Sick elm

Tazmaniandevil · 27 May 2014

We have a mature (approx 40 year old) elm in the garden, which shows no sign of dutch elm disease. The local tree officer thinks it may be some hybrid planted for testing purposes, but there are no records of it on their systems. It appears to have developed heart rot, which has affected about a third of the main trunk. I am waiting on someone visiting from the local clowncil to assess it, but in the meantime was wondering whether anyone on here knows enough to advise whether or not it might be able to be saved, or whether heart rot is the death knell.
Other than the rot in the centre, the tree is healthy enough looking and grows an impressive canopy each year.

Thanks.

Spindle · 27 May 2014

Hi

Turning your question on it's head - If it has to come down, do it sooner rather than later so as you can harvest the maximum material.

Regards Mick

Phil Pascoe · 27 May 2014

The oldest know poem in English apparently is "Elum hateth man - and waiteth". They nearly always rot from the centre and become notoriously unstable and dangerous, so be careful if it's near your house. It could possibly be a wych elm or some other strain which is Dutch elm resistant, and may possibly have suckered.

JimB · 28 May 2014

phil.p":m0ui5acu said:
The oldest know poem in English apparently is "Elum hateth man - and waiteth". They nearly always rot from the centre and become notoriously unstable and dangerous, so be careful if it's near your house. It could possibly be a wych elm or some other strain which is Dutch elm resistant, and may possibly have suckered.

Kipling in one of his short stories compares old people dying like, "ellum branches falling in still weather". Elsewhere in the same story he calls it, "coffin wood" tempting fate to fell it.
On the practical side, I'd cut it down before it rots too much but I imagine it will leave a huge gap.