Pruning/cabling now vs pine pitch canker risk?

[peteyt]

ahoy Buzz,

went and looked at a client's tree today. They call it a coastal pine, but I think it may be a japanese black pine. I haven't ever ID'ed it.

Anyhow, multi-stemmed, stems too long w/o good lower branches to ever cut back to due to many pruning decisions taken long before my time. Over the past month, one of the stems has drooped down a few feet. All of the stems come together to join at the ground. it isn't a decay failure, seems more like the base of the stem rotated and there must be some cracking in there somewhere. I can't see any signs of cracking on the outside. This has been happening over a period of a month apparently. Look at the photo - you can get a sense of how much it has moved by looking at the space in the canopy.

I want to take weight out of the stem so it doesn't drop any lower, but am not sure how to balance out the need for end weight reduction with the reality that we are strongly advised to avoid pruning pines in the summer in California because of the pine pitch canker risk. At what point is it worth the risk? I doubt that it will pop back up again, but I feel like I should take some weight out now to avoid further droop/failure.

Bigger reality, though, is that now the stem is too low and is taking up a parking spot in front of the house. If it were a shrub, I would be happy to yank the stem back up and tie it off to another part of the shrub. But is this feasible or advisable in a larger tree like this? The cables would have to actually support the weight of the tree more or less for the remainder of its days. Seems scrappy to me, but of course they would really like to save the tree. I'm looking for opinions, as this is definitely out of my league. If it came to lifting/cabling the stem, I'll probably recommend someone else with more experience than I.

thanks for any thoughts!

 

[guymayor]

So the one on the right is drooping...I'd immediately clip some downrights to lessen droop, then plan 2 cables to 2 stems opposite. looks pretty routine, from the 1 pic...looks liek a possible A-frame propping option too.

Bigger job of course is to assess base, and cause of stem movement.

 

[peteyt]

yep my sense is that the weight needs to come off despite pine pitch canker risk. possible damage to part of the tree versus loss of the stem leading to loss of the tree. Pine pitch canker I have seen hasn't been too bad.

that one stem comes out of the base horizontally and then makes a slow 70 degree turn out and up right where a 5 inch lower branch was removed long ago. it would be hollow elbow if the wood was decayed. I can't see any signs of fracturing on the outside of the stem - maybe underneath in the soil.

Thanks, Guy. routine cabling, I understand, but I have yet to install cables on my own. I have the theory, not the practice. You can't see it in the photo, but an A-frame would take up the parking space below.

i very much appreciate the thoughts
pete

 

[peteyt]

I found the decay - cambial dieback from a 5 inch branch removed near the base of the stem long ago. hollow elbow indeed. the drooping stem is right above a small ditch and culvert, doesn't have any major roots going on because of the culvert.

I took some weight out and rigged a temporary rope to the two other large stems to keep it from dropping further for now.