This is a portion of an
article written in February ‘05 for the Hull Massachusetts Garden Club by Julie
McIntosh Shapiro. It is printed here
with the author’s permission. It is a
long article, so it will be presented in several segments.
While you’re looking out your
windows, now might be a great time to examine the trees on your property and
those close by, to see if any have suffered damage from the latest winter
storm. Mario Vaden, an Oregon state arborist checks in with us with his list of
things to look for in a dangerous or hazardous tree:
4. HOLLOW POCKETS, CAVITIES
AND DECAY.
Inspect trees for peeling
bark, hollow cavities and conks or mushroom resembling growth on the bark.
Mushrooms (or fungus) may be a sign of decay, especially if the origin of the
growth is from within the wood as opposed to the extremity of the bark alone.
Each of these conditions indicates some kind of weakness. Sometimes the tree
needs to be removed, many times it can be preserved.
5. HISTORY OF THE TREE ZONE.
Has the tree been topped?
Have you or your neighbors applied herbicides recently (hot weather
especially)? Has the grade of the soil been changed? Have roots been damaged or
cut, possibly from trenching or concrete work? Have new plants or a lawn been
installed in the recent past? Have other trees been removed, altering the
intensity of available sunlight? Have any treatments been done in the area -
non-tree-related - such as treating for moss on a roof or driveway?
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