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Hole In Crotch of Lacebark Elm
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Posted by bjb817 8b (My Page) on Sun, Feb 5, 12 at 16:45
| I have a 30 y.o. lacebark elm that basically splits into three main branches. I just dicovered recently that there's a pretty deep cavity between the main trunk and the first large side branch. I was thinking of cleaning it out as best I can and fill it with concrete so water can no longer stand in it.
Is this as good of method as any or is there a more preferable option? |
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RE: Hole In Crotch of Lacebark Elm
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| and what do you imagine static acidic concrete will do to a tree that is grown to blow in the wind ... if its a threat to you.. your house.. or the nieghbors.. its gotta go .. if its out on the acreage.. ignore it... whatever you could dream up to insert ... will eventually fail due to the movement of the tree.. allowing water and insects to get behind ... and cause more damage.. especially since it will NEVER dry out ... the hole as it is now.. does get wet.. but probably stays relatively dry weather permitting ... soo.. the bottom line.. this is a situation where darned if you do ... darned if you dont.. so you just have to look towards safety ... i always dreamed that plastic wood might work .. but then.. its not wood.. its plastic ... good luck ken ps: and dont paint it either... |
RE: Hole In Crotch of Lacebark Elm
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| Tree science is not that far along yet. No one knows for sure how to treat it or the horticultural equilavelant of neosporen. I just had a white ash with a similar problem removed. If you are feeling experimental dry it out and fill with silicone. Check every few months. The tree will attempt to encapsulate it. |
RE: Hole In Crotch of Lacebark Elm
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| Whatever you do, don't fill it with concrete or, even worse, silicone. Long, long ago, people did use concrete or bricks and mortar to fill in tree cavities. They assumed that it would provide additional strength and keep out critters. In some cases, the tree was able to survive for a long period of time despite the treatment, but the method almost never results in a positive contribution in the long run. Adding things that hold in moisture often encourages rot. |
RE: Hole In Crotch of Lacebark Elm
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