Trees - Rotting in center

Turbury

Anybody know where I could get some advise about some old trees that seem to be rotting in the center - see photo, they are very large ash trees that appear to be fine and healthy on the outside but seem to be suffering from some kind of rot in the center. There must be some kind of fungicide that can be applied to stop the rot ?

The_Conductor

Its known as "core rot" and relates to a rotting of the non-live inner trunk of the tree. Only the outer most layer of the Cambium is actually alive, the inner part of the trunk being composed of inert cellulose. Often if the tree gets damaged the inert matter may be exposed and its quite simple for pathogenic fungus to invade the tissue causing a rotting or hollowing out of the inner trunk.

You can roughly determine the health of the tree by examining its crown and its leaf cover- a normal crown with an even distribution of healthy leaf cover, will normally mean any damage is minimal. Obviously however if the inner trunk is rotting, the tensile strength of the tree is greatly weakened- and it can become dangerous and may have to be felled.

Often the fungal damage can be initiated as a result of damage to the upper stem- which is why arboriculturalists most often paint the stumps of any removed limbs with a fungicide (even the common Copper Sulphate mix is better than nothing). Certain species are however very prone to root rot, most commonly from the phytophtera spp. of fungus (more commonly know for causing potato blight).

There is no cure to core rot- short of removing the damaged tissue and applying fungicide to the remainder- which in a growing tree is seldom a viable option. Depending on the extent of the damage and the size of the bole, felling the tree to prevent incidental damage to property is most commonly the course of action to be prescribed.

A plant pathologist would be able to give you further information on the actual fungus causing the damage etc- but the course of action is pretty much laid out in stone......

Oldtree

Cannot upload pics as no broadband and its v slow today.

However, the health of the tree is a questionable issue. A oak tree takes 300 years to grow, 300 years to mature and 300 years to die. This simple story puts into perspective that even in decline, decline is a part of a trees life. Old ash trees are worth preserving if at all possible, if only for the habitat it provides, not many of them about making them a valuable thing n the landscape.

It is a standard that if a third of the stem (to the outside and around) exists (and is sound) the tree may live a long and happy life, but this assessment would need to be made by a qualified arborist if these is a need to abate a hazard, such as the tree being near a road. If it is at the end of your garden and it has little or no chance of falling on someone, leave it alone to die gracefully. Saying that pollarding, if necessary and advised by an arborist) may prolong the life of an old tree in decline.

These people will be able to help you, if not putting you in touch with someone who can.

http://www.goodwin-arborist.com/

With regard to fungicide and tree paints, it is now recognised that they are useless and may in fact make the situation worse. A tree works under negative pressure, sucking water up and out by the leaves, so when breached by damage, immediately sucks in air and the multitude of spores therein. So a tree can be infected immediatly. By applying paints, etc, creates a nice warm enclosed space for these spores to get on with growing.

The most effective method to protect trees is target pruning, where accurate cuts of a trained arborist will allow the trees own defences to operate at a maximum. The best hope for any tree wound, is to allow the tree to seal over the wound and encapsulate the damage over time.

Turbury

Thanks for the comments, the trees in question are not really posing a danger, they are quite large and I would hate to see them destroyed. Will try to get professional advice soon.