News On The Block

As spring is now with us, soon the trees will all be in leaf. When a tree is in full leaf it can disguise quite large sections that have died in the previous year, known as "deadwood".

Deadwood must be taken seriously; sections of deadwood weighing several hundred kilograms can fall from a tree. So Spring is a good time to carry out a health check.

A section of branch, or even the whole tree, failing to come into leaf can also be the sign of a bigger problem such as fungal infections or obscured breaks "snaps" in branches. These are problems literally hanging in the tree, liable to fall at any time and can be a danger to pedestrians.

You can't rely on a passing Tree Surgeon to be kind enough to alert you to potential problems. To avoid insurance claims from passers by, you need to be proactive and inspect the trees. For a small fee, you can have your trees inspected and get advice about their management.

What other signs should alert property managers to potential problems? One major sign is fungal fruiting bodies.
Bracket fungi growing out of the trunk or toadstools growing around the base or the roots may be signs of rot within. Not all fungi are harmful but it takes an expert to know. Their job in nature is to consume dead cellulose and they may be a sign that the tree is reaching the end of its life.

Trees can survive and grow for many years despite suffering fungal infections to the heartwood. However, a view must be taken about how safe they will be next to housing, roads and footpaths.

Some of the systems within the tree are more clever than many people give credit for. When a branch dies on a tree through infection or bark damage, the tree deliberately stops keeping the limb alive. This process is called ‘compartmentalisation'. It creates a barrier within the structure of the tree between the deadwood and the living wood. However, whilst this may work for the tree, it doesn't work for the property manager.

The risk of a falling branch must be addressed. Sometimes trees outgrow their space and, start to nterfere with drainage and masonry. The roots usually extend as far as the branches. The roots can cause the ground to move which causes cracking in walls or leaks in pipes. Where serious damage has occurred, removal and replanting with a slower growing or smaller species can be necessary. Eucalyptus, for instance, are notoriously rapidly growing trees that often generate problems.