| Re: Help with Sick Horse Chestnut Tree
Si,
I am an arboriculturist working in the private sector. I'm also a public sector tree officer.
What you probably have is Bleeding Canker - Pseudomonas syringae pv aesculi. It's ubiquitous among horse chestnuts right now. Just because your tree has this does not mean it needs felling. Do not take this advice from a tree surgeon unless they have professional indemnity insurance and are willing to put it in a report.
Horse Chestnuts are recovering from this without intervention from man. Some, admittedly are dying.
The tree is protected. Do you know when the TPO was made? If it was after 1999 then any damage the tree may cause is redeemable through compensation from the LA. Your LA tree officer who looked at the tree is obviously aware of the tree's condition and is happy that it is in a safe condition.
Your next course of action should be to hire the services of an arboriculturist (not arborist - they are tree surgeons). An arboriculturist is a consultant, trained in identifying weaknesses in trees and advising on remedial works and legal issues regarding trees.
Do not over react. The tree will not fall on your house. It's as likely to do that as a plane is to fall out of the sky onto your roof.
All the best
Besnard  |