Large Tree Removal Disease

We received instructions from an existing client responsible for management of trees in residential areas to inspect a group of trees growing on land managed by them. Our client was concerned this large group of trees on their land was suffering from a disease, large sections of the crown or foliage had turned brown and appeared dead causing concern regarding tree safety for public using the area and adjacent neighboring gardens.

We firstly provided consultancy services visiting site to undertake a tree inspection and compile a report following the site visit. After inspecting the trees we sent a report to the client detailing our findings, the trees were found to be suffering from "Seiridium cardinal" & had other structural issues.

Inspection Comments:

Disease:The trees were found to be suffering from a disease called "Seiridium cardinal" a micro-fungus that causes a canker disease on cypress and other related conifers. The first evidence of the disease is a browning or reddening of the live bark around the point of entry of the pathogen. Subsequently, lentiform or elongated cankers develop that may girdle branches or stems, causing dieback.

The disease spreads by a slime exudation carried to other branches by wind, rain, insects, birds etc. The disease was mostly restricted to oneside (garden side) of the crown area area, however there were other smaller and scattered infections elsewhere in the crown of the trees.

Structural Issues: Further inspection of the tree/s revealed an all together more concerning structural issues from a safety and potential failure point of view.

One of the trees in the group had a large split in the main trunk 13 metres from ground level. The co-dominant stems or the point at which the two stems meet had included bark. Such stems having included bark are weaker than those without included bark. Included bark is bark embedded between opposing branches, a branch and a main stem or two co-dominant stems creating a structurally weak point in the tree, see the example below used as illustration, this has not been taken from the tree detailed above:

Recommendations: Fell X4 trees to ground level to remove the risk

The following pictures were taken during the removal of the 4 trees detailed above. Each tree was dismanteled in sections using safe climbing methods and techniques. The following pictures are arranged in order and progression of the the works from start tro finish.

WORK STARTS