Cherry blossom tree advice please

Discussion in 'Trees' started by Fat Controller, Mar 26, 2017.

  1. Fat Controller

    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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    A colleague of mine has recently moved into a new home, and in the garden there are two cherry blossom trees that looked absolutely gorgeous a week or so ago when in full bloom. However, one of them has a problem - quite a big problem, I suspect.

    There is a large hole in the trunk, and the remains of the wood that is in there is rotten and dry, so essentially all that is supporting this tree is a sort of outer 'shell' of the trunk that is approximately 1-2 inches thick. Particularly concerning, this tree is very close to the street, so if it were to give up, the potential for someone getting injured exists. Am I right in thinking that there is no recovery for this, and the only real course of action is to remove the tree?

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  2. noisette47

    noisette47 Total Gardener

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    Ooo - nasty, FC. It might be worth Googling 'Cossus cossus'. That's a huge moth that lays it's eggs at the base of trees, especially plums and cherries. The larvae crawl up the trunk and bore into it, then proceed to eat it from the inside for 4-5 years, after which they pupate and start the cycle all over again. I don't know if they're present in the UK but it's worth checking any suspicious hole of 1/2" diameter with traces of sawdust underneath. It looks to be way too late for this tree. Best to take it down before it does cause some damage.
     
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    • pete

      pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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      Looks to me like bad pruning long ago has let rot in.
      You can see how the bark is curling in, in an attempt to heal the gaping wound.
      I dont think you can do much about it, as you say FC.

      I get the feeling it might have a few years left in it, but it will always have the potential for crashing down at some point.
       
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      • Mowerman

        Mowerman Gardener

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        IMO the tree has (regrettably) had its hey day. The heartwood aappears to be pretty much non-existent in the pics. The tree may still survive a few more years but is on borrowed time and could be a liability if it falls, as it appears the weakest point is near the ground, so pretty much the whole tree will come crashing down.

        Only last weekend it was windy and a large, heavily-blossomed Damson tree nearby had fallen over right across the pavement, crushing a tall privet hedge. The tree looked in great health apart from what appeared to be a couple of Artists fungus near the base of the tree. Looking inside the broken stump, it was rotten but still complete internally. Yours looks in a far worse state :frown:
         
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        • Fat Controller

          Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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          Thanks @noisette47 - that moth is in the UK, predominantly the south, which is where we are.
           
        • Fat Controller

          Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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          I must admit that I was surprised it hadn't come down in the recent storms, as the bulk of the trunk is just void. I did also wonder about poor pruning, as it looks as though a branch has been hacked off just to the right of the hole at some point. Sad, because it is a rather lovely tree otherwise.

          The damage is around chest height, so it is the whole tree that is knackered.

          I take it that it is safe just to whip it down? No permits needed or anything?
           
        • noisette47

          noisette47 Total Gardener

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          Eeeek! Bad news. Like I said, a heads-up for anyone reading the thread that has fruit or ornamental trees. The only cure is to stuff a stiff wire up into the channel (s) caused by the larvae and squish the blighters. There are pheromone traps available but they don't seem to be very effective.
          Your friend's cherry tree wouldn't have a preservation order on it, so no problem taking it down.
           
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