Wednesday 5 November 2008

Tree Trouble

With all the leaves falling I was able to take a good look at the large poplar tree that’s on the edge of the chicken pen just behind my house.

This tree had partially come down during the small hurricane that went through here in 2006, in fact the day before I saw the house for the first time. It’s also the tree that had a hornets nest in it and G, after bravely spraying the nest for me had looked into the hole they were in and said that the tree was really rotten at the base as well.

What I saw this time rather worried me, a large piece of branch had broken off the top and wa
s hanging in the tree caught on another branch. It was raining and very overcast so I didn’t bother with a photograph.

Overnight we must have had some more wind because the branch came down. I must have some guardian angels because the branch fell in such a way that it missed everything it could have hit, like my roof or my animal trailer.


To give you an idea I managed to put this composite photo together.


The fallen branch is about 5 metres long (15 ft). I’ve been debating over the future of this tree and the two other large poplars planted alongside the house and this has sealed their fate. Today I had a tree surgeon round. There was much intake of breath so I think the quote is going to be rather high but then you wouldn’t find me climbing a rotten tree to take it down piece-meal. The other two can probably be felled in one piece but there is a possibility that one of them might take out some of the new fencing posts. Needless to say I won’t be racing to put the fencing up along that stretch.

As you can see the weather yesterday was lovely and the evening sky was a treat too.


6 comments:

aims said...

We had the arborist around to have a look at the beautiful old trees that surround the barn.

$3400.00

And that was for deadwooding them and taking out a tree that is slowly dying.

I cried and cried over that tree. It isn't dead yet so why kill it?

At first The Man agreed to the quote - but when they didn't show up for over 2 months - we cancelled the contract. You know - they then wanted to show up the very next day! We still said no.

I think nature will deadwood the trees on its own. As for that one tree? I'll let nature take its course as well.

That being said - none of the trees are in danger of hurting anything should they suddenly decide to come down and none of them are rotten. I would be doing the same thing you are doing with the rotten trees. I don't know about the others though.

I guess I'm a tree hugger and didn't know it. Now that the pine beetle is killing everything in its path over here - we are looking at our trees with different eyes.

dND said...

Hi aims, In general I would agree with you about the trees but all three are within 30 foot of the house and the other two, non-rotten ones - are around 130 ft tall and over 3 ft diameter. They are pretty much mature so they are only going to rot and added to that poplar is quite a brittle wood so any high wind is already bringing down branches.

Sadly I think it's a disaster waiting to happen so will just have to console myself with the fact that I will be planting more trees this winter.

Mickle in NZ said...

Will the poplar wood be any good for burning in your new, wonderful stove? Or is it too insubstantial to create useful heat?

Best wishes for your Llama shelters. Care and huggles, Michelle and Zebby-cat

dND said...

Hi Michelle, Poplar isn't a good fire wood sadly so I think it will just be a case of bonfiring it. It's apparently used for matchsticks because of it's poor burning properties.

Unknown said...

Such a shame, I know how you feel. But you wouldn't want this to happen would you?

http://hedgewizardsdiary.blogspot.com/2007/12/giant-killer.html

dND said...

Oh my goodness Hedgewizard, someone must have been watching over you and yours so that no-one got hurt.

It is so sad to lose trees, goodness knows the earth needs as many as it can get at the moment. There will be replacements planted, just shorter varieties and further from the house. My winter reading I think to decide what to plant.