Loblolly Champion Tree in TX

[EddieWalker]

That’s ok for estimating, but the big tree registry will come and accurately measure to the nearest foot before naming a new champion. They will use one of the instruments that I suggested in my previous post. The same for diameter (circumference). It has to be measured at exactly 4.5’ (breast height) above the high point of the ground at the butt.

The measurement around the trunk is based on the type of trunk. For a split truck, they want the measurement to be in the middle, between the ground and the fork, where it is the smallest.

The form has a picture of 4 different options for measuring the trunk. Straight trunk on flat ground, split trunk, leaning tree, and a tree on a steep slope.

 

[gsganzer]

My back pasture has a nice stand of pines. But last year, with the stress of the drought, the bark beetles killed about 7 of them. It's interesting how randomly they kill trees. You'd think the trees would all be grouped together, but it's not. They'll infect a couple and then randomly, a tree 100 yds away gets killed too.

Unfortunately, I was traveling so much last year, I wasn't able to monitor their health. I'm going to watch their stress this year and see if I can prevent any more issues. I have some totes that I can fill with water and then let them slow drain/irrigate around the trees.

Ironically, I used to be a certified arborist back in my college days as a way to put myself through college. There's not a lot you can do about bark beetles, with the best defense being keeping the trees healthy and stress free. About the only other option is tree injection, which isn't cheap. A product that I used to be certified in was Mauget micro-injection. Their Abicide 2 insecticide product is what I'd need. I'll probably see what I need to do to be able to apply it to my own trees or I'll need to find a certified applicator. Unfortunately, I let my certified applicator license expire too. Who would have thought I'd be needing all that stuff 30+ years later?

 

[2LaneCruzer]

ho I didn’t know that, thanks … makes sense then

Sharn Jean's home town is Gilmer. I love East Texas, except in August.