oldboy
ArboristSite Member
The other day I noticed the stump of a tree (pictured below) that went down just after a snow storm. Some of the wood near the heart of the tree appeared to be soaked and brown. I went in for a closer look, cut a cross section and poked around with a hatchet, the brown wood did not seem to be weaker than the other wood. The cross section reveled a brown area near the heart wood, is this heart rot? It had rained heavily in the area for a couple of weeks before the snow storm.
This tree is a Red Alder, and is very close to other Red Alders that I am climbing/removing. I am concerned about how I can tell if the trees I am climbing have rot too. I walked around the tree and took photos of some damage - I noticed a recessed area 5 feet below the break, and some superficial bark damage 5 or ten feet above the break.
Is heart rot not likely without obvious clues? What is the best way to assess for it before a climb? I didn't notice any fungi. Since the brown wood seemed solid, I doubt I would have noticed anything with a hammer tap test. If the weight of just half a foot of snow could bring it down, I bet I could too.
This tree is a Red Alder, and is very close to other Red Alders that I am climbing/removing. I am concerned about how I can tell if the trees I am climbing have rot too. I walked around the tree and took photos of some damage - I noticed a recessed area 5 feet below the break, and some superficial bark damage 5 or ten feet above the break.
Is heart rot not likely without obvious clues? What is the best way to assess for it before a climb? I didn't notice any fungi. Since the brown wood seemed solid, I doubt I would have noticed anything with a hammer tap test. If the weight of just half a foot of snow could bring it down, I bet I could too.