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Not sure if this is the right place to ask this question. I have a very large eucaliptos tree. I have recently been told by at least two tree surgeons that the tree is dying and should be taken down.

Its a beautiful tree and very large and does present a safety risk. I can see that part of the base of the trunk is crumbling, however above the crumbling area it all looks good. We have decided to have the tree removed leaving about 12 foot of the stump.

The question is, is there anything I can treat the crumbling area with to harden it and stop it crumbling further? I'm not looking to save the tree, but I would like to carve the trunk into something but would need to harden it first.

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    Dead wood in contact with ground and water rots. There really isn't a good solution here that keeps the tree in place for an extended period.
    – keshlam
    Apr 12, 2016 at 12:50
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    Not really, sorry. Dead wood rots.
    – iLikeDirt
    Apr 12, 2016 at 13:05
  • Despite being told by two tree surgeons that the tree was dying, having had it cut down to a stump, the sump is shooting and growing back fast.
    – SPlatten
    Jun 25, 2017 at 16:57

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Where I live there are a lot of old trees (often landmarks) protected by laws as natural monuments. Rotting of tree bases is a common phenomenon while the living parts are saved by a multitude of measures.

Bases are prone to rotting due to moisture and work of fungus and insects. The dead wood is often removed as a measure, so the remaining trunk is hollow. This reduces the overall weight of the trunk, but it has to be stabilized afterwards. This is sometimes done by steel cables connected to ground anchors.

If that is not sufficient, sometimes the hollow trunk is filled with concrete after applying protective substances onto the remaining wood. Additional water draining systems have to be used to prevent further rotting.

All these measures usually can only delay the decay for some time.

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I once put a salt lick/block on a freshly cut stump for deer... it took two years for the salk lick to finally be washed away by the rain (the deer and squirrels still lick the stump) that was abut 5 years ago. The stump appears to be petrified now, and still has the appearance of being freshly cut! I don't think it would be ideal for screwing or nailing into because of the salt, but I definitely think this is ideal for you. Maybe after the salt treatment, you could varnish it or something.

Also, borates could be used to help keep bugs from chewing it up.

Edit- Here's a link for totem pole maintenance and a pdf catalog for natural wood preservative stuff. The totem pole people use X-100 as a sealant.

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