leaking Keno

treestyle

Hi, Looked at a large spotted gum today....approx. 35m client asked me to quote for removal. i'm keen though to give them a quote also for a prune (weight reduction on branch ends and thinning redundant growth). The top side of one of the branch unions is leaking keno.....do you think this could be an indicator of the tree preparing to drop the branch? or insect attack?

sorry no photos.........

Ekka

That's not good, you need to check it more, maybe cockatoos been eating at it too.

Both of us know keno on the surface means bark barrier has been breached.

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treestyle

yeah cockatoos it could be. really need to get up there and have a proper look. i think i'd be able to write possible insect or bird attack in the quote....unable to tell for sure from the ground.

If cocky attack, weight reduction or would you consider removing the branch?

Thanks

Ekka

Just reduce it ... unless they ate most of it off.

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JayD

Hi,
You need to quote for the worst case senario,unless you climb and have a good look,or maybe a sqiz with binocular's,Kino present where insects are active generally means the tree is dealing with it,maybe a fracture,or cocky damage,if its a take down quote removal,reduction factor in your possibilities.

In The Words of A Wise man, Ask me if the limb will fail,once it's on the ground most definately!

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treestyle

This is a report that i'm working on to accompany my quote, they didn't ask for a report but i thought that it would be good practice.

Any corrections or constructive criticism would be appreciated. maybe even if you would like to post some of your own reports?

Thanks!

.........................................................................

Large (approx 25-30m) Spotted Gum.

Without a thorough aerial inspection it is not possible to give a truly accurate report of the structural integrity of the tree. No tree can ever be considered 100% safe.

From the ground (with the exception of one branch) the tree appeared to be of a sound structure with no signs of included or weak branch attachments, minimal deadwood and no fungus brackets could be seen.

The topside of the lowest branch union (fork) showed signs of ?bleeding?. The tree produces keno (sap) in response to an attack, which has penetrated the bark. In this case the attack has more then likely come from either birds or insects. It is impossible to determine the extent of damage to the branch union, without an up-close inspection. Depending upon the severity of the damage, we would either remove the entire branch. Or, selectively prune to reduce the overall weight of the branch.

In order to minimize the chance of branch failure it is correct practice to selectively remove any redundant growth, deadwood and crossing or rubbing branches. It is also recommended to reduce the weight loads at the end of long crowded branches. Whilst doing this the canopy is ?thinned? out, allowing the tree to remain less affected by high winds. Although these methods will reduce the chance of structural failure, it will not totally guarantee 100% structural integrity.

Ekka

Yeah, that's OK

BUT

And I'm going to chuck a red herring in the works.

In most instances where gum trees are protected and home-owners are declined removal by authorities, the authorities throw a token 20% thin to the home-owner. (ignore the deadwood, rubbing diseased etc as that's genuinely needed)

Frankly, on a euc, that 20% thin should be pretty much carried out on the very tips where the leaves are... with secatures or the larger version loppers (I hate that word).

I have used towers to do this occasionally but frankly not often enough (clients dont want to pay the money)

On climbs you may remove a few of the internals but generally, on a euc, you'll just make holes in the canopy and even lions tail the tree.

The irony is that much of the work is needless and pointless ... it's prima facie to relieve some anxiety to the client and believe the tree is somewhat safer. In a few years the tree has replaced that foliage anyway.

Trees only grow on the ends or tips. Those long thin branches typical of our eucs with some cabbage on the ends is what we see break time and time again in winds. Long lever arms, parachute on the end it's bound to happen. The thinning needs to be on those ends. Opening up the guts of the tree for wind to now turbulate where it never has before can load branches that haven't experience or compensated for the new found stresses and perhaps crack or fail.

The issue is eucs generally do not lend themselves well to reduction pruning as most branches are of the same length. You want to reduce a long branch back to the next union (target cut) and that branch is just as long as the one you are going to cut. So we thin them.

Eucs vary their foliage according to conditions, but in a bumper wet year they really bulk it on (stressed eucs can do the same though) if you haven't noticed. So much so that branches bend under the weight ... add some wind a you get failures.

Trees in urban settings often are solitary trees exposed to the full brunt of adverse conditions with man made structures that intensify wind spend unlike natural forests where trees work together. So often in urban yards we have these big eucs which occasionally break branches etc ... sure you can say it's species related failures but more so our ignorance in retention or selection in the first instance.

Just food for thought.

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treestyle

thanks Ekka, i appreciate your honesty and opinions.