Storm damaged tree - is it a goner?

murcod

Hi all, I'm new here after stumbling across your forum via Google.

I'm from Adelaide and after some wild storms we've suffered some significant damage to a large tree in our yard. I'm not sure what species it is (it's deciduous).

Basically it's lost two significant branches from one side (both would be around 250-300mm diameter where they broke off the trunk.) It looks like the higher one let go and then took out the lower branch as it fell? The lower branch is currently "hanging" off the trunk supported by one small branch (around 40mm diameter.) Needless to say were keeping away from it! They're actually sitting in the neighbour's yard and provided that small supporting branch doesn't let go the fence will escape unharmed.

I'm waiting for my insurance company to get back to me tomorrow- they said to ring the SES but they're not interested in helping because no buildings/ people are in danger. Luckily the only damage in the neighbours yard is a small fruit tree has been flattened. The neighbours house on one side is within hitting distance should any branches on that side let go. The upper branch that snapped off appears to have significantly reduced the trunk's cross sectional area on the main part that could fall into their propery.

My concern is the whole tree will now be unviable? Some pics are below of the damage.

PS: Any ideas on a ball park figure to get a tree this size removed; and who in Adelaide is reliable to do the work? (If it has to go.)

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Victor Lindsay

The reason for failure is clear. Codominant with bark inclusion.

Cole

dammm any damage,

Eric Frei

Anyone ID that tree?

Bark looks almost fig but foliage?

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kiwi_tree_steve

i think its an ash maby.... not too sure bout the growth habit tho, foliage and buds look consistent from this angle i rekon....... and the bark kinda looks oleaceae like too me

so id guess Fraxinus ornus Mana Ash

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"You have to feel and touch a tree" Shigo

kiwi_tree_steve

so not the storms fault then aye

good call vl2007

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"You have to feel and touch a tree" Shigo

Eric Frei

But what do you say, keep or cut it down?

That's a real hard call without being there in person.

retention could mean heavy pruning of remaining canopy and possibly cabling. I think you'll need to get a good http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&rlz=1B3MOZA_en-GBAU355AU355&q=arborist+adelaide&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryAU&aq=f&oq= or http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en-GB&q=consulting+arborist+adelaide&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3MOZA_en-GBAU355AU355&ie=UTF-8 out there. Make sure you check their qualifiactions and ask many questions as you dont want to be suckered by some-one wanting to feed their wood chipper.

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King koala

The Adelaide aborists, Adelaide tree surgery, Branching out tree services.
Looks savable, about $800.00 to $1000.00 inc stump depending on access and the length of the drag, will need the neighbours cooperation to make cost reasonable. I Climb for one of these companys regularly, could be me doing the work. get three quotes both to save the tree and to remove, make your judgement on how the comp rep acts when you ask to save, like Ekka says its not always best option to remove without a decent reason other than making chip and dollars.

murcod

Thanks for all the replies. I've only just jumped on the PC after spending the last three hours out there cutting it up after work (slowly, with my trusty Black and Decker 18V cordless chainsaw!) I'll get there eventually..... Then I'll cane the mulcher with everything that will fit.

I've secured the fallen limbs with some rachet straps and chain tied to the closest main trunk. So, short of me causing it to fall while cutting it up, everything is safe now.

My insurance company was useless and the neighbour is well over 70yo so I don't want to burden him with my fallen tree branch- no matter what the stupid law says about it being his problem re insurance claims.

I'll get in contact with some arborists and get them to take a look (thanks for the suggestions.)

Excuse the dumb question, but what is "Codominant with bark inclusion" in simple terms??

murcod

Surprisingly, no.

The only "fatality" is a young fruit tree in the rear neighbour's yard - but I've yet to find it under the remaining foliage. He just said it had taken one out, I'll probably find it tomorrow night.

If you look at the second pic it would be a different matter if it had fallen into the next door neighbour's yard. Their shed is also in the back corner of the block (underneath it out of view.)

It's amazing that two large branches could fall like that and do absolutely no damage!

What does suck is we've now lost our privacy as it screened our rear pergola area.

TrevMcRev

Genus looks to be an Ash, Fraxinus but can't be sure of the species from the pics, but likely garden variety Common Ash excelsior.

If it goes deep red to purple in autumn it will be a Claret Ash.
Butter yellow in autumn would be Golden Ash but form would generally be shorter & more spreading.

At the end of the day it failed due to defective structure (as vl2007 pointed out) with a lack of preventitive maintenance or a failure to manage the canopy.

The tightly compressed "V" union between the 2 near equal size stems (that 1 of which failed) with trapped bark between the 2.

Very common cause of failure easily detected by a good arborist.
Sometimes there are preventative treatments like cabling, bracing & pruning , other times removal of the tree is more suitable if the failure is very likely and the target is valuable.

It really has ripped the guts out of the remaining half.

I'd say that stem may need to be removed at least. You may be able to retain the "other" half of the tree that was not affected.

KingKoala gave some good suggestions as to finding someone.

Cole

yeah definetly an ash got heaps of them here there used as street trees and all sorts we have desert and claret ash here too, have you got kids dogs etc, did your neighbours say anything to you at all, id take that leader down for sure that tear looks nasty as pretty hard to compartmentalise that one, they shoot eppo's every where when pruned hard or rough,

Eric Frei

I might need to update this page but it still gets the point across ....

Co-dominant Stems

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murcod

The branches are taken care of and cut up.

The whole "codominant" thing has me a little bit concerned- this is the base of the tree:



Going by the descriptions above it would be a Claret Ash- it turns a deep red / purple colour before making a huge mess in the backyard....

murcod

Thanks, I just found their websites and have Emailed them all regarding getting the tree inspected and quotes for repair or removal.

Drouin Tree Service

Wouldn't bother trying to "save"that IMO,Ash tree as Trev suggested.

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murcod

I'm hearing you, but the wife doesn't want it to go! The only "value" I saw in it was it screened out the rear neighbours (our yard is raised.) But being deciduous it only did that for around 8mths of the year and then made a huge mess in the yard come Autumn.

Now those rear branches are gone it's useless as a screen.

I'll get the experts out on site and see what they say.

kiwi_tree_steve

Let her go man, not a specimen tree ,id'd say Cut it!!

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"You have to feel and touch a tree" Shigo

newguy18

Definatly a goner,but i also recomend planting another tree in its place.

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old schooler

Cole

you can buy a semi mature tree and get it transplanted into your back yard or where ever you want it for that matter, we've done a few our selfs over the years thats just an option, true its an ash i wouldnt blink twice about taking that down, was a nice looking tree.

arborjockey

duct tape a piece of rebar to the wound and when it calluses over if theirs a cavity pour concrete in it.

stirmantrees

i would personally apply a trunk injection with 16 inches of hot spinning steel. grind stump, replant. imo
start over with well structured tree.
Sometimes planting a tree now and removing the other one later works well. just dont plant it under the remaining tree after you prune, if it could get squashed later.
maybe you could plant a couple medium sized trees(at maturity) that would really screen the neighbors well?
glad you care about your trees.

kiwi_tree_steve

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"You have to feel and touch a tree" Shigo

stirmantrees

make sure you put the pruning paint on before and after the cement.

stirmantrees

wow we are pretty mordant, huh?

kieren

Fraxinus there are heaps planted around adelaide shit trees if you ask me but the public love planting them

kieren

[QUOTE=King koala;76988]The Adelaide aborists, Adelaide tree surgery, Branching out tree services.
Looks savable,
Not so sure about that! The trees main stem is compromised and tree is of poor stock to begin with. No offense intended but the three above mentioned company's are the roughest looking company's i've seen in a long time, and having worked with 2 of them its not only an image problem they have

Eric Frei

Flamin crow eaters, rough as guts.

Have to send some Queenslanders down to show ya's how to be pro's eh.

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shaun05

YES!

You could argue a case to cut it down and you could argue a case to keep it.

The best argument that I heard here is the clients wife loves the tree. Call me a romantic but that means it should stay and be cared for. In fact as arborists I would say it is a prety pooor endigtment on our professional ability if we couldn't develop a management plan to preserve a tree in this condition.

This is not a race horse that gets put doown because it has a broken leg this is a tree and boy don't they evoke a whole lot of emotions.

Given that the tree owner mentioned the neighbour but did not mention the neighbour having any concerns about the tree it is possible that the neighbour is also fine with it staying. Seems that retention may have its advantages. I would rather shear a pet sheep every year or so than to skin it once.

kieren

ha ha I think there is some real contenders for bash em down slash em up tree loppers of the year award in both states lol
I was trained in NSW so I like to sit high and mighty while taking the piss out of both