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Limb up an oak-oak wilt concerns

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

I have several Oak saplings in my yard, several species of reds and whites.

I'd like to limb up a couple, so they stop poking me when I mow.

However, oak wilt has been spotted sporadically in my area, although it's not a huge problem yet. I read that oak wilt spreads by some insect that can actually pass it through open wounds on recently pruned trees.

So, when is the best time to actually prune an Oak? Also, even if I pruned in the "right" season, if the wound has not closed over yet once the insect is active, is it still at risk? Some of these limbs may be almost an inch in diameter, although not much more than that.

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Comments (4)

wisconsitom
9 years ago
Joe, you want to do it yesterday, or wait until late summer. The insect vector is the "picnic beetle" which, just on theoretical grounds, let's say you've been out in the yard with a cold one cracked open, this is the little guy that simply loves beer. They actually love yeasty, fungal aromas and hey, that's oak wilt! So yes, these beetles, which will soon be active, fly from infected pruning wound to non-infected pruning wound, thereby spreading oak wilt. They're not the only means of transmission for this pathogen though, the other big one being root grafts. But these are something you can control, so either get your pruning done immediately or wait.

The reason older, non-callused-over wounds don't present this same problem is that the tree has already started-though invisible to us-the process of wound closure which changes the chemical make-up of the exposed tissue, and that is coupled with the fact that it is only fresh, sappy wounds that are attractive to this insect.

+oM
bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Yes, spring is the most active time for the fungal mats and the vector beetles. The forest service folks in Texas now recommend dressing all wounds on oaks, including the stumps of removed trees.... must be really concerned because the idea of using even a latex pruning/wound paint is otherwise a step backwards.
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Shumard Oak should be a good choice for an oak. The wilt is reported to spread by root and insect infestation. Shumards don't seem to be as affected by it as Live Oaks. Another good oak choice would be a Bur Oak. Better Wilt and drought resistance than Shumard or Live Oak. However they do not have the pretty fall red color that the Shumards have. Just a note on Cedar Elms : Their name comes from the fact that they are frequently found growing with Ashe Juniper (cedar). DED has had little affect on the elm tree population in Texas. Cedar Elms are very dependable/ adaptable trees and will last for 70-100 yrs or so. Disease and drought resistant, they are also one of the few trees down here to reliable produce a muted fall color. They are an excellent choice for landscaping down here.
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From texasoakwilt.org... - Always paint fresh wounds on oaks, including pruning cuts and stumps, with wound dressing or latex paint immediately after pruning or live tree removal at all times of the year. - Clean all pruning tools with 10% bleach solution or LysolÃ¢ÂÂ¢ between sites and/or trees. - If possible, avoid pruning or wounding of oaks during the spring (currently defined as February 1 through June 30). Reasons to prune in the spring include: a) To accommodate public safety concerns such as hazardous limbs, traffic visibility or emergency utility line clearance. b) To repair damaged limbs (from storms or other anomalies) c) To remove limbs rubbing on a building or rubbing on other branches, and to raise low limbs over a street. d) On sites where construction schedules take precedence; in this case, pruning any live tissue should only be done to accommodate required clearance. e) Dead branch removal where live tissue is not exposed. - Pruning for other reasons (general tree health, non-safety related clearance or thinning, etc.) should be conducted before February 1 or after June 30. - Debris from diseased red oaks should be immediately chipped, burned or buried.
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hit the link.. and name every hurricane that has hit this tree in the last 100 years ... i dont understand how you move beyond severe storm damage.. to bugs and/or disease ... when you live in hurricane alley didnt katrina hit sw AL??? according to the link at the link.. it did ... are you in SW AL???? last week i had an 18 inch diameter limb come down in a wind preceding a thunderhead ... it was not enough to damage any other tree for miles around.. i would bet a wooden nickle that it was damaged in last winters severe ice storm .. when another branch came down ... but it hung there until the wind finished the job ... why wouldnt that logic suffice to question whether your branches were not damaged in the last hurricane that came this trees way??? pure speculation on my part ... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link
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Quite frankly, surprised at that degree of recovery. Usually when trees start lots of epicormic sprouts along the trunk, they are near death. I know relatively little about this oak species, but trees are all more alike than different. So this one has a happy ending. I'm surprised. Tree does def. look as though planted too deeply. If you feel like it, maybe scrape some mulch away from that area so we can get a better look. BTW,i do not suggest this as any part of what may have been ailing the tree earlier. A too-deep planting is a huge problem for the tree, but does not manifest in this tight of a timeframe.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
carp .. missed the deadline again ...

ken
wisconsitom
9 years ago
Yep, exactly-this oak example being the only one I know of-where the stuff is still recommended. I think the asphaltic, tarry stuff is good for this also. Good catch bos.

+oM

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