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Lilith · 06-29-2007, 05:48 AM

Its been a long haul with tree work here since the 2004 hurricane season. We took direct hits from both Frances and Jeanne and between the 2 back to back in 2 weeks were out of power for half a month and initially lost 29 trees. My property is 5 acres, and the back 3 acres are densely wooded. The front 2 are thinned, but still its forested. We back up to a state nature preserve and have a creek that drains the property.

The 2 storms in 2004, as well as a record 10 inch rainfall later that winter in December, elevated the water table to basically swamp levels on some parts of the property for over a year. Areas that had been dry forest turned into bogs. I have a friend who is a wetland biologist for the EPA and she looked at it and said it would be classified as an emerging wetland in some places! Then the drought started, and the poor trees probably didn't know what to think!

All that was very hard on some of the mature trees left standing in the front portion of the property. We have lost an additional 25 trees, some in excess of 100 ft and probably 50+ years old, to fungal disease and root rot. All species: oak, pecan, hickory, sweetgum, pine....but these latest ones (we have lost 10 since this May!) have been at least partially attributable to the drought making the sand unstable around the roots. When it pours rain like it did yesterday, they suck it up too fast, get topheavy, and a big gust of wind just topples them. SOmetimes it doesn't even take the big gust, they just plop over.

I am not sure when it will stop if ever. I'm pretty nervous because I know the law of averages says that eventually one will fall on the house.

06-29-2007, 05:48 AM	#5 (permalink)
Lilith Senior Member Lilith's Photo Gallery Location: sunny Florida Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Name: Gina Anne Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 341 BananaBucks : 120,365 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 136 Times in 52 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: Musa Basjoo saves greenhouse! Its been a long haul with tree work here since the 2004 hurricane season. We took direct hits from both Frances and Jeanne and between the 2 back to back in 2 weeks were out of power for half a month and initially lost 29 trees. My property is 5 acres, and the back 3 acres are densely wooded. The front 2 are thinned, but still its forested. We back up to a state nature preserve and have a creek that drains the property. The 2 storms in 2004, as well as a record 10 inch rainfall later that winter in December, elevated the water table to basically swamp levels on some parts of the property for over a year. Areas that had been dry forest turned into bogs. I have a friend who is a wetland biologist for the EPA and she looked at it and said it would be classified as an emerging wetland in some places! Then the drought started, and the poor trees probably didn't know what to think! All that was very hard on some of the mature trees left standing in the front portion of the property. We have lost an additional 25 trees, some in excess of 100 ft and probably 50+ years old, to fungal disease and root rot. All species: oak, pecan, hickory, sweetgum, pine....but these latest ones (we have lost 10 since this May!) have been at least partially attributable to the drought making the sand unstable around the roots. When it pours rain like it did yesterday, they suck it up too fast, get topheavy, and a big gust of wind just topples them. SOmetimes it doesn't even take the big gust, they just plop over. I am not sure when it will stop if ever. I'm pretty nervous because I know the law of averages says that eventually one will fall on the house. __________________ 11/2008 Outer Banks Marathon 26.2, Kitty Hawk NC--3:50 2/2009 5 Points of Life Marathon, 26.2, Gainesville FL--4:00 4/2009 Boston Marathon, 26.2-- 4:38 10/2009 Marine Corps Marathon, DC, 26.2--457 1/2010 Houston Marathon, 26.2--3:55:09 2/2010 5 Points of Life Marathon, Gainesville--415 Halloween Day 2010 Marine Corps Marathon, DC-- 2/2011--Austin TX Marathon--