# 10 gazillian volts Vs. Ancient oak-survival opinions?



## Roceye (Nov 23, 2008)

first off- what a great site you guys have...wish I would have found it sooner.
I just stumbled into it while doing research on upgrading to a larger saw.

Ride the lightning....
A few months ago lightning hit the largest oak on my property. It didn't split, but lost alot of bark. This tree is relatively close to my house so it will have to come down if it isn't going to survive. 

What do you think the prognosis is?

A few pics:

















thanks for looking
Dave


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## S Mc (Nov 23, 2008)

Dave, wow, that was a heck of a strike! The fact that it didn't blow the tree apart is a "good" sign. We see trees here that have been hit by lightning and survived for years.

The best advice though is going to be to encourage you to have an onsite evaluation of the tree. A qualified arborist would be able to do root crown and canopy examinations. Some options might be to reduce the height/leverage factor. But whether this is warranted cannot be told from your pictures. 

If you could post more pictures showing the relative relationship of tree to house, full pictures of the tree, etc., we might be able to help out so you could go into a consultation more informed. But onsite eval is going to be mandatory for an accurate appraisal on whether or not it is wise to keep the tree and what mitigation efforts would be recommended.

Sylvia


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## S Mc (Nov 23, 2008)

There are a couple of BCMAs (Board Certified Master Arborists) in your neck of the woods (St. Louis area) including at the Missouri Botanical Gardens.

Good luck.

Sylvia

www.isa-arbor.com for a listing of qualified arborists.

www.mobot.org website of the Missouri Botanical Gardens


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## Ed Roland (Nov 23, 2008)

Looks bad. I hope the tree makes it and we get to see pictures every year going forward.


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## treeseer (Nov 24, 2008)

as typical, damage worst at main forks--eddy effect. get someone up there who can assess the damage in the main forks; see attached.

Prognosis no better than fair based on pics.

BCMA's are useless if they cannot get to the forks.


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## Ed Roland (Dec 1, 2008)

In 2004’s Arboriculture; Integrated Management of Trees, Shrubs, and Vines, Harris, Matheny and Clark agree on limiting repairs until survival seems assured. They also recommend tacking and wrapping bark “with moist cloth or burlap and polyethylene film to slow drying”, watering and *fertilizing*, and reassessing after a year to see if “more careful pruning and wound repair may be worthwhile. 

fertilizing... hmmm. 

To be more concise lets try this... 
In 2003’s Abiotic Disorders of Landscape Plants; A Diagnostic Guide, Costello et al noted that “Repairs to struck trees should be limited to safety pruning and cleanup. Further efforts depend on whether the tree survives and what condition it is in. Immediately after the strike, loose bark should be tacked back into place and kept moist to prevent drying. *Improve vigor* of lightning-injured plants *by good culture*, especially proper irrigation. Prune or remove dead branches to reduce potential hazards.”


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## tomtrees58 (Dec 2, 2008)

time four removal tom trees


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## Urban Forester (Dec 2, 2008)

The "Abiotic Disorders" rec's seem more prudent, considering the extent of the hit. I would be very hesitant to fertilize a tree that has gone through that, until survival is assured...


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## treeseer (Dec 2, 2008)

woodweasel said:


> In 2004’s Arboriculture; Integrated Management of Trees, Shrubs, and Vines, Harris, Matheny and Clark agree on limiting repairs until survival seems assured.
> In 2003’s Abiotic Disorders of Landscape Plants; A Diagnostic Guide, Costello et al noted that “Repairs to struck trees should be limited to safety pruning and cleanup. Further efforts depend on whether the tree survives and what condition it is in.


You can tell they listen to each other...Both books miss the boat on assessment. Trees die due to detached bark, which can be measured, so why not measure it? Gather data first, then "Wait and see". :rolleye:


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