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Large Weeping Willow, Fungus Halfway Up Trunk
dorisf0555
Posts: 6
in Plants
Hello everyone!
We had our lovely local tree surgeon out to a huge old weeping willow tree as I noticed woodlice on an area where a large branch had been cut, halfway up. We drilled holes as suggested to gauge the extent rot, and decided to deal with it before winter so it doesn't end up on our neighbour's garage.
It had started to grow fungus out of the area, which is about 8ft up. I'm wondering if we cut the tree to below the rotten area, might it still survive and grow back to a reasonable level? Or might it just end up infected quite quickly?
We're not cutting it down all at once, I'm just hoping we can salvage it somehow as I've grown fond of it (husband hates it 😄)
All advice is welcomed!
Many thanks
Lois
We had our lovely local tree surgeon out to a huge old weeping willow tree as I noticed woodlice on an area where a large branch had been cut, halfway up. We drilled holes as suggested to gauge the extent rot, and decided to deal with it before winter so it doesn't end up on our neighbour's garage.
It had started to grow fungus out of the area, which is about 8ft up. I'm wondering if we cut the tree to below the rotten area, might it still survive and grow back to a reasonable level? Or might it just end up infected quite quickly?
We're not cutting it down all at once, I'm just hoping we can salvage it somehow as I've grown fond of it (husband hates it 😄)
All advice is welcomed!
Many thanks
Lois
0
Posts
Any chance of a picture or two to show us your problem so that ideas can be put forward please?
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
He's up the tree at the mo as he's cutting it in sections, but as soon as he's done the section he's on I'll post some up (I can't watch, I'm just listening for any loud noises). 🙂
2. The stump of a willow will probably reshoot like mad.
Sorry to poor, ignored OH.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
One of our neighbours appreciates the privacy from it, but it was her lhaso apsos it would have fallen on if we hadn't cut it back. I know she's sulking though as we saw her close her curtains a bit angrily. The other neighbour hates trees and our other neighbours lhaso apsos, and birds.
Such a dilemma. Maybe we'll just keep it manageable when it does grow again, I don't mind maintaining it myself at around 8/9 ft, just not from the top of a massive ladder.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
To cheer you up, I thought I would include this pic of pollarded willows. Often half the plant is dead and rotting away; this serves to feed the parts that keep growing.
I hope your OH came back alive. I knew someone who never came back from cutting down a yew tree. My usual tree surgeon says the major reason for amateurs' accidents is too short a rope.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Yes he was fine thanks, my nerves were absolutely shot by the end of the day watching him out of the corner of my eye though. I think it'll take him AND me a month to recover from it, but Joan's lhaso apsos are safe from being squashed now at least.
We're left with huge parts of the trunk just sat there now, which seems unattractive to those with wood burners so google tells me, so asking the neighbours if they want them seems pointless. I'm thinking of making them a feature somehow, maybe drilling some holes for insects etc. I'm not sure yet what to do with them really, but my lovely geraniums which are underneath the bits of tree won't appreciate being sat on I'm sure.
Thanks again for the replies, I'm quite looking forward to watching what happens next with the tree, now! 😊
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.