trees.

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

funny thing is i see a lot of co-doms but dont see that much failiure ..unless we get a severe storm or very high winds then we see one or two ..i dont think co-doms fail as often as we think

 

[dbeck]

Originally posted by ROLLACOSTA
funny thing is i see a lot of co-doms but dont see that much failiure ..unless we get a severe storm or very high winds then we see one or two ..i dont think co-doms fail as often as we think

My line of thought is cabling, weight reduction, or removal prior too failure. You know there is a structural defect in the included bark, you should assess and notify the homeowner. Don't ignore the situation because you haven't seen one fail lately...remember every tree is different!

ROLLA - do you offer assessment climbs? Some things look much different aloft! (I know you know that!)

 

[Stumper]

RC, Your point is valid-most of the codoms in town weathered the storm. However, most of the total failures were codoms or foundation plantings that shifted in the ground.