Tree health and Vehicle exhaust pollution

Brent Ferris

A tree in our neighbourhood -- growing on municipal property - has part of its canopy over a hospital's parking lot. Two years ago, the fellows changing the light bulbs on the poles ran their truck exhaust (diesel) towards a Norway Maple for about 1/2 an hour (to change one lamp) and then, had lunch for another half hour in the same place. Predictably, the part of the canopy over the parking lot died, And in the following two growing seasons, none of that growth has come back, some of the remaining canopy (more in the middle of the crown) has deteriorated a bit.

If that had been a privately owned tree, can anyone suggest treatment to minimize the effects of exhaust pollution? Besides the obvious one of moving the truck.

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My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports
If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too !
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Free Estimates Oakville to Oshawa - North to Bradford (Will travel further if cost of travelling covered)

loggerBOB

it wasn't the fumes that killed the tree leaves it was the heat from the exhaust

Brent Ferris

Not sure about that -- the leaves would start about 25-30 feet from the ground, and this happened in late Sept - starting into our fall -- I rather doubt there would be any heat left from the exhaust to contact the leaves- do you?

__________________
My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports
If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too !
We do great jobs, even in small yards.

Free Estimates Oakville to Oshawa - North to Bradford (Will travel further if cost of travelling covered)

Eric Frei

On some site documents I have seen that exhausts not to be pointed at or within certain distances of tree limbs and foliage. Trucks not to be left idling under or near etc.

Often on trucks they have a smoke stack and can put out a decent volume, if it's not a windy day then the damage can be worse.

You'd have to either divert the exhaust elsewhere or get a large industrial fan and blow it away elsewhere.

Beside the emission of gases is the heat.

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loggerBOB

whats the height to the top of the truck stack???

Brent Ferris

Maybe 8-10 ft - it was a relatively low truck, with a small lift ladder to get the worker to the pole top.

The crown started around 20-25 feet ending at 60 ft, and the foliage on that half of the tree is gone.

Have any of you come across info to help the tree counteract the poisonous effects of the noxious gases?

__________________
My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports
If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too !
We do great jobs, even in small yards.

Free Estimates Oakville to Oshawa - North to Bradford (Will travel further if cost of travelling covered)

Eric Frei

I haven't but would certainly like to.
Can you get a picture of this because many people do not think it's possible.

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