On Monday, October 5, 2020 at 10:27:17 AM UTC+1, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
wrote:

so you think that the 'gall' I picture in photos #6 and #7 are a
bracket fungus? If so it is the only one.
Yes. That's normal.

FWIW I took a closer look at the 'gall' and it does seem to be a fungus; I broke off the top
and you can see that is is structured very vertically

To expand on my original statement - it looks like it was the sponginess
of the trunks/crown which led to the whole thing toppling down. And yes,
the majority of the leaves seemed fine; similar to those of the newer shoots
you can see coming from the crown.
Very typical of a heartwood-destroying fungus attack.
I suppose it is possible that despite the healthy-looking leaves, the whole
things could have been about to die. would it have been possible for the upper
branches and leaves to have obtained sustenance through the spongy crown,
do you think?
As Chris says. If you find a completely hollowed-out tree (oak, ash,
willow etc.), you will see how the heartwood merely holds things up,
and it's only the sapwood and cambium layer that transport nutrients.

At the crown there was pretty much no distinction between 'heart' and 'sapwood',
it was all spongy.

So the current idea is that it was some sort of fungal attack, starting at the roots,
with the bracket fungus being later evidence of this?

I guess this means that I should dig out the roots and be careful about what I plant in
its place. Is there anything else I can do to the soil? Should I be worried about
the nearby rose?

Thanks, J^n