Norway Spruce Dieback

[chris_girard]

I have an enormous 100-year-old Norway spruce (100’ tall, 32”dbh) to prune the deadwood out of. The tree is in excellent shape except for the top.

The top 10’ has died back and looks like it is unsafe. The customer wanted me to remove the top dead portion to stop the dieback, but to me it’s not a good idea. This would be different than topping a live crown, but I still don’t think cutting out the dead top is the answer.

I’m not sure what is causing the tree to die back other than old age. There are no visible signs of pests or diseases in any part of the tree. I could do a foliar and soil analysis, but nothing has changed on the site in 100 years.

Do any of you guys have experience working with old Norway spruces and dealing with problems like this? Any ideas?

 

[speelyei]

I work with Sitka spruce a lot, and I see a lot of older trees with die back in the top, the rest of the tree will look very vigorous and healthy. The actual age can be very difficult to determine based on size alone, but it seems to me that the trees I have seen exhibiting this are always tall, well established trees that stick well above the adjacent trees. I have sort of chalked it up to the tree reaching a climax point and now starting to lose that strong apical dominance and now moving to broaden out it's crown.
I can't think of a single old (+-200 yrs) sitka spruce that I've been in that had an intact top, they are almost always 24" in diameter and hollow with big lateral limbs that have turned upright and now host a lot of "tops". A lot of trees in the 100+ yr range seem to have a strong upright top that is dead for the last 25'-30'.
that's just homespun info though, i have no stats to back it up

 

[chris_girard]

Thanks for the info Speelyei.

 

[Eric_E]

Lightning?

I probably cut the dead out.

 

[tomthetreeman]

I agree with both the possibility of lightning damage or the veteran tree theories. I would cut the dead out under almost all circumstances.

-Tom

 

[chris_girard]

[ QUOTE ]
I would cut the dead out under almost all circumstances.

-Tom

[/ QUOTE ]

Tom, by cutting the dead top out, do you think that this would slow the progression of dieback, or just help the tree if its stressed? I don't think the tree will seal over any wound of this size being the age that it is. I would be worried about creating more of a problem by cutting the dead top out.

There is no evidence of lightning damage, but the tree is 100 years old. It was planted when the farmhouse was built at the turn of last century.

 

[southsoundtree]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I would cut the dead out under almost all circumstances.

-Tom

[/ QUOTE ]

Tom, by cutting the dead top out, do you think that this would slow the progression of dieback, or just help the tree if its stressed? I don't think the tree will seal over any wound of this size being the age that it is. I would be worried about creating more of a problem by cutting the dead top out.

There is no evidence of lightning damage, but the tree is 100 years old. It was planted when the farmhouse was built at the turn of last century.

[/ QUOTE ]

What problem would be caused by cutting the dead top out if no live trunk tissue is damaged in the process?

Is their a very clear visual delineation between live/ growing and dead in this particular tree. Isn't this like a dead branch stub (to some degree), as removing only dead tissue should have very little, if any, effect on the living tissue, yet allows the higher likelihood of wound wood closing/ growing-over the dead, pruned top? Is the idea that maintaining the dead wood top will keep out moisture?

Thanks for any input.

 

[treesandsurf]

I'm not too convinced removing deadwood from trees is all that beneficial in terms of tree health. However, it is often beneficial from both a safety and aesthetics standpoint.

In this case, if the dead top poses a risk to people or structures, I wouldn't think twice about removing back to live tissue.

This thread is lightly crossing into a great discussion in the deadwood thread, which is in the general discussions section of the buzz; great reading!

Also, check out link:

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/spruce.html

jp

 

[tomthetreeman]

I think that cutting out the dead wood will give the tree a chance to compartmentalize (even if it will never completely close), and remove possible pathogens that led to the dieback in the first place. ...We are inching ever closer to that 'other' thread LOL!

-Tom