Can this oak be saved?

[andrewlong75]

I have a huge, probably over 100 year old oak tree on my property. I recently noticed a very large frost crack that is exposing a hollowed out portion of the trunk. I've had 4 tree services come out, 3 of them say the tree needs to come down now and asked for $5k to bring it down. The fourth service appeared much more knowledgeable about this and other trees on my property. His belief is that the tree can be saved, the tree has other similar scars from frost cracks that it has repaired itself. After looking online, I could not find any true professional arborists in my area that could be of help. I guess my question is can the tree be saved? Is there anything I should be doing to help the tree heal? There are some mushrooms growing around the tree, which I know is a bad sign...is there any maintenance I should be doing to help the tree repair itself or make it more healthy?

 

[Thumper88]

From the size of that tree and how close it appears to the house I would cut it if it was mine and if it was a customer I would reccomend removal. From the pictures it appears hollow at the base and hollow trees are a time bomb waiting to go off in a residential setting.

 

[andrewlong75]

Thats what I was thinking, but this second tree service said the tree bark is thick and sturdy, the tree appears to be healthy and blooming. I would hate to cut down such an old tree if it wasn't really necessary. He aslo said he could tell by the weight displacement and lean of the tree and that if it does fall it will not land on the house but in an empty part of the yard. I couldn't really imagine him turning down a $4k job if he didn't feel like the tree was salvageable? But I know nothing about trees or how that business works.

 

[Raintree]

Not a frost crack, the oak had a seam defect. Wind torqued the crown twisting open the seam. This easily happens with tree trunks that have large cavities. Add in the ring of decay fungi around the stump it's a failure waiting to happen. No good fix, tree guy who wants to save may not have the ability to remove. It's a removal, I would want it out before it is in full leaf and a T-storm rips through.

 

[Mad Professor]

Not a frost crack, the oak had a seam defect. Wind torqued the crown twisting open the seam. This easily happens with tree trunks that have large cavities. Add in the ring of decay fungi around the stump it's a failure waiting to happen. No good fix, tree guy who wants to save may not have the ability to remove. It's a removal, I would want it out before it is in full leaf and a T-storm rips through.

That's no decay fungi, those are "hen of the woods", some of the most sought after edible wild mushrooms. They typically grow around oaks (healthy ones too) and come back year after year.

 

[Raintree]

Surely you jest, Grifola is parasitic and very detrimental to structural integrity.

 

[Mad Professor]

Surely you jest, Grifola is parasitic and very detrimental to structural integrity.

The tree in the first picture is in a row of ~15 200+ year old red oaks. I've been harvesting hens from them for 30 years now. None have rot or decay. I've seen the same on many other oaks.

 

[Raintree]

The pictured tree that the OP posted is unsafe. Safety trumps edible shrooms in the real world of tree care.

 

[Thumper88]

Thats what I was thinking, but this second tree service said the tree bark is thick and sturdy, the tree appears to be healthy and blooming. I would hate to cut down such an old tree if it wasn't really necessary. He aslo said he could tell by the weight displacement and lean of the tree and that if it does fall it will not land on the house but in an empty part of the yard. I couldn't really imagine him turning down a $4k job if he didn't feel like the tree was salvageable? But I know nothing about trees or how that business works.

Trees can have massive damage and still have enough nutrients to bloom partially or fully. And noone can tell you how a dying or damaged tree will fall. If there is no wind and it gives up the ghost on a calm day then it will most likely go with the lean and weight. But if you have a thunderstorm roll through with 50 mph straight line winds that break it off or uproot it then itll go wherever the wind is blowing which could very well be through your house, powerlines, etc. 3 tree services in person and two different people, myself included, have said its a hazard and should be removed. I dont know why the 4th guy thinks its safe, but from what the pictures show that tree is a bomb waiting to go off. Its cheaper to cut now before its laying in the middle of the house.

 

[JimR]

Take it down before somebody gets killed by it.

 

[Mad Professor]

The pictured tree that the OP posted is unsafe. Safety trumps edible shrooms in the real world of tree care.

I stated they were prime edible mushrooms, I said nothing about the tree.

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

I remember once as a kid at school there was a big oak that split similar to that and they came with a crane and picked up the broken section pulled it together then bolted it together with a few bolts and huge flat washers.

25 years later that tree is still good as gold the bolts have long since grown inside and can kinda see a seam where it broke.

Just kind of reminded me looking at those pictures

Not a tree guy at all it's firewood otherwise

 

[Bearcreek]

I have a huge, probably over 100 year old oak tree on my property. I recently noticed a very large frost crack that is exposing a hollowed out portion of the trunk. I've had 4 tree services come out, 3 of them say the tree needs to come down now and asked for $5k to bring it down. The fourth service appeared much more knowledgeable about this and other trees on my property. His belief is that the tree can be saved, the tree has other similar scars from frost cracks that it has repaired itself. After looking online, I could not find any true professional arborists in my area that could be of help. I guess my question is can the tree be saved? Is there anything I should be doing to help the tree heal? There are some mushrooms growing around the tree, which I know is a bad sign...is there any maintenance I should be doing to help the tree repair itself or make it more healthy?

Is there anything with a 100ish ft. radius of the tree that would be a big loss if crushed?

 

[Oletrapper]

I have a huge, probably over 100 year old oak tree on my property. I recently noticed a very large frost crack that is exposing a hollowed out portion of the trunk. I've had 4 tree services come out, 3 of them say the tree needs to come down now and asked for $5k to bring it down. The fourth service appeared much more knowledgeable about this and other trees on my property. His belief is that the tree can be saved, the tree has other similar scars from frost cracks that it has repaired itself. After looking online, I could not find any true professional arborists in my area that could be of help. I guess my question is can the tree be saved? Is there anything I should be doing to help the tree heal? There are some mushrooms growing around the tree, which I know is a bad sign...is there any maintenance I should be doing to help the tree repair itself or make it more healthy?

Good morning Andrew, All being said below, if you decide to take the tree down, and if you have Home Owners Insurance, you might want to contact your insurance agent to see if they will pay for the removal. Over the years, insurance companies have changed their policies more to preventive and pro-active rather than reactive. It would be less expensive for them to pay for the tree removal at 5K than repair your house at maybe 40K+ should the tree fall and damage your house. The 40K+ is strictly hypothetical but with today's prices and costs, who knows. jmho OT

 

[Okie]

You asked: Can this tree be saved?
YES. FOR FIREWOOD

Just some thoughts:
You say: it's not close or likely to fall on the house or anything in the direction it's leaning. so why not let someone cut it down for firewood and they clean up the mess for the wood and or they make a burn pile of the scrap limbs and not have to pay out $4-5K for tree removal? (Have the wood processors sign a paper that you are not responsible for any accidents to them or their equipment)

It appears it does need to come down, has all the symptoms of becoming a widow maker, so take it out before it becomes more dangerous.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

You asked: Can this tree be saved?
YES. FOR FIREWOOD

Just some thoughts:
You say: it's not close or likely to fall on the house or anything in the direction it's leaning. so why not let someone cut it down for firewood and they clean up the mess for the wood and or they make a burn pile of the scrap limbs and not have to pay out $4-5K for tree removal? (Have the wood processors sign a paper that you are not responsible for any accidents to them or their equipment)

It appears it does need to come down, has all the symptoms of becoming a widow maker, so take it out before it becomes more dangerous.

Yeah... let some guy advertising on Craigslist come cut it down for firewood... what could possibly go wrong?
Seriously, the homeowner helper forum is intended to be a place for homeowners to ask questions for Professional Arborists. We have a lot of weekend warriors and firewooders chiming in and clouding the issue, and often giving a lot of irresponsible and sometimes outright dangerous advice. A hollow oak like that with a torsion crack is not something a weekend firewood warrior is going to be able to walk up to and just drop. Not to mention the liability issues for the homeowner if he allows some stranger to come on his property and cut that tree, and he injures himself or damages property.

 

[mspropst]

Take it down before somebody gets killed by it.

This

 

[Okie]

Take it down before somebody gets killed by it.

and hug it while it's on the ground.

 

[buzz sawyer]

Never realized that. Thanks to whomever removed my post. I will avoid that thread in the future.

 

[buzz sawyer]

Yeah... let some guy advertising on Craigslist come cut it down for firewood... what could possibly go wrong?
Seriously, the homeowner helper forum is intended to be a place for homeowners to ask questions for Professional Arborists. We have a lot of weekend warriors and firewooders chiming in and clouding the issue, and often giving a lot of irresponsible and sometimes outright dangerous advice. A hollow oak like that with a torsion crack is not something a weekend firewood warrior is going to be able to walk up to and just drop. Not to mention the liability issues for the homeowner if he allows some stranger to come on his property and cut that tree, and he injures himself or damages property.

Never realized that. Thanks to whomever removed my post. I will avoid that thread in the future.