saving a jackfruit tree

[pokerkid]

I have an old jackfruit tree that still seems healthy and gives fruit. It has some damage and i wondered what would be the best way to repair this so it does not go any deeper

[xen]

There are a couple of things i would consider but i detect it is decayed centre of the trunk that concerns you most.. I would not worry too much about that unless the tree is unstable in the ground. The real strength of a tree trunk is in the live part which is the Cambrian (the area under the outer bark. It appears to be doing its best to recover. Don't risk further infection by cleaning the decay out and do not fill with concrete that some Thai books still recommend but was disbanded 50 years ago as a bad idea.

However , because the wound is on the upper part of the slope it will catch moisture as it descend downwards, I would consider constructing some diversion walls or drains to defect water and moisture.and the would does not catch the moisture. Also if it is in a high traffic area i would look at the compaction of the soil around the tree and improve compaction and drainage simultaneously . Also don't allow any vegetation to grow up the tree trunk - it looks like a creeper at the base of the trunk but i may be wrong..

Anyway have a look on Google for more info . Maybe Dr Treelove would like to add more as he is much more of an expert on trees than i am.

[drtreelove]

Xen's reply is right on, as usual.

I like the idea of diverting the run off so that it doesn't stay too wet at the base and increase fungal wood decay activity. The rolls of "callus tissue" on each side of the old wound are closing over the wound and adding structural strength, so don't do anything that would cut into or damage that tissue.

The best thing you can do is to promote general health of the tree by providing best growing conditions, mulch, and water management. Pruning to thin and reduce excessive weight and wind resistance in the foliar crown may help to avoid a wind-throw trunk fracture.

Morton Arboretum.pdf

Tree Cavities.pdf

[pokerkid]

Xen's reply is right on, as usual.

I like the idea of diverting the run off so that it doesn't stay too wet at the base and increase fungal wood decay activity. The rolls of "callus tissue" on each side of the old wound are closing over the wound and adding structural strength, so don't do anything that would cut into or damage that tissue.

The best thing you can do is to promote general health of the tree by providing best growing conditions, mulch, and water management. Pruning to thin and reduce excessive weight and wind resistance in the foliar crown may help to avoid a wind-throw trunk fracture.

So what happened a year ago is that some workers leved the gound and put a lot of soil against the tree so they could move a cement mixer there. Today i dug out some soil and found many tiny new roots as you can see in the pictures. Not sure what i should do with those roots.

[drtreelove]

Just leave them be to dry out. Those are called adventitious roots and are a survival response that some tree species like jackfruit produce when the root collar is buried. It is more important to re-establish the natural soil grade at the root flare like you have done.

[pokerkid]

Just leave them be to dry out. Those are called adventitious roots and are a survival response that some tree species like jackfruit produce when the root collar is buried. It is more important to re-establish the natural soil grade at the root flare like you have done.

today i saw a lot of ants running up and down the tree. Turned out they have made a small nest in a hole . What should i do with them ??

[drtreelove]

The ants are probably not harming the tree, just using it for a home. Sometimes ants farm sucking insect pests like aphids and scales, they protect the pests from natural predators in order to collect the honeydew. You can follow the ant trails and determine if that is what they are doing or not. If the trails are just going to the ant nest, and not further up into the foliar canopy, then you can let them be, or evict them, up to you. If they are facilitating insect pest activity in the tree, or are invasive and a nuisance for your nearby living areas, a spot spray in the hole with Chaindrite crack and crevice spray will control them.