Another large oak with armillaria

[Ekka]

Hey Treeseer,

Great pdf's you have posted here...Where did you get information like that?

It would be great for you to share so we all can find good information when needed on a subject.opcorn:

LOL, he'll find it right where there's information about how trichoderma likes sugars and colonizes healthy roots displacing evil doers, also sort of answers Treevet's question.

Thing is, if I were to write down all the things I know about trees I'd need my own forum to fit it all in. :hmm3grin2orange: Either that or the worlds largest tree website.

 

[treevet]

Hey Treeseer,

Great pdf's you have posted here...Where did you get information like that?

It would be great for you to share so we all can find good information when needed on a subject.opcorn:

Just thought I'd post a pict of 2 books I mentioned if anyone didn't have them yet.

 

[treeseer]

Dave, I've got the Schwarze diagnosis book on the way too; can't wait. The ISA booth sold out at Expo. I feel confident the $200 will be well spent. The best part may be that reading it will take time away from the ego wars on the forums, which seem to bring out the worst in us sometimes.
I've disagreed with weasel before, but it never got personal. You guys were nasty for the sake of nasty, like :censored: thunderdownunder. Bad influences?

"It would be great for you to share so we all can find good information when needed on a subject."

Not sure what you mean Jay; I pass along what I come across, regardless of where I run across it. Whether or not the information is good depends on how it is derived and how it is applied. Reader beware--without peer review and a relevance check, any :monkey: .info is taken with ten grains of salt.

The best information I get, like Schwarze's book on diagnosis, comes from ISA's peer-reviewed publications. Searching the internet can instantly convey invaluable information—and a lot of less useful material, polluted by birdbrains fouling their own nests. Tough to sort through.

 

[Ekka]

polluted by birdbrains fouling their own nests. Tough to sort through.

Tough for some maybe. :agree2:

 

[Boa07]

I've got the Schwarze diagnosis book on the way too; can't wait. The ISA booth sold out at Expo. I feel confident the $200 will be well spent

Guy having worked my way through a fair chunk of Francis' book I can say for me the money is very well spent...its a shame the fungi that are covered in such wonderful detail don't occur in my tropical climate, there are immensely important lesson to be gleaned none the less.

One thing stands out about all the papers and books that I have read by F Schwarze is his attention to detail, and his avoidance of trying to simplify every down to a percieved level of understanding in the reader. This latest and possibly (according to him) last text in general Arboriculture is accessable if the reader takes the time to properly read each chapter.

The single strongest message from this text for me is that as Arborists we must improve the level and detail of our understanding of not just the trees we work with, nor just the fungi that occur in the environment, but rather the host pathogen relationships that develop and change over time betweeen the tree and the many hundreds of external environmental factors impacting that tree.

We should all try to get chummy with a mycologist in our region, maybe even attend some of their seminars/conferences when we can....

 

[treeseer]

Well said boa;

It takes great patience to follow all that detail and distill practical messages from it, but the reward is worth the work.

Best course I took at NCSU was Pathology; the prof is a great resource.

Good idea to attend their mtgs; I'm pitching to the Phytopathological session in late july to talk about trunk infections, maybe in general or frothy flux or phytophthora in particular

 

[Ekka]

frothy flux

I got a fridge full of the stuff.

 

[treevet]

Man.....just when the good stuff shows up (Mr. Meilleur's arts.) nobody wants to come out and play anymore. Never said I couldn't be a PITA, but I'm not always one. You all could say the same thing I think.

Recently ran across this Liquidamber on it's belly next to a house, play area and hot wires that supplied the whole neighborhood. It had not one dead twig on it, was lush and green and the only signal of malady was the conk (Ganoderma) innocently and inconspicuously attached to its side that few would recognize. The wood inside was maybe 95 % delignified and it went over on a mildly breezy day. Most climbers would have climbed it (maybe 70 feet tall) and it could have killed them or kids in play area or anyone within reach. Armillaria can give the same appearance and results.

Ah....guess I zapped that pict. Anyway, the point being that to have the current availability of info to id and understand fungi that topple trees with no overt warning (Ganoderma, Armillaria) or do little or no harm such as Polyporus Squamosus being relatively innocuous is a blessing. Back in the day all we had was PP Perone's Tree Maintenance and Diseases of Ornamental Trees and Shrubs and we read and re read them til the covers fell off them. I own and have read "Wood decay Fungi" and "Fungal strategies of Wood Decay in Trees" and have just ordered the newest book by Schwarze ($200-ouch). This stuff is fascinating to me and the improved cultural practices, etc that can aid in prevention of occurance of these issues.

My last post til someone else fires one up. C ya :sword: (no more)

Another reason to struggle through this technical info (I am enjoying it more and more) is that that the life you may save may be your own...or your children's....or your clients....or valuable property. I found the picts described above and will follow up with 2 more.

 

[treevet]

Innocent looking conk (Ganoderma applanatum IMO) on the side of trunk of very healthy canopied Sweet gum.

 

[treevet]

The trunk possessing maybe 95% delignified (altered) wood that would have given a negative mallet test.

 

[D Mc]

Treevet, those are some fantastic pictures. I think I understand why you posted them on this thread, but pictures of that quality, especially with a different pathogen, deserve a topic heading of their own.

I would encourage you to repost so that these informative pictures don't get lost on the backside of this wayward thread on armillaria.

Dave

 

[Boa07]

Treevet, you will really enjoy chapter 10 in Francis' latest publication....'Ganoderma on trees-Differentiation of species and studies of invassiveness.

I can only hope that this is not the last mainstream Arb publication he produces, though I am not privy to the pressures he is under it would be a terrible shame if his ability to explore the fungal relations at the microscopic level is lost to the profession even if it is a pause till someone else emerges to take up the task.

 

[treevet]

Thanks Dave and Dan but I think I made the point I was attempting to make and in the future it might be good to explore all the relevant tree decay fungi. I don't think I am in any position to lead anyone down any path right now.

Sean, certainly disappointing to hear this. He will no doubt create a void if this is the end of his book writing career. He is the # 1 guy in the field at the moment obviously.

 

[bigjake]

You guys are way above my head although i did enjoy the topic.One question
i had a big red oak about 100 yrs old and a guy called to cut a dead limb
that ants had infested .Did that and then i get a phone call that tree had broke
near the base and another just like it was blown over with the root ball still
on.My question does the decay from armillaria look white and very soft thats
what the roots looked like.and the mushrooms were in a hollow part of the trees
can he plant other trees without clearing the soil.Thank you

 

[treevet]

You guys are way above my head although i did enjoy the topic.One question
i had a big red oak about 100 yrs old and a guy called to cut a dead limb
that ants had infested .Did that and then i get a phone call that tree had broke
near the base and another just like it was blown over with the root ball still
on.My question does the decay from armillaria look white and very soft thats
what the roots looked like.and the mushrooms were in a hollow part of the trees
can he plant other trees without clearing the soil.Thank you

Did the mushrooms look like this? Even if you have a number of indicators they can mimic others. Prior to excavating or getting Armillaria resistant replacments, take a sample to the Hamilton County Extension Service if you can still find one.

Did they go down in the hurricane?

 

[bigjake]

Yes it was ike. it seemed odd the trees looked healthy until i seen the roots
i dont know what i am looking at. but the roots didnt look good seemed as the
bigger roots were the ones that looked rotten.and the mushrooms looked like
the ones you posted .But i only seen about 5 and there was a big old maple
by the 2 oaks. could that have got it also? it was rotten in the middle and
one of the oaks hit the maple making it lean it wasnt healthy before the storm.

 

[treevet]

Yes it was ike. it seemed odd the trees looked healthy until i seen the roots
i dont know what i am looking at. but the roots didnt look good seemed as the
bigger roots were the ones that looked rotten.and the mushrooms looked like
the ones you posted .But i only seen about 5 and there was a big old maple
by the 2 oaks. could that have got it also? it was rotten in the middle and
one of the oaks hit the maple making it lean it wasnt healthy before the storm.

It is always tough to sort things out in hindsight. Yeah, the maple could have it also. Has that tree been left there with decay and now a lean and "poor health"? Can you put a picture or two up of it?

 

[Dennis_Peacock]

Man...!!!! Talk about a learning experience!!! All the advise, tips, suggestions here makes me feel like I need to start studying more. Excellent thread with excellent info.