Fall Fungi

As the cool nights and mornings of fall slowly begin creeping in, and we once again are blessed by regular precipitation, start looking at the base if your trees. 

Last week Inonotus dryadeus conks began appearing along the base of willow oaks here in Charlotte.  These conks are the tell tail sign of root decay.  Inonotus causes a white rot which breaks down lignin, a structural component of wood, in the tree.

Many people believe that the amount and placement of decay conks is representative of the amount of decay found in a tree.  While that is usually false, it does hold true with Inonotus.  This is definitely something that needs to be considered when assessing trees with these conks present.

Roots and Backhoes

We were called out because the developer wanted to save this tree... after,of course, they already prepped the area for the new retaining wall.

The minimum safe distance for trenching on one side of this 40 inch plus Southern red oak according to industry standards should be around 12ft.  This excavation is about 7ft away from the trunk.

Tree health is no longer a concern, instead this tree has been made a potential hazard.  This picture is a good view of the amount of root mass under the soil.