Thanks - it's really a typical Pennsylvania German bank house, which is fairly distinct from what was built farther north. It's also needs a lot of work now. We spent 11 years restoring a larger center hall stone house, but sold it as the area was being overrun with development. This house didn't need much when we moved in, and so I could spend my efforts on the barn and pasture, etc. But it's amazing what a decade and the wear and tear of kids and pets will do. It makes getting the firewood in a challenge at times.
Like this? When we bought this house one of the two catalpa trees next to each other had been cut. Every year or two I have been cutting the growth from the stump as it gets to be a pain to mow around. These can't be more than three years old and several are well over my reach. They still have leaves as big as dinner plates.
Yup! They're really kinda weeds.
I've got a red oak doing that now - it was growing too close to the barn, then it split down the middle. I cut it down a couple of years ago, but it keeps trying. I even sprayed the shoots with roundup last summer, but I just noticed it's giving it another try.
Picking out the rot was what I was doing when I broke through. It appears dry in there, although now there is a hole. The volume of the cavity is huge, and if I were to try filling anything it would just be the hole I opened and the one in the branch above it (which was improperly cut at some point in the past and so has not been able to heal).
That is interesting. I would likely be planting another catawba there, as I have plenty of oaks (most are shumards around here). They don't seem to say what they do to get those root masses on their seedlings, but I guess that is their secret.
Yeah, I will be asking for professional advice on it, but I doubt anyone will feel comfortable telling me it is safe as-is. I know it needs to go, but it's going to have such a big impact. It will at least get to flower once more.
