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american beech trees dying

Started by dynomaxdave, March 02, 2009, 11:12:13 PM

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dynomaxdave

I have 30 acres of property in middle georgia.I have noticed recently that a few large american beech trees are dying or already dead.Is this from old age or what.Any help will be appreciated.My email is barrentine@bellsouth.net.
                                                                               Thanks,
                                                                                           David

WDH

dynodave,

Where in middle GA are you?  We have not had a big problem with disease in beech around here to my knowledge.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

dynomaxdave

My property is halfway between Cochran & Hawkinsville just inside Pulaski county

Dodgy Loner

Sounds like you don't live too far from WDH.  Hard to diagnose a problem based on the information you've given.  Trees can die from a lot of different things.
"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." -John Ruskin

Any idiot can write a woodworking blog. Here's mine.

SwampDonkey

Up here they are mostly dying from beech scale. I did find one stand of beech in an island of hardwood that was old and smooth, 20-26 inches if I remember. It was surrounded by 300 acres or so of potato field. Big hardwood in forest condition are old up here.

Later it got rolled into field after a management plan was done.  That's when they were virtually free. Now that there is a fee almost none done.  You can see what our plans are used for, their cruises for liquidation. That's another discussion. ::)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

woodtroll

Can you describe the trees. Any sign of bugs, how did the leaves look last growing season? Black mold on anything? Any other trees affected?

Dodgy Loner

I've seen some beech trees die of hypoxylon canker, but it's more common on oak trees.  It's characterized by large areas of gray fungi where the bark has slaked off.
"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." -John Ruskin

Any idiot can write a woodworking blog. Here's mine.

dynomaxdave

I didn't pay that much attention to the bark ,the trees are just breaking down limbs.These trees are in the middle of a bunch of white oak,water oak ect.But the oaks look to be doing fine.Do I need to cut these beech trees and burn them to keep whatever it is from spreading?Thanks for the replies.
                                                  David

SwampDonkey

Dave, are the tree branches blistered with lesions. White powder on the trunks?
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

WDH

Dave,

I am 11 miles North of Hawkinsville off of Hwy 341.  If you would like, I can come over and take a look at them with you.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Ron Scott

The beech bark disease is killing American beech here.
~Ron

SwampDonkey

With beech bark disease (scale inoculates the tree) the crown thins out , often the tree hangs on for years, the tree also puts out a lot of seed in what remaining crown it has, the foliage is usually pale green. We get a pile of beech regen that thrives in shade, but as the canopy opens up that beech really take hold. Refer to that photo in Quebecnewf's thread on birch and see how darn thick that stuff grows in shade when the beech trees are taken out of the stand leaving sugar maple to shade the floor with 60-80 % crown closure.  :-X
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

chevytaHOE5674

After the tree has been infected with beech bark disease long enough, the trees get brittle and limbs start snapping out of them, then usually the tops snap out and the tree dies.

Poor beech trees, they are/were so nice looking.

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