Failing beech

[BeerGeek]

So I've got this potential custy with a beech that now presents me with a dilemma. I saw the tree just about 2 months ago, and saw a 4 stemmed tree (3 major, one minor), with the minor and 2 of the majors dead, one broken off, and the lowest 2 limbs on the remaining stem (~80 ft.) showing some decay, but the rest of the stem looking quite well (full of leaves, no visible issues I could see). The original job was to just remove the dead stuff, and leave the remaining stem for another day. The job kept getting pushed off, and now the custy wants the whole tree down. My question (as beech are not normally my forte around here): Can I trust climbing this tree that seems to have died off so quickly and has dropped a few whole limbs from that previously promising stem? I have a tight landing zone (pool house in front, about 8 ft back to the fence, and not much more on either side), so I need to get high to properly tie off/rig (no other trees close by to use). Pics of the pig for reference. Neither pic show the downward slope on the open side into the garden bed and plastic pool line/drainage access ports I have to navigate the Dingo around to get the limbs/wood out. Thanx in advance.

Update: the first pic does show one of those plastic ports (the little triangle shaped garbage down in front, port is right underneath). If I was to step on it, it would break/send my leg own the rabbit hole.

 

[SeanKroll]

A dedicated loader plate for a hitch is $200 or less. Can you move a light towable rental lift to the tree?

 

[BeerGeek]

Good idea Sean, but no place to put it. Aside from the pool, the whole backyard is small hills and valleys. Wouldn't be able to stabilize it anywhere close.

 

[SeanKroll]

Dig down ( without loosening too deeply)/ build up with plywood or timber outrigger pads. 4 hydraulic outriggers.

I rented a 45' recently for 2 crusty trees. A pole chainsaw can add reach.

 

[flushcut]

Any fruiting bodies present? Why did the one lead fail?

 

[cory]

First off, the tree has changed which means the nature of the job has changed. If you have to charge more money, and you probably do, to keep it safe, do it. You mustn't risk yourself because the custy dragged their feet. Bucket, crane, man lift, what ever it take not to unduly risk yourself.

This thread is interesting to me because today I worked on one of the biggest trees I've ever dealt with, a dying copper beech 5'dbh and also still 4'wide 50' up. I had to take off some large dead limbs because customer was worried they'd fall on the lawn guys and she's trying to move before tree fully dies. I priced it at 10k for the tree, 2k for the stump, charged 1k today to take off a 2 large dead limbs plus some other smaller ones.

Seeing 4' wide trunk wood 50' up was like looking at a wall, had me thinking 10K was too low even though the access is good for bucket and 55t crane. But the main issue is the tree seems to be a ticking bomb because all the live growth is on one side and the base is extremely rotted on the opposite side which is where a functioning root system is needed to keep it standing.

The degree of rot in these large limbs was extensive and one actually fell off a couple days before we got there. Point I'm trying to make is rotting beech looks like it can be tricky.

 

[BeerGeek]

Sean: Good ideas, but would require $ outlays (my latest vehicle mishap/other found repairs tie up my funding for a while) and still be tough to manage due to the downward slope away from the pool house (just outside the first pic).

Rajan: No idea on why; did not notice any fruiting bodies. Weirdest die off I've ever seen.

To recap and better phrase my main question, is beech usually strong enough within the first 6 mos. of dying to trust from a climbing perspective?

 

[BeerGeek]

Cory, thanx for the info on that one. Mine isn't a copper beech, but I assume all cultivars act the same (someone please flag me if I'm wrong about that assumption).

 

[cory]

Stig knows a lot about rotten beech, hopefully he'll chime in

 

[cory]

To recap and better phrase my main question, is beech usually strong enough within the first 6 mos. of dying to trust from a climbing perspective?

I would say yes. 6 months isn't very long imo.

 

[BeerGeek]

And in looking closer at the base pic of this tree, I can see the missing bark/potential water/other damage at the base that probably contributed to killing it.

 

[flushcut]

Sean: Good ideas, but would require $ outlays (my latest vehicle mishap/other found repairs tie up my funding for a while) and still be tough to manage due to the downward slope away from the pool house (just outside the first pic).

Rajan: No idea on why; did not notice any fruiting bodies. Weirdest die off I've ever seen.

To recap and better phrase my main question, is beech usually strong enough within the first 6 mos. of dying to trust from a climbing perspective?

Jesus my bad I just saw the shroom at the base.
Any way you can light'er on fire and hope for the best. LOL

 

[BeerGeek]

Rajan, that yellow thing isn't a shroom, it's one of a pair of thigh high waterproof boots, probably for pool maintenance.

 

[flushcut]

I'm gonna just stop commenting, batting a 1000 over here.

 

[Mick!]

I’ve never had any issues with dying beech, not a red flag tree for me. But I’m only looking at photos.

Maybe throw some spikes on and run up it, get a better feel for it once you’re in it.

 

[stig]

I'm gonna just stop commenting, batting a 1000 over here.

I was just thinking: " Is the friggin' idiot blind or what, there is a huge polyporus squamosis at the base!!!!!!!!!!!!!"









Then I realized it was a boot.....................Good grief!

I would have no qualms about doing that one, but I'd do it in very small pieces.

 

[flushcut]

I was just thinking: " Is the friggin' idiot blind or what, there is a huge polyporus squamosis at the base!!!!!!!!!!!!!"









Then I realized it was a boot.....................Good grief!

I would have no qualms about doing that one, but I'd do it in very small pieces.

Right! Who keeps a yellow boot at the base of a tree? So deceiving.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

Maybe she found a leak in the drainage tube of the pool. Killer chimicals don't help much to sustain life.

 

[treebilly]

I did a dead beech a few months ago. Looked at it for my side thing 1.5 years ago and it was dying. I didn’t have time or desire to mess with it. I set a line and ascended. Said F this. We dismantled most of it with a throw line setting 1/2” stablebraid. Three of us broke out several sections over 12” diameter. I made several cuts on Spurs after that to get to a fellable spar. I should’ve taken samples to send off to OSU just for my knowledge of what the hell happened to it. No fungus was apparent. Still had a few dead leaves but didn’t look out of the ordinary. By that I mean they were a constant brown. There is a disease affecting beech in my area that even dead leaves show a variation of color in the separate leaf segments.

 

[cory]

There is a disease affecting beech in my area that even dead leaves show a variation of color in the separate leaf segments.

Beech leaf disease.

Another apparently severe threat to hardwood trees- beech leaf disease

I was walking the dogs in the local woods open space as I often do, and a couple weeks ago noticed a bunch of beech trees looking stressed with leaf problems, wasn't sure what to make of it. Came back 2 weeks later and see the problems had definetly worsened. Where there are large patches of...

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