Sorry to hear about your problem. Torn, jagged wounds need to be cleaned and smoothed up. Other than that I usually let most tree wounds heal on their own. I have painted larger wounds once they have dried out, but this I have done very rarely. I have never used tree wound dressing but I am sure it is better than using paint. There is major disagreement out there regarding using paint or tree wound dressing versus letting things heal naturally. Everyone agrees that jagged wounds need to be cleaned up. http://essmextension.tamu.edu/treecarekit/index.php/after-the-storm/tree-damage-and-hazard-assessment/tree-wounds/ Are you one hundred percent certain it is a "burn mark", not soot or oil? If so, how does such a burn mark occur? Only thing I can think of is some kind of engine exhaust pipe jetting out hot gases. Could it possibly just be diesel soot from an engine that was started up near the tree or burned oil coming out of the exhaust of a bad engine? Hot exhaust is bad news, the other things might not make an issue long-term. If it is a true burn then let time pass in order to see the natural progression of things. If that area is dead or damage then the bark will eventually fall off and the issue can be addressed at that time if need be. So who do you likely suspect? Try to think things through and maybe one contractor can be eliminated in your mind. The gash could have been from a skid steer or even from a boom arm while maneuvering. Maybe from some kind of vehicle outrigger stabilizer but doubtful at that height. The "burn mark" was discussed previously. So who would have had a vehicle in that location in order to do their work? Could that same vehicle also have done the damage higher up on the tree (I strongly suspect so). Answer these questions and you most likely have the guilty party. I would contact both services and have reps come out so you can give whoever did it a chance to come clean and cover the cost of having a professional come to properly inspect and possibly address the tree wounds. If neither admits to doing the damage then tell them that you will have no choice but to put the reputations of both businesses in a negative light and you will be forced to never recommend either one to anybody, ever, and you will take any other actions you deem a necessary and correct response. Unintentional accidents do happen, but I for one have become completely intolerant of ignorance, carelessness, and stupidity being covered under the term "accident". The situation shows that at least one of the contractors is obviously disreputable and did not have the courage or guts to admit to you that these incidents occurred and take ownership of the problem. That is a slap in YOUR face and shows that one of the contractors has ZERO respect for you. That is the most offensive part of the whole situation. This is a big deal, not to be taken lightly. Plant an oak sapling and watch how long it takes to reach the size of that damaged tree. If it is a mature oak, you won't live long enough to see it happen. Trees are a very valuable part of property. You have a right to be upset and you have a right to challenge both contractors. See how reputable they truly are. Good luck, -Tom P.S. While there are some highly reputable tree removal and trimming companies, many in the industry are hacks and hire inexperienced summer crews for low wages. It would not surprise me one bit if the tree removal contractor did the damage. But in many ways the same issues apply to the landscaping industry. Hiring reputable contractors in both fields is by far more important than finding the best price.

What did you decide on your tree? I'm thinking my oak tree is dead or dying but can't tell. Is about 6-7 years old and has suffered a lot of stress and trauma. We bought our house two years ago and it's the only tree we have. About two months after we moved in, it blew almost completely over with regular texas winds. We put it back up and gave it more soil and root stimulator. The previous owner later told me The tree had blown over while she lived here for four years and it had been staked, but they removed the stakes to sell the house. It's always had very small limbs and no new growth except a few leaves on the main trunk. It doesn't have any main branches...just straight up with some small beaches about a third of the way down from the top. Last august a storm came that pulled the whole tree...root ball and all out of the ground and dropped it in the neighbors yard. That's when I noticed it had no main roots coming out...just a solid root ball. We redug the hole larger, replanted it with fresh soil, fertilizer and root stimulator and staked it. It got more steady and I watered it regularly with a slow run from our hose. I took the stakes off this spring an now it is leaning again, still with no new growth. I think it's had too much stress and isnt going to grow, but my husband says it's fine. Thoughts?

I had some weird bugs I never could identify that destroyed my tomatoes one year. I tried everything organic and nothing worked. Then I tried cold pressed neem oil and that KILLED THEM ALL, ha ha ha ha!!! I seriously recommend trying that stuff. I got mine from neem tree farms. You have to watch out for products that don't have the 'active' ingredient in it. Hope this helps!!

Thank you all very much for the feedback. I have a tree service coming to look at it tomorrow. I also contacted the Davey Institute and their research technicians looked at it and said they had never seen such a thick mat of Armillaria. They recommended tree removal due to uncertainty of the root system. Thanks again for the great community response. I'll update with what the tree service says tomorrow.