skip to main content

Oak Tree- possible trunk disease - Help

11 years ago

I was hoping to get some advice based on some problems my oak tree is experiencing. I just moved into this house 7 months ago and the previous owners had the base of the tree mulched probably 10-12 inches up the base of the trunk. I knew from my college days in Botany class that this could damage the tree so i removed the mulch around the trunk. While I was doing this, I noticed some damaged areas around the trunk, primarily on one side. Any recommended course of action would be appreciated. Instead of trying to describe the problem in more detail, I've attempted to post some photos at the following link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15614453@N05/7245956800/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15614453@N05/7245955296/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15614453@N05/7245961120/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15614453@N05/7245958248/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15614453@N05/7245955296/

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

jean001a
11 years ago
Here's one of your images.

Was the damaged bark covered with the mulch?

Whatever the answer, that part is permanently damaged. The tree can survive in a reasonable condition if the damage is less than half the circumference. But please don't remove bark to check.

Here is a link that might be useful: base of trunk
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
Any recommended course of action would be appreciated.

==>>> ignore it.. trees heal themselves ...

if the bark opens itself.. and it will.. as part of the process .... i might carefully start removing it ... but i would NOT go digging in there ...

you did right.. now leave it be

ken
Related Discussions
Possible fire blight on trunk- remove growing tree?
Q
Comments (6)
Some trees are more resistance than others. I have had it in my orchard on a number of trees, yet other trees were not affected. At times I have had fire blight so bad I could see the bacterial ooze dripping off the blossoms. But, as mentioned no infection on other trees. If I felt like I needed to do something, my first action would be to do just what you suggested. I have thought about trying to remove the canker tissue, but never have tried it. Canker blight that overwinter can cause water sprouts to become systemically infected by the fire blight bacteria if its on a nearby overwintering canker. If I cann't remove the whole branch because the canker is on the trunk, I just leave it alone. However, I do spray the trees with Kocide (copper) along wih my dormant oil spray and maybe it helps, but I am not sure it does much for the fire blight. There is a lot of information on fire blight and all of it does not agree. Studies have been done where it has not helped even to cut out the first strikes, just leave it alone until you do your dormant pruning and then cut out the dead branches. I used to put a lot of time and energy into fire blight, but now I take a more casual approach to it. I have had a lot worst looking trees than yours and one time ordered a new tree to take the place of the fire blighted one, just to pick a couple box of apples off of it this summer. I sprayed painted all the strikes with red paint, then pruned out all the branches during my late winter purning. The tree looked like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, but is now doing well. Go ahead and try what you suggested. Unless you completely girdle the trunk, it should not harm the tree too much. Use it as a learning experience. See what works and what does not work. I have had some trees die from fire blight, replaced them and they again died. Now, I avoid that particular variety.
...See More
Reviving a tree which trunk was buried..is it possible?
Q
Comments (12)
Milyee, Posting pictures on here is really pretty easy. Here are the instructions... One of the easiest ways to provide your photo to be embedded into a post is to upload it onto an image hosting site such as Photobucket, Flickr, etc. That should be pretty straight forward, and the individual sites will give instructions on how to get your photos uploaded to their site when you sign up. Once your picture has been uploaded, find its image location address (URL) by right clicking on the image and copying the image location. The URL will look something like: http://somepicturesite.com/yourpicture.jpg. Some sites may even provide the appropriate HTML code in a text box below the photo for your convenience. It will be the one that begins with a href=... (This code looks different than the code below, because it will actually produce a picture link instead of just a picture.) Let's say, as an example, that the address of the picture you want to post is http://somepicturesite.com/yourpicture.jpg To embed the picture into a post, use the command: img src="http://somepicturesite.com/yourpicture.jpg"> _____________________________________ If your picture is too large to fit nicely into the text page, you can add a width attribute. The command with the width attribute would look something like: img src="http://somepicturesite.com/yourpicture.jpg" width=600> _____________________________________ Another option is to use a text link which might be beneficial to people on slow connections. To do this, use the command: a href="http://somepicturesite.com/yourpicture.jpg">your text goes here/a> _____________________________________ Note that I had to use special characters to get the commands above to show up here without turning into pictures, but you can use them as shown (but with the correct image web address).
...See More
Mature trunk width on a newly planted Regal Prince Oak Tree.
Q
Comments (20)
sorry, late responce. weather has been fairly regular. dry hot summer, 65 lowes 108 highs. we're about to the end of summer, but the tree is doing well. it has not grown very much from the second spring flush, but ive been dealing with the winds from the N/W. always steady. more so in the evenings. I can't stand a crooked, or wind pushed over tree. I really like the tree though. very healthy looking.
...See More
Please Help (Bonsai diseased?) Charred trunk.
Q
Comments (13)
I agree that your sister was taken advantage of. The only future the tree has as a believable bonsai centers around getting it healthy enough to cut it back to nothing more than a nub of a stump and starting over from scratch. Please post the name of the unscrupulous entity that sold this plant. Plant's history: You're looking at the understock of a plant that was once grafted. The scion (species unknown) died and multiple branches sprouted from the near vicinity of the graft union (which caused the swelling), along with a basal sprout low on the trunk. These sprouts grew for a couple of years until the plant was cut back. One branch was left at the graft union and the basal sprout was just randomly truncated. Multiple branches occurred at the truncation point of the basal sprout and were allowed to grow (thus the swelling at that point as well). A second branch angled downward near the graft union was also allowed to remain on the tree. A year later, several sprouts were removed at the terminus of the basal sprout, leaving you with what you have now. Al
...See More
mackel_in_dfw
11 years ago
The root flare is still, almost completely buried and if you expose it, healing will vastly accelerate if that's in the cards. In some soils, you can have that much buried, but clearly in your soil, you caint.

Mackel
jqpublic
11 years ago
Is that a Nuttall Oak? That neighborhood looks full of them!
Craig
Original Author
11 years ago
I'm not sure of the type of Oak. The builders planted these along the roadway before the houses were built. It's probably a 5 year old tree.

The damaged area of the trunk spans about 18-24 inches vertically, and maybe the bottom 4-5 inches was covered with mulch until i removed it. And the damaged area is restricted to less than half of the circumference (maybe 120-140 degrees).

When i removed the mulch originally, i removed as much as i could before i started hitting 1/2" diameter roots that had started growing into the mulch pile, so i stopped.

Would spraying any part of it with pruning spray be beneficial? or just continue to leave it alone as Ken suggested above. I did notice some green beetles crawling up and down the damaged area last summer.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
i dont think anyone here believes in spraying anything on trees ...

but for one theory of a fungicide type mix.. of which i dont recall ...

my basic premise.. is they cover 50% of the earth.. and do just fine.. until some guy dreams up painting them ... and i call that.. loving them to death .. and voodoo marketing ...

leave them alone.. put down the spray.. and step away ...

ken

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Tree Care: Common Tree Diseases and What to Do About Them

By Falon Mihalic

Learn to recognize trees that may be affected by diseases or pests so you can quickly take action

WINTER GARDENING How to Help Your Trees Weather a Storm

By Paintbox Garden

Seeing trees safely through winter storms means choosing the right species, siting them carefully and paying attention during the tempests

TREES How to Use Trees Inside

By Falon Mihalic

Bring nature close by integrating the beauty of trunks and trees — even smaller leafy trees — into your home

TREES Great Design Plant: Southern Live Oak Offers an Unbeatable Canopy

By Falon Mihalic

Keep it dense or prune it for more light. No matter how you grow Quercus virginiana, it’s a majestic addition to its native landscape

CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS Great Design Plant: Coast Live Oak

The stuff of legends and memories, this California tree is one to build a whole landscape around

GARDENING GUIDES How to Keep Your Citrus Trees Well Fed and Healthy

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Ripe for some citrus fertilizer know-how? This mini guide will help your lemon, orange and grapefruit trees flourish

COLOR Pick-a-Paint Help: How to Create a Whole-House Color Palette

By Laura Gaskill

Don't be daunted. With these strategies, building a cohesive palette for your entire home is less difficult than it seems

FALL GARDENING 6 Trees You'll Fall For

By Therese Ciesinski

Don’t put down that spade! Autumn is the perfect time for planting these trees

SIDE YARD IDEAS Narrow Trees for Tight Garden Spaces

Boost interest in a side yard or another space-challenged area with the fragrance and color of these columnar trees

EXTERIORS Help! What Color Should I Paint My House Exterior?

By Jennifer Ott Design

Real homeowners get real help in choosing paint palettes. Bonus: 3 tips for everyone on picking exterior colors

Sponsored

More Discussions

Is it possible to supplement a plant with glucose?

16

Bursera Fagaroides?

4

Is This a Sandbox Tree?

1

Paw paw seedlings or cuttings

6

Huge black maple in Michigan

2