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Advice on live oak tree

last year

Large old live oak struggling, has dead upper branches. The crotch of the tree has a hallow spot that seems to be getting deeper and we were told by the tree trimmers that it has a fungus problem. Can anyone advise me on how to treat this and what products are the most effective?

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Comments (4)

Embothrium
last year
The "tree trimmers" that you were talking to in the first place are who you should have found out about this from. Otherwise try lining up somebody that says they are an ISA Certified Arborist to come and have a look, make recommendations.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
Can you post photos? Without seeing the situation and being able to visually assess the damage, all we can offer is speculation :-)

Just by description, it sounds like your tree may have heart rot. The hole in the crotch may not be the primary cause but it is not helping. Suggestions to cement or mortar this hole to keep any water out are no longer advised (more harm than help) but a dedicated landscaping spray foam applied after a thorough cleaning out and drying can delay the decline.

Generally, heart rots in trees are not treatable. But that also does not necessarily mean the need for immediate removal. Trees with heart rots can often live for decades without risk of falling or breaking apart.

Your best advice is to hire a certified arborist skilled in tree health evaluation for a consultation. He may be able to suggest a possible course of treatment, although I would not hold out a lot of hope for a major recovery. But you should have plenty of time to select and plant its replacement :-)
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when i dig 1 to 1.5 inch trees .. i dig about a 3 foot hole... and bare root them.. in my z5 .... if yours is 2 to 3 inches... though the pic doesnt look like it ... i would dig a root ball .. of a minimum of 2 to 4 feet ... erring toward the larger ... by the time you do this.. you are going to have many complications from the roots of all the other trees ... not to mention a root ball of a couple hundred pounds ... plus it looks like you are not near a water source [perhaps an assumption] ... and aftercare would be minimal ... if you can NOT dig the proper root structure.. and you can NOT EASILY supply 2 to 5 years of aftercare ... why waste 6 to 8 hours of severe physical labor trying to dig it up ... you surely you can find a smaller one a little further out... to move to the spot you want ... the difference between what you CAN do .. and what you SHOULD do .... can be VERY BIG ... personally ... i wouldnt waste my time ... what ever you decide.. happy holidays.. and good luck ... ken
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Congratulations! You did it. It takes time to figure out their system but once learned, you'll never forget. Alabama, I've been looking at photos and reading articles about the longleaf pine ecosystem. I'm sorry but one question always leads to another. These articles stress the importance of fire to reduce competition and maintain the ecosystem. Our forester said the forestry dept burned an area where they are growing longleaf seedlings last spring - they lost more than 20%. He wasn't sure why -- maybe the temperature was too hot or it was too late in the season and the seedlings were in active growth. Question #1: If I keep vegetation down until the seedlings are out of the grass stage, do I need to burn longleaf pine areas? I have no experience doing this. I've seen photos of the longleaf wiregrass ecosystem - the only vegetation beneath the trees is the grass so it creates a savannah. I've read that if hardwoods or other pines get started, they will eventually crowd out the longleaf pines. If that's the that case, it seems that fire will be necessary. Maybe by the time I need to do this and need advice, the foresters will have more experience. ;-) Question #2: Are you familiar with the Joseph Jones Ecological Research Center in Ichauway in SW GA? It looks like a big research center and an nteresting place to visit. They have a longleaf pine management and restoration project and several others. While they have "landowner field days" for private landowners and managers in the area, I didn't see any indication that they allow people in to look around. Happy New Year! Pam
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last year
If it overhangs anything of value....it has to go...

How about some pix...your big city location...etc

Ken
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
last year
Your comment that it had dead upper branches is important. That is one of the significant indications of problems deep within. That a hole has developed in the crotch of the tree is, of course, a real issue. Trees, as they age, get weaker and more fragile…more susceptible to the many issues that can cause problems.

As has been said, there is NO cure for heart rot and other systemic diseases of trees. However, if the tree is healthy in the first place and is growing in a good environment free of compaction and other insults, an oak can manage for quite some time.

Please contact the services of an ISA Certified arborist to obtain the best advice. The original tree trimmers should not be on that list.

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