How thick is that trunk?

Maybe you will have to remove the portion of the decking that is scraping against the tree........

asked the contractors to incorporate the tree in the design. There were
some pots and stones around it also, so until recently hadn't realised
the trunk had expanded so far (or they'd left so little room).

==>>>> yeah who knew that darn tree would keep growing.. lol ...

cut the decking away ... at least 6 inches .. and let it all dry out.. no need to do anything to the tree... it will HEAL itself ...

just make sure.. from underneath ... that the structure remains intact ...

what is that under board that is still there...??? .. a main structural beam???? .. are you an engineer??? .. can you cope with this???

and once cut.. i might leave the boards all there.. let them dry ... and maybe shrink ... they might then come out easier than having to rip or gouge them out ...

all speculation ... cant say i have seen nor dealt with this before ... and i wonder if there might not be a better forum to find deck answers.. rather than tree answers????

good luck

ken

Thanks for replies. Unfortunately I trusted the contractor to leave appropriate space and never checked myself how much had been left. Ultimately its my tree so my mistake.

The reason I posted here is that my concern is for the survival of the tree. The decking can be replaced and that joist re-routed. However, the tree cannot be replaced.

My initial fear on seeing this was that this will be terminal for the tree. I take it from the responses so far I over reacted? In this instance I'm very happy to be wrong in that case. So the best advice is just to leave the tree to heal itself (removing the decking of course)? Nothing I can/should do to assist it?

Yeah if you remove the deck portion touching the trunk then the tree will heal itself. You dont need to do anything. The wound will calous over in time.

yeah.. some level of panic ... chill on that ... the tree looks very happy ...

solve the deck issue.. and see how the tree reacts over the next 5 or 10 years ... not much else you can do ...

its not hungry.. so dont go thinking food will help ...

if you can get a full ID ... perhaps with a better pic of the leaves/needles ... then you can take the latin name to google ... and see what potential this particular tree has ... i often add the word FOREST to the search.. to see what can really happen ...

by doing this ... you can predict future size..in determining how to rebuild the deck ...

if no one here can ID it.. try the name that plant forum ...

think of it this way ... that tree out near the street.. could probably have been hit by a car.. and survived.. this little deck issue should not be all that big a deal ... at least you found the problem.. and are solving it ... now dont go all killing it with too much love on us ... just fix the deck ...

dont know the whole situation.. but i would rebuild with at least one foot.. and maybe two feet ... to be sure this didnt happen again.. in my lifetime ... perhaps a better pic of the whole deck and the tree... will get opinion as to whether i am off base ... as well as the ID

ken