Mystery of the sycamore

[rangersarah2]

As we are trying to get rid of sycamore we ring-barked some mature trees about three years ago, but the trees have continued to thrive. I've checked them really carefully and can't see any way that this can be happening. Any ideas?

[loripo]

There was a similar thread a couple of years ago, but I think that was deer damage...
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/fo...ost209191.html
might give a clue.

[rangersarah2]

Flippin' 'eck Lori, how do you remember stuff like that?

I do know that the cambium layer is completely gone with the ring-barking, so suppose it must be root grafting. Can't really get my head around how the crown keeps flourishing though.

Any explanation or other ideas welcomed.

[loripo]

I do a lot of wandering thru old threads Having a good memory for useless facts helps I usually remember that I've seen something even if I don't remember the details (Says she hurrying to add apostrophes)

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by rangersarah2

Flippin' 'eck Lori, how do you remember stuff like that?

I do know that the cambium layer is completely gone with the ring-barking, so suppose it must be root grafting. Can't really get my head around how the crown keeps flourishing though.

Any explanation or other ideas welcomed.

i think some trees have a sort of secondary cambium layer further into the trunk - also the primary cambium can heal itself.

my advice just fell the blighters and treat the stumps with roundup and wettable b - the deadwood habitat on the floor will be nearly as valuable as the standing deadwood - assuming of course that you dont choose to extract the timber for firewood or crafts

[rangersarah2]

Thanks Eeyore. My head is now full of a hundred other questions, but I will do some research before I ask them all, otherwise you will start charging by the hour.

[eeyore]

thats okay ask away - thats whats wabs here for - but i'm going to bed as ive wall to wall meetings tommorow (what fun) so you wont get any answers fromme tonight.

[The Woodman]

Depends how the ringbarking was done in my experience. Sometimes small portions of cambium remain viable if done with a chainsaw on a larger specimens. The very act of repositioning feet during the process with the saw can make the operator miss the cut into the wood.

Sycs are tenacious and will continue to grow with the slimmest of cambium, just see how this works with spring/summerGrey Squirrel bark stripping.

There's nothing as satisfying as laying into a Syc with a lightweight axe and brushing neat Glyphosate into the cuts.

[richnfamous]

Sycamore makes good firewood, but even better is to use it for chopping boards, bowls and such, as it can be made very smooth and sheds the smell and taste of the food very well.

[tom00_uk]

came across some oak trees that had managed the same feet the other week, a foot section all the way round clearly removed and yet they were still in full leaf and happy some years later