Trees

Elm tree casts off a limb or two.

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January

Back in January I moaned about a split elm tree in front of our place.  A branch had fallen in December and another in January, but the Bendigo Parks and Trees bloke assured me it would be right until it had the dead wood removed – it is in the queue.

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Double occupancy?

I’ve watched the split get a little bigger since then, and only last night when I drove under, I remarked to Mr R that I was sure the split was getting longer. The only reason I haven’t moaned to the shire about it, is because the birds are nesting in it.

This afternoon, the limb in question finally gave way and fell, taking the limb under it, too. We heard the thump, but it is quite windy and one of our trees is banging on the house.  You would think something that big would have been louder! DSCF0181It looks like termite mud there, where it parted: but then it could just be rot where the water gets in.

It turns out the power line that came down is only a feeder line to the street light, so isn’t live until it turns on by remote control.

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The policeman is still sitting in his car out there, waiting for Powercor to turn up to take care of it. The local shire tree crew (one man)  and the State Emergency Service volunteers have been and cleared the road. It started raining about that time and I saw them casting anxious looks up the tree in case anything else came down.

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Now I can stop feeling bad because I have never taken the time to speak to the bus-driver about pulling the school bus up right there. After all, I had been told it had been ‘looked at’.  I’m thankful no-one was injured.

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17 thoughts on “Elm tree casts off a limb or two.”

  1. Lucky that no one was hurt Christine. We’re without electricity tonight. The winds have been very strong, obviously a tree has fallen here too. We went for our walk and came home soaked, 3.30, and power off. Lucky I have an iPad! your tree looks a big one, you’ll be hoping it is now safe!

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    • Hi Barbara, I like it when the power goes off, it forces you do appreciate other things you can do without it. As long as it doesn’t go off for too long. It’s amazing how many things will go through my mind before I actually do get to an activity not needing power.

      Unfortunately, the tree has to go. It has termites in it, and many entry points from where limbs have torn off in the past and left untreated and jagged. The Parks fellow (not the one I spoke to in January) was very apologetic about it having to be cut down – no doubt expecting us to whinge about it. It would be foolhardy to do so, if it falls it will smash in the front of our house which is only a metre back from the fence line. The tree suckers quite well, so it might regrow around the stump.

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  2. Wow, lots of trouble in there! I hope your tree is nice and strong now, the branches came down the right time, now the tree can get ready for the spring, nature knows what to do. I’m glad no one was under it!

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    • As I just said to Barbara, it’s got to go. I would have felt so bad if someone had been hurt because I would’ve felt I should have made more noise about it. Another limb is looking a bit like it might be next to come down soon.

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  4. Sue says:

    WOW – Lucky no-one was passing when it happened. Have a close look at the tree when you get the chance. If it is termites there will be small holes and shredded looking timber. If it is, the council MUST take it out & you will need to get your place checked. They will travel long distances. Lets just hope it was rotten. “Services/Councils” are a pain to get work done. We’ve been waiting for Telstra to come & change the pit outside our place for about 4 months now. It’s Asbestos and the tree next door cracked it and the cement lid was falling in, after a lot of hassling they came out and had a look, then someone else came and then it was promptly forgotten. When Alec chased them up they couldn’t find the paper work then they finally put a barricade across it and have it on the list and it should be repaired by December. (Not that hard to do, its only small – but we’re not allowed to dispose of it if we wanted to) Totally ridiculous. Hope the police car has gone home now.

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    • Termites, Sue, for sure. It’s coming down, told this morning by the Parks bloke from Bendigo ( a different one to the one I spoke to). The termites have been through our place already – more likely they went into the tree from here! Asbestos? they aren’t allowed to leave that exposed, surely? It should be covered over to keep it safe in the meantime?

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      • Sue says:

        They said it was safe, bunch of idiots. Its in a hole in the ground and they just put a small frame thing around it. We don’t really need the wiring as I got rid of our landline ages ago, was costing me money for nothing, seeing as I am at mums more times that at home. But if we have it taken away, if for any unforeseeable reason in the future we wanted it back, it would cost a fortune. When was the last time you had your house checked for termites. People next door have had treatment at least 3 times in the last 10 years, they just keep returning. The apple tree in their front yard was riddled. We’re lucky we are double brick. Builder friend said to look for little tunnels going up the side of the brickwork past the concrete slab, then they go up to the roof rafters, so far all seems ok.

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    • I’m thinking they might not actually be nesting yet, but still making the nests. I’m hoping so. A pair of cockies were screeching overhead and I only saw one rainbow lorikeet. Fingers crossed.

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    • I would have felt so bad. But I felt like I might have been over-reacting if I told the two neighbours not to let their kids stand under it. You would think the busdriver would have more sense – especially when they would have seen limbs lying on the ground from other times and must have heard of other elms splitting in the town.

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