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I've been taking a good look at the trees around my newly purchased house. Maintenance on the trees in many cases was not so good.
I have a major leader in a cherry in my yard that is slightly cracked where it joins a main trunk (there are two of those also, another ugly issue but it seems to be OK right now). The joint is close to vertical and obviously weak with no apparent collar. The leader supports 35-40% of the crown and the tree seems otherwise healthy, except for some sort of growth out of some of the leaves (small reddish "spikes" 1-3mm long).
There is a large old wound where another leader obviously broke off similarly, judging from the woundwood, at least 5 years ago. It would have been 180° opposite from the now cracked leader, but on the other trunk. It broke, it was not cut.
A trusted logging friend estimated the age of the tree to be 60 years or so, large for this age but not surrounded by others. The trunks are upwards of 20" across at chest height and I would estimate the crown to be about 60' high. The single trunk is probably 30" across at the root flare.
If the branch were to fall it would fall on my driveway but probably not directly on where we park vehicles. I was told that there was a good chance of this happening this coming winter because of ice inside the crack.
I have mostly maple, beech, cherry, hemlock and some birch in the woods behind the house. A lot of the maple and beech show disease (whitish fungus growth on the maple bark, dark stains running down the beech bark). The cherry is the hardwood that seems fairly healthy here.
My options are, as I see them:
1. Let it crack and fall on its own (obviously not the best approach for myself OR the tree)
2. Get a climber to cut the leader off (but so much of the green crown is on this leader, I am sure it will hurt the tree!)
3. Have a professional, competent arborist attempt to cable the leader to support it (is this still an option since it's already cracked, will a cable work or will it crack and slide down anyway?)
4. Cut the tree now and start another one growing as soon as possible (a last resort option, IMO)
3 is the most attractive to me IF it would work and be safe. 1 is obviously not really an option.
I will get pictures if necessary, no digital camera so I will have to run 35mm and scan prints, etc...
I have a major leader in a cherry in my yard that is slightly cracked where it joins a main trunk (there are two of those also, another ugly issue but it seems to be OK right now). The joint is close to vertical and obviously weak with no apparent collar. The leader supports 35-40% of the crown and the tree seems otherwise healthy, except for some sort of growth out of some of the leaves (small reddish "spikes" 1-3mm long).
There is a large old wound where another leader obviously broke off similarly, judging from the woundwood, at least 5 years ago. It would have been 180° opposite from the now cracked leader, but on the other trunk. It broke, it was not cut.
A trusted logging friend estimated the age of the tree to be 60 years or so, large for this age but not surrounded by others. The trunks are upwards of 20" across at chest height and I would estimate the crown to be about 60' high. The single trunk is probably 30" across at the root flare.
If the branch were to fall it would fall on my driveway but probably not directly on where we park vehicles. I was told that there was a good chance of this happening this coming winter because of ice inside the crack.
I have mostly maple, beech, cherry, hemlock and some birch in the woods behind the house. A lot of the maple and beech show disease (whitish fungus growth on the maple bark, dark stains running down the beech bark). The cherry is the hardwood that seems fairly healthy here.
My options are, as I see them:
1. Let it crack and fall on its own (obviously not the best approach for myself OR the tree)
2. Get a climber to cut the leader off (but so much of the green crown is on this leader, I am sure it will hurt the tree!)
3. Have a professional, competent arborist attempt to cable the leader to support it (is this still an option since it's already cracked, will a cable work or will it crack and slide down anyway?)
4. Cut the tree now and start another one growing as soon as possible (a last resort option, IMO)
3 is the most attractive to me IF it would work and be safe. 1 is obviously not really an option.
I will get pictures if necessary, no digital camera so I will have to run 35mm and scan prints, etc...
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Always ideal to get a good arborist on site. Try this:
