Solution to broken sycamore - stimulate new central trunk?

aroethli

We've got an old sycamore in our yard, probably about 100 years old, that had the top broken out about 15 years ago during a hurricane.

At the time this left the tree still relatively evenly shaped, but then the lower 10-15 feet of trunk below the break died and rotted, and we had to have it cut out last year.

Now we have a tree that has no single vertical trunk beyond its first major branching, although there is one "wye" of a secondary trunk that is still present.

However, now the cut off main trunk is still exposed to weather, and is already a slight rotted depression. I know it is not unusual for sycamores to hollow out and still remain viable and structurally sound, but I was looking for some creative thoughts on how to stabilize the top of the exposed trunk.

I had considered:

- building a "roof" over the top of the exposed trunk
- filling the cavity(forming on top of the trunk) with concrete, tar, or??
- planting another sycamore in the "hole" forming on top of the trunk, hoping they'll graft

All are probably unusual, and maybe even ill-advised, but I'm just brainstorming.

We just lost the Willow Oak last year, also shown in the photos below, so we're trying to think of creative, even unusual, ideas to protect the sycamore and our house(that one big wye is over the house, and its junction is right at the top of the cut off main trunk), and help it continue to grow and survive.

The "graft in a hole" idea was particularly interesting in an attempt to stimulate a new central trunk *shrug*


You can see some images of the tree before we had the dead trunk removed here:










Again, along with saving the tree, looking for any ingenuitive ideas to stimulate a new central trunk over time.

Thoughts?
Al

treeseer

Your brain made a good storm, methinks. I do this sometimes. I call it "capping". Install a platform, and mount a birdhouse on it.

Sorry you lost the willow oak.

aroethli

Heh, brilliant minds think alike


I too had thought about building a platform or water-proof roof, and then affixing a large birdhouse. I still think that's pretty smart looking idea.

However, I still have the problem of the shallow cavity of rot that has already set in. I haven't been up there(about 30ft high), but my tree trimmer said the depression was about a foot of rot. So I'm trying to also figure out how... or if I should even, look to fill that cavity to arrest further decay.

It seems the days of recommending concrete have fallen out of favor, but this horizontal "bowl" of rot on top of the trunk is surely only going to get deeper over time.

And with that reaching toward that big wye over my house over time, I worry it will break off onto the house.

That's also where my thoughts of somehow trying to re-stimulate a new central trunk came in.

Just like in jungle/humid areas where trees like ficus/fig end up growing out of every nook and cranny of trees and buildings, I wonder if I planted another tree, preferably another sycamore, in that hollow forming on top of the main trunk.... would it grow(probably would), and would it eventually graft itself into the parent tree?

Anyway, still brainstorming...

Al

Eric Frei

Personally, looking at some of the pruning going on, lopping of ends of branches etc I'd suggest you get a professional qualified person out there for advice, make sure they can climb so they can inspect aloft.

This is to invovled and not enough detail for pictures really.

I also doubt that a planted tree would graft to a decaying inner of a tree. Most grafts take place just under the bark.

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kiwi_tree_steve

i agree, seems like you need a professional out there to have a look.

filling the cavity will only harm the tree, correct pruning, to growth points will help slow the decay. Trees have a defense system, we know it as CODIT, this is a complex system made up of 4 walls.......... in essence its there to Slow, and stop the spread of decay.
removing the central leader and a brace system such as COBRA, to help support the other leaders would be an idea, but as Ekka stated, looks like its too involved to make a call from Photos.

thats my 2cents worth,

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"You have to feel and touch a tree" Shigo

treevet

IMO the tree's defense system is "compartmentalization" Steve, and CODIT is an acronym for the model (Dr. Shigo) developed to illustrate this function.

I think all 3 plans are misguided good intentions. The tree planted within if it matures rooted in rot would expand and explode the holding trunk.

The cavity filling has been abandoned bcs it is an even better environment for decay causing orgs.

The roof, prob the best of the ideas after a proper natural target pruning cut and lightening the overloaded limb over the house back to a node, would injure the tree to install and interfere with growth later probably.

You do need a top level arb. Nice buildings and surroundings , you deserve it.

kiwi_tree_steve

Point taken, treevet.

i am a Shigo fan as most can tell, i just dont see the need to cover, and in my opinion any "contraption" built will de - value the tree and look absurd, but as i say thats just an opinion.

steve

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"You have to feel and touch a tree" Shigo

treevet

I agree with you Steve, and as for the Shigo correction, he always made that point himself. I spent mass time with him since I met him while sitting next to him at a seminar at Arbor Age in Philadelphia in 1979 until he passed away after tripping and falling on his deck last year. Used to have to get a Shigo fix after hammering trees in storm damage or doing a lot of dead removals, etc. I could fly for free as wife worked for airlines. Try to be part of carrying the torch as I feel it is a little pay back for all he gave me.

aroethli

Thanks to all that replied.

Our historic district is just in the process of having an official tree survey performed by the State's top arborist, so I'm going to ask him to come over one evening after work and see what he thinks.

I appreciate all the feedback.

Al

treevet

Send him to Tree World, we'd love to chat with him about your place, or anything for that matter.

treevet

Or her mybad.

kiwi_tree_steve

I only wish i was lucky enough to have met the man, i have devoured some of his books, and it "just makes sense to me", i feel that he has helped fan the flame of my passion for Arboriculture.

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"You have to feel and touch a tree" Shigo

treevet

I have every book and video he ever wrote/made and just go over and over them, along with other stuff. Used to be all we had was "Tree Maintenance", by PP Perone way back and slept with that under the pillow. Still a good book.

arborjockey

Hey tree vet,


Have you gotten much storm damage down there?

treevet

Just about finished with it except for stragglers. I am exhausted from it after approx 3 weeks solid but it bought me a new car and big screen with surround sound so I am not complaining. How about you guys AJ did you get the hit? I think we had 80 mph straight line winds and some downshears.

arborjockey

I work for Dayton Tree Specialists mon-thur and fri-sun for a guy down in Hamiltucky(hamilton for out of staters). Hamiltucky got hit hard 4 crane jobs and allot of blowovers, broken braches, Love those bradferd pears. Got a new 361 out of it and fri. Ill be heading over to washington courhouse and picking up some sherill stuff at vermeer. Storms just keep coming we got hit last nite and again this eve. Dont see me complaining.

treevet

90% plus of what I've seen hit the deck is decayed or weak co dom.

Hamiltucky......I know it well.