Filling a hollow tree trunk

[bjmarren]

Hi,

We have a very old quince tree in our garden and the lower part of the trunk is now hollow. We've read conflicting advice about what we should do with such a hole, from leaving it alone, if the tree itself is not unstable and dangerous, to filling the hole with something, i.e. foam. Apparently in the past it was common to fill such holes with cement but that is not widely regarded as sensible now. Has anyone had a similar problem and what did they do in the end?

Grateful for any thoughts or advice.

Cheers,

Brendan

[bungeejumper]

Leave it and let nature take its course. We have several such rotted-out holes in our 130 year old apple trees, and they attract all manner of bugs which in turn attract birds, including woodpeckers and nuthatches.

The only real reason for intervention would be if it gets honey fungus, which is bad news for the plants in any direction for a distance of three or four yards. In which case, as Percy Thrower would have said, "dig it up and burrrrn it".

Stating the obvious here, but many quinces are grafted onto alien rootstocks. If the tree sprouts shoots from anywhere below the graft line, they ain't no friend o' you.

BJ

[Breelander]

Oak trees in particular are prone to become hollow with age. Apparently it is no bad thing, in fact it can be beneficial....

A hollowing trunk is a natural process and it’s not necessarily a sign of an ailing tree...

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2 ... low-trees/

[88V8]

Do nothing.
It's just part of the tree's development.
It has the strength of a tube. A tube is not weak, it doesn't need filling in.

At the bottom of our garden long ago there was an oak so hollow I could stand inside it. I dare say it's there still.

V8

[bjmarren]

Hi V8, Breelander and BJ,

Thank you all for your replies. It seems that the general view is to leave it and let nature take its course, which is what my gut instinct says. It provides great shade in the summer and we regularly sit under it having lunch and dinner, so we would don't really want to do anything to it that might prove fatal.

Brendan