Root rot and high wind tonight.

[CanadianStan]

Evo, is there a danger this stuff can spread to my other firs? I have one about 30 feet away and another about 50 feet distance, both smaller than this one that fell. Can I dig down around the roots and look for the rot? How did you know to condemn those 30 trees? What are the signs?

You live in the PNW and you haven't heard of LRR ? :O

 

[Serf Life]

The insurance company still has to pay to remove it, even if it is a very well documented fact that the tree was going to fall and crush the house in the near future.

Found this out after our last big storm. Client called HO insur with pics of a failing 4 lead ash over her house and touching the deck. Huge crack "breathing" with the wind, and they said exactly what you posted.

So much cheaper to take it down b4 it is on the house but they must have run the numbers. If the tree then hits the house and kills an occupant inside, is the insurance company negligent?

 

[Reach]

Found this out after our last big storm. Client called HO insur with pics of a failing 4 lead ash over her house and touching the deck. Huge crack "breathing" with the wind, and they said exactly what you posted.

So much cheaper to take it down b4 it is on the house but they must have run the numbers. If the tree then hits the house and kills an occupant inside, is the insurance company negligent?

I don’t understand how the figure that it’s cheaper to wait, except that perhaps they figure that most of the time the homeowner will take the tree down before it falls? To me it seems the homeowner would be negligent for failing to act, but the insurance company seems to negate that when the tell the homeowner to wait. However, since PA is a no-fault state, I suppose nobody is actually at fault?

 

[southsoundtree]

Your other trees are infected.

Doug fir,
Grand fir,
Drought-stressed western hemlock are the main hosts.


Do you have pictures of the crown?


Things to look for in susceptible hosts of LRR-
Chlorosis
Resinosis
High crown transparency
Simplifying branch structure
"puffs" of growth from dormant buds on the trunk, main branches
Failure or mortality of other hosts

 

[Burrapeg]

Your other trees are infected.

Doug fir,
Grand fir,
Drought-stressed western hemlock are the main hosts. . .

I just have the two smaller firs in that area, about 30 to 40 feet away. The rest are some really big cedars. When I first bought this place in the late 1980's, I could see where there had been other firs in there among the cedars but they had died. Seems like the cedars win out and maybe hog all the water? I do have some firs left on the other end of the property, quite a long ways from this one that fell. I will take a look at all of them today, from your suggestions of what to look for. I must say, I love trees and love climbing them now, but never knew much about them.

 

[evo]

I just have the two smaller firs in that area, about 30 to 40 feet away. The rest are some really big cedars. When I first bought this place in the late 1980's, I could see where there had been other firs in there among the cedars but they had died. Seems like the cedars win out and maybe hog all the water? I do have some firs left on the other end of the property, quite a long ways from this one that fell. I will take a look at all of them today, from your suggestions of what to look for. I must say, I love trees and love climbing them now, but never knew much about them.

Sean is very right. By the time the tree starts showing crown symptoms well I’ve 50% of the root system maybe gone.
While we suspect this COULD be laminated, it’s important to not make assumptions.
Cedar isn’t a host in this region. In other areas there is a different sub species of laminated which does infect cedar.
I’ve see. Thousands of LLR infected Doug fir, only a handful grand fir, and a spattering of hemlock.
Soils are also a important consideration when developing a LLR management plan. Soil can very greatly creating many different rooting patterns.
If you ever come across a callused over Douglas fir stump, this is due to one or more roots grafted underground to a living tree. This pathogen takes advantage of that.

Additionally there are current studies being done to see if climate change is also a factor in the aggressiveness of LLR. I can full heartily tell you from my observations it certainly is!

 

[Burrapeg]

. . . Additionally there are current studies being done to see if climate change is also a factor in the aggressiveness of LLR. I can full heartily tell you from my observations it certainly is!

I can believe that. Things have been a little weird the last four or five years with the weather, summer and winter temps, etc. I see a very small indicator of change in my hummingbirds. You would think such a tiny creature would be far more sensitive to minor changes which are too small for us to really notice. For all of the time I have lived on this place, I had five or six hummers arrive in late March just like clockwork. Year after year, for maybe 30 years. Never had them winter over; they always left before Fall. But starting about five years ago, suddenly I had at least 25 to 30! Maybe more because it is impossible to count them when there are that many. And they started coming weeks early, even in late January while it was still cold and rainy. And it has continued since then. Several started staying all winter, whch never happened before in my yard for decades. About February now I hang out two of the large size feeders. When the whole gang arrives by late March and start hitting these, they will empty these two big feeders every single day. That is a lot of sugar! I have a youTube of the little rascals swarming. The video shows just one of the two feeders and there are over a dozen hitting it, as well as the air is full of them out of camera range and there is an comparable number hitting the other feeder. Clearly something is driving them up here in far greater numbers. Here is the video:

 

[evo]

I can believe that. Things have been a little weird the last four or five years with the weather, summer and winter temps, etc. I see a very small indicator of change in my hummingbirds. You would think such a tiny creature would be far more sensitive to minor changes which are too small for us to really notice. For all of the time I have lived on this place, I had five or six hummers arrive in late March just like clockwork. Year after year, for maybe 30 years. Never had them winter over; they always left before Fall. But starting about five years ago, suddenly I had at least 25 to 30! Maybe more because it is impossible to count them when there are that many. And they started coming weeks early, even in late January while it was still cold and rainy. And it has continued since then. Several started staying all winter, whch never happened before in my yard for decades. About February now I hang out two of the large size feeders. When the whole gang arrives by late March and start hitting these, they will empty these two big feeders every single day. That is a lot of sugar! I have a youTube of the little rascals swarming. The video shows just one of the two feeders and there are over a dozen hitting it, as well as the air is full of them out of camera range and there is an comparable number hitting the other feeder. Clearly something is driving them up here in far greater numbers. Here is the video:

I know, right?! We now have breeding colonies of white pelicans here on the island as well as in Padila bay closer to you! I have a few things going on this afternoon, feel free to call or text, I'm guessing I'll be available around 5 or 6 for a phone date.