Cleaned out the puking hole in my Maple

[Rajon]

From this thread.

http://www.arboristsite.com/homeowner-helper-forum/174710.htm

Pics:

27" deep, it is a massive cavity.

Yes, that is a 1" galvanized steel pipe embedded in the cavity. I have no idea how long the pipe is but I can't even wiggle it.

Not just a brick but bricks, at least 2 and mortar to go with them.

So, is this bad?:msp_confused:

 

[Rajon]

Cliffs from the other thread:

Tree has a near dead limb that comprises around 25% of the total canopy. (or did before it started to die back)

The tree has been butchered by DTE (power company) over the past 30 or 40 years.

How the heck to you get a steel pipe and bricks into a tree?! I guess the hole used to be bigger.

I cleaned out the hole and stuck a flash light in there, it is very hollow. The depth of the hole is 27" and I can get a broom handle in the hole and up 40" with no resistance. The hollow doesn't seem to go down.

 

[fffrosty72]

That's a pretty nasty looking tree.

You don't think that it grew up around the pipe?

 

[DFK]

That tree needs to be taken down.

 

[Rajon]

That's a pretty nasty looking tree.

You don't think that it grew up around the pipe?

The tree looks like it grew up around the pipe but it is hard to tell, maybe the split used to be lower and they threw a bunch of construction waste in it and the tree grew around it. That would have been in 1967. I found identical pipe remnants in the rafters of my garage and a pile of the bricks in the basement.

If it falls within a 180* arc it will take out a power lines and possibly a utility pole. It is a two tier setup so there are mid voltage lines in the upper tier so if they went a lot of homes and businesses would be without power. Fingers crossed that I can get DTE to pay for it.

 

[treeseer]

Fingers crossed that I can get DTE to pay for it.

That would be good, IF it had to come down. that puking hole--did you hose it out yet?--is well sealed by woundwood and looks strong. Make pruning cuts at the red lines and stop root abuse by mulching the tree, and give it a couple of years. orange line is the quick way out; better to wait until limb dies to cut it.

What would you gain by removing it? That prune job ~ 2 hours done carefully, not a budget-buster.

View attachment 190555View attachment 190556

 

[Rajon]

That would be good, IF it had to come down. that puking hole--did you hose it out yet?--is well sealed by woundwood and looks strong. Make pruning cuts at the red lines and stop root abuse by mulching the tree, and give it a couple of years. orange line is the quick way out; better to wait until limb dies to cut it.

What would you gain by removing it? That prune job ~ 2 hours done carefully, not a budget-buster.

View attachment 190555View attachment 190556

I did hose it out, that is where I found the bricks, pipe and cavity. From what I could measure without boring is that a 27" x 40" cylindrical void exists in the main trunk which takes it to the level of the East facing (left in the picture of the tree) limb that is 60% dead and growing mold along the top.

I cutting at the orange line was my first thought, there is more than enough space for it to fall safely but the high branches are well beyond my capability.

My real concern is that there seems to only be about 3-4" of material holding the whole tree up.


The tree provides excellent shade to my yard but I fear that the decline is too steep and it might take out power to my house or my whole zip code.

Thanks for the picture!

 

[treeseer]

[ a 27" x 40" cylindrical void exists in the main trunk which takes it to the level of the East facing (left in the picture of the tree) limb that is 60% dead and growing mold along the top.

mold does not decay wood

I cutting at the orange line was my first thought, there is more than enough space for it to fall safely but the high branches are well beyond my capability.

so get an arborist to do it. that orange cut will rot the trunk; best avoided.

My real concern is that there seems to only be about 3-4" of material holding the whole tree up.

If you do not see any splits or cracks, then that amount of holding wood is doing the job. Reaction wood can be twice as strong as regular wood, and if the load is lightened, it will do it better.


The tree provides excellent shade to my yard but I fear that the decline is too steep and it might take out power to my house or my whole zip code.

once it is pruned and mulched, the decline may reverse itself. All I am saying, is give trees a chance.

Thanks for the picture!

no problem. there are good arborists in MI; any ISA Certified guys or gals in your area, show them the pic and the article and see what they say.

 

[Rajon]

Just fyi, the red lines show the dead branches on the limb in question. (2 of 3 of the tertiary limbs) and in the other picture the blue line indicates the approximate location of the steel pipe (i have a massive samaruim-cobalt magnet and it sticks to the tree in those areas) the red blotches are the bricks and the green indicates the void that I probed. I have never seen anything like it.

 

[Rajon]

Update:

Had a tree guy out, he suggested packing the void with concrete and leaving 4" for the tree to heal and making he orange cut in treeseer's picture. $550 for him to do it (after telling me he would just drop the limb in one piece). I think I might get a few other opinions - DTE (electric company) is coming out to evaluate the tree.

 

[pdqdl]

Fill the void with concrete? That is utter nonsense; a practice that has been abandoned a long time ago. Don't even consider it.

1. It won't help the tree.
2. It will only help the "tree guy's" profits.
3. It will dramatically increase your expense when you decide to remove the tree. I ALWAYS raise my price when I bid a concrete infested tree. Of course, I would raise the price for the pipe, too.

It doesn't look to me like there are any targets beneath the tree that don't belong to the power company. I'd prune the dead and keep the shade. Ask the line clearance department from the utility company to come evaluate the tree.

 

[Rajon]

That is utter nonsense;

This sums up my thoughts nicely.

The trunk sits ~10' from a utility pole, opposite the dead limb but the other two limbs are partially hanging over the wires. It is a shot anyway. I wouldn't mind removing the maple and panting an oak in the center of my yard so it can grow without risk of careless trimming by line crews.