Northern Tree Specialists

Sean Freeman

Ok, so here I shall post pics from some of the jobs we get up to in North Queensland, mind you some of these are in SE Queensland, but anyway.

1st up is a removal of an Albizia lebbeck with a bad case of the Ganoderma's
Now we're not the sort of Arb guys who will start a saw when ever we see fungal fruiting bodies. This tree on a 50' lean obviously regrowth over severely damaged root crown with one half of the regrowth failed due to fungal decay, the root system on the other side 15+ Ganoderma fruiting bodies, canopy over the entrance road to the car park of the Towns Sports Reserve.

Red arrow points at dead section, yelow circle surrounds very large number of brackets..photo taken few weeks ago


Closer look at that stem...are those roots telling us anything special...I think they are.


Tim about to go up, looks enthusiastic doesn't he?


Better view of the target area under the leaning canopy


8am


9am


Last two in next post

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Sean Freeman

10am byebye EWP


Final cut on the stump, its a good one showing heaps of stuff going on inside the tree, we've fungi, termites, more fungi, old wounds, rolled rams horns, reaction wood, wound wood, lots of boundaries....Alex could've written a book on what you can see in this stump.

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JohN Dee

Wowee nice job Sean, did you diagnose those problems in the detail you described to us before or after you cut the stump? So with that cavity in the stump, if the branch that was originally there had of been pruned correctly (Collar cut) the tree wouldn't of been so sick when you removed it?

The photo of the stump is a beauty - and I thought my photo of 3-4 inch bark inclusion was impressive.

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Sean Freeman

John, we've been providing arb advice to the management of this sports reserve for about 12 months, no overall management plan as yet hopefully in the next couple of months. This tree came up in a general walk around the place three weeks back, not picked up in the initial survey 12 months back (oops!!) Wrote them a short report very stronglt recommending removal asap.

The problems for the tree are (were) multiple and hark back to the attempted removal say 20yrs ago. I think the entire tree was stump regrowth, but the original tree self sown I'd say was growing over rocks/concrete etc, after the failed attempt to remove it and the subsequent regrowth the road and the car park were built...further damage. Ganoderma arrives and finds a tree with numerous sittes for infection large injury at base with unprotected tissues..yum, yum. So begind the struggle for control of those tissues between fungi and tree, this can go on for 10 years, or more or be over in 12 months depends on the health and vigour of the tree environmental conditions etc...

So the low cut you mention yes was envovled certainlt but I don't think the tree would ever had been a long term proposition for the sports reserve (Qld state govt owned and managed), the excessive lean was also doubtless connected to the competition for light with neighbouring trees, it only made the risk greater for users of the facilities.

Albizias are interesting in the way they produce adventitious roots in dramatic fashion from just under the bark when function is lost in the roots below..glaring tell tale sign of loss of roots to pathogenic fungal colonisation, a severe injury, even massive would produce new growth at the injury site not 300/400mm above it from under the bark of the stem.
Here's a photo of another A lebbeck doing very similar, these roots were being produced almost all the way around the circumference of the stem...tree removed.

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Eric Frei

Tim got to cut it down in the bucket, while Steve and Sean fed the chipper ... I think I'd rather have been Tim.

Good job, I was going to say the lot was regrowth. Have had similar here but not as big, mainly old ones people cut down then they resprout. I have had this debate about coppicing for regrowth ...

... it's a forestry management technique to but some argue that coppicing to ground and allowing a new tree to emerge is OK, perhaps some species. In the event of multiple stems some culling has to take place so the strongest remains.

I'm not sold though and think there's some facts to be disclosed on species suitability and location etc.

Good job crew up there, you get some interesting variety that's for sure .... now I have to do my BAS!

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Sean Freeman

Ok here's something from about 18months ago, visiting Tim in Hosp due to allergic reaction on the job (Tims allergic to wasps, bees, some ants, centipeeds etc!!! yeah good for a tree guy eh?) So drive into the hospital grounds and what do I see?

In the carpark to the mental health unit


There's more


A little further back


Along the newly built path from a staff carpark to the blood bank






There's more next post

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Sean Freeman

In the actual carpark leading to the new path


Not only lopped, buried and severely damaged


Also ganoderma cankers throughout one section of the upper stem


So seeing as I'm a consulting Arborist thats what I do consult...write a four page polite but direct report to the Hospital admin about what I have seen who I am what I do and have done in this town and what my recommendations are. Now I will point out that I have recieved some flak from elsewhere about writing reports for free..devaluing our profession etc but thats ok I'll wear that I'm afraid people can hold that opinion. But we're not finished at the Hospital yet!

6 months go by nothing no reply (which was dissapointing to say the least) no removals nothing then I revisit the hospital.

By now some of the lopped trees are putting on the last hurrah



and along the edge of that new path with the lopped Euc with only one side of a root plate...well they've fixed that


So I'm feeling well a little annoyed, noone likes to be ignored especially when you have an ego and self image as inflated as mine!
See one thing that is special about Hospitals esp ours is that even in the worst weather Cat 4 cyclones for example this place will be open, staff will be parking in these carparks and having to use that new path to get to work. The increased risk as a result of the "work" done to these trees will be faced by those doctors and nurses.

Final chapter to come.

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Sean Freeman

So about 6 months ago the grounds staff at the hospital phone Steve asking for a report on a native tree in the new construction area that has to be retained and protected..due to pressure from the neighbouring Uni...well it would hardly have come from the Hosp admin would it!!!LOL

When we go out what do we see?
The tree in the carpark of the mental health area


the tree a bit further back


The larger stemmed Euc in the staff car park is still alive with its stem damage, buried root system epicormic regrowth and cankers, the pathway still has its lopped smaller trees with their half root plates.

You know sometimes you just have to admit that you can tell a mug, just can't them much....This story still has some chapters to be written I just really hope that catastrophic failure will not be the title of any of them.

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Eric Frei

Sean

Go to authorities and media.

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Sean Freeman

What I think I will do is make a greater effort to actually meet with the Hospital Administrator, as things stand I don't even know if they recieved the original report. The grounds guys we saw when recording data for the AIA on the native tree (Lysiphyllum hookeri) said they knew nothing of the report..which doesn't mean much.
I would probably write 6 reports off my own bat during the year resulting from coming accross rubbish work like that at the hospital. Most 95% would go to council about trees they own and have done "work" to. I'm not shying away from your suggestion Eric, just that I have to take into consideration how it will impact on Steve's business. I need to ensure that the right people saw and read the report first...thats why I like email so much, I can send a report and tag the email so I know they opened it, then follow up with another...wish to discuss further, or expand on possible management options etc..get into a dialogue with people to help them better manage their trees. Media are never interested in anything except sensationalising things facts and details aren't their strong point.

Should add the three dead trees (another one that I didnt see or photograph but was lopped died) have been removed.so the hospital paid for the lopping, paid for the construction damage, then ran the great risk and liability with the dying trees, then paid for the now dead trees to be removed!

Eric Frei

See

The whole problem centers around tree protection.

If the tree is not protected then the owner can do what they like.

And the reason for the media and authorities is to see why there needs to be rules, enforce-able rules.

If the hospital owns those trees and chooses to hack them (violates AS4373) and the trees die (3 did) ... so what? It's their trees and they can do what they like. The only time they'd be in trouble is if they failed and some-one made a civil case against them for damages.

The only thing that has to change here and save you doing a lot of charity work is VPO's, until then, your pissing on fires.

Prevention is better than cure. I also put a lot of effort into client education, I got people who get me from my website and still want trees topped, people dont read!

VPO's, the quick and easy solution. Then like the GCCC did they enclose the VPO details with rates mailouts, do some media campaign etc.

But right now for every person like me who says dont top it ... 3 are saying "no worries mate, about half way do ya?"

So this type of thing needs exposure and authorities.

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Sean Freeman

So here's a medium sized Ficus benghalensis at the same sports reserve where we reomved the A. lebbeck the other day. This tree, the fig we've been looking after for about 18mths, was originally slated for removal on the advice of one of our local professional loppers "dangerous tree mate full of rot and fungi it'll kill someone we'll get rid of it".
Well cut a long and self aggrandising story short, we pursuaded the management of the reserve to retain the tree, after soil and root treatment and some reduction pruning and recommended they fence the tree to prevent any targets being present under the canopy. As you'll see the fence was never built, but they did build some mounds for seating and shade structures for spectators along the edge of the footy field next to the tree...great! To make matters a little worse the tree is showing continued decline in the grafted limbs holding two leaning prop roots and the canopy they support. You can see the structures I'm talking about in this photo


So I wrote a short report advising them of the changes in the tree and importantly in the targets under the tree, recommending that the two leaning section be removed ASAP. The tree as some might know has a very attractive spreading proped habit, I feel that in 5/10 yrs if it is looked after it will have grown out beyond the position of these leaning parts we are removing.

Me taking small canopy sections off


Messing about with two TIPs whilst Tim works hard on the ground


Even more messing about, hasn't he noticed I've stopped cutting yet?


Now some fun for the fella triple scarf and back cuts




Will put the last bits and the final look in the next post

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Sean Freeman

Banyan reduction cont'

Tim fells the stick

On the ground


Someone is going to have to clean all that up mate, and I'm busy taking photos for the forum!


2nd stick down

How she looks




Not bad for two guys humping logs into the old truck till 3.30pm!! But then it is winter here now 33'C today very chilli (yeah right!)

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Sean Freeman

Who is that helmet headed man in the tree....why its Tim the Tree Man


But wait what's this I see as I look closer, heck thats a mighty fine harness he's wearing way cool, with gizmos and thingys for getting you out of tricky spots, hmmm wait ITS MY HARNESS!!! and whats worse he's wearing the white safety helmet previously worn by Famous Flake-o the bizarre bloke who used to work for Steve...lets hope none of his wierdness seeps into your brain Tim.


PS Tim is mostly two handing the 200T today....

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Jeff Darby

Hi Boa07,
Great pictures,but we wouldn't expect anything less from a man as dedicated to his work as you are,it's true tree work is a passion,and you either have it or you don't, It's obvious you do, Love the pictures keep them coming.
JayD

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Eric Frei

Haha, way to go Timmo.

Use Boa's stuff anytime, he dont!

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Sean Freeman

Ekka's got a good vid of the use of these small cranes but I thought I'd share one from today with you, don't underestimate how a little crane can make an awkward job a breeze to do. We used a 12T Franna to remove a problem E. tessellaris from a real problem spot, I've said it before I love working with cranes...even small ones.

The angle of the photo a bit deceptive, canopy leaning well out over pool, no drop zone at all in that yard manicured lawns etc... BTW the cut is already made.


Crane jib moves away and the stem folds out and swings clear


The little franna easily lifts over the precious garden etc and lays this and the following sticks gently on the ground for chipping


A tricky job made easy with the imaginative use of a small all terrain crane

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Eric Frei

How much they sting you up there for a Franna?

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Sean Freeman

Hmm....I'll have to ask Stephen what they charged!

Eric Frei

Last time I used a 22t franna for half hour the bill was $435

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Sean Freeman

Crickey!! Won't be anywhere near that I hope!!! There's so much construction going on round here cranes etc are not as pricey as in Brissy and surrounding areas, 80T all terrain isn't that much per hour!!

Sean Freeman

Just checked the local prices 25T franna $145 per hour...your getting ripped down there mate!

Eric Frei

They charge travel both ways, plus minimum 2 hour charge. Same rate as yours but 3 hours it was.

What the smart azzes do is charge 2 hours plus travel both ways. Mind you when you ring up they tell it's just a 2 hour min charge and that's it but then the driver argues that the travel is not included and you must pay for that.

Then you tell the driver they told you it was 2 hour minimum and travel included and he reckons you didn't hear it right.

I've used a few different companies and the smaller one man operators are best, they dont do that crap, but they dont cover all of Brisbane.

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Sean Freeman

I'm really only posting these so you can see the great view of my town, the palm is not huge, about 14m to my position, but is growing on the side of a big hill (1m short of a mountain!) so the effect is to make you feel like you're about 80m high...quite wierd...also the stem just under the head of this coconut is starting to decay badly with some unidentified fungal infection, smells very bad and the frond petioles are decaying ..not fun to climb.



Trying to look busy


Worth it for the views

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Eric Frei

Crikey, ya got some multi story buildings in that town ...

... but no traffic lights.

Was that the main town or a suburb?

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Sean Freeman

Believe it or not its the older part of town, where the original settlers lived in the 1890's....not in those buildings though

TrevMcRev

Nearly makes it worth getting bitten by those crazy ants up there!

JohN Dee

Mate, that is a great view!

One of the best reasons why I love tree work so much is for the view you get when you get to the top.

__________________
We are what we repeatedly do... Excellence then, is not an act, but HABIT...

Red : Green : Blue

Sean Freeman

It was a big week last week and looks like this week is going to even bigger with the amount of trees to be processed after todays little effort. Four trees craned out of awkward spots, we were climbing, rigging and cutting most of the day 7hrs and with the help from our good mates at Allstate cranes had a lot of fun along the way....we only had time for pics of two of the trees but here they are.

Cutting the base using a step cut 90:10 after carefully thinking through the placement of the chains and the resulting movement in the tree as it is being lifted. Any adverse movement is being controlled by Stephen and the rigging line through a portawrap.



Lifting over the sheds


Placed gently on the other side


This second tree had even less room even more important to control the stem as we lifted her up also real concern over the tree inverting due to excess canopy weight. Again Stephen on the portawrap.


Not much room for error!


Nice work guys, now someone else process it ok?

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Eric Frei

Was the 1st tree Albizia Lebeck and the 2nd Ficus Benjamina?

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