Treevet, you mention large limbs were taken off relative to this infection. Could you get a picture with location in the tree? Are they spread around the canopy or "stacked" in a line on one side? Is this why you are thinking root degradation is limited at this point?
They are in a direct line above each other and above the infection. The remainder of the base of the tree is without flaw.
Pin oaks, Quercus palustris, are not great compartmentalizers. And I would definitely think if the house and pool were put in after its existance, construction damage is a given. Many people just don't realize how long that can take to show up.
I may have mistakenly referred to this house/development as new. I should have said "not old" as my house was built in the early thirties. I would guess this house to have been built in the late 60's early 70's so construction damage is not an issue. Tree prob. went in with the house. Oak was maybe 10 years old planted making it in the realm of 50 ish. It is a Pin oak after all. White oak this size would be maybe 20 or 30 years older. My point was that the soil is not likely of the character of an older established nborhood like mine.
I will follow up with more if they give me the job Sylvia.
WOUNDS.....it just cannot be said too strongly how significant they are and how quickly they bring on havoc.
Even injection wounds, or even smaller borer wounds, which often are a carrier/vector for infection. I have injected many trees for various reasons and do not push the treatment. I go back to the beginning of injections. I give the client all the info and they decide....BUT.....when it comes to my own trees...
like my 80 foot Quercus palustrus that I treasure right in front of my own house and have considered treatment with injections.....I just cannot do it. The trunk is pristine, and why compromise it.....why open it up to infection?? Why take the chance?
My neighbor had me plant a Red bud 2 years ago and a fall. We worked there today. The tree has been perfect and gorgeous. Then last Sept. we are hit with a hurricane. A co dom splits and I cut one side off (no chance for support). Here we are just 5 months into the growing season and the other half of the co dom flags and later wilts entirely. In just that short opportunity..
pathogens have identified this weakened stem (odors in the phloem?), there are sunken cankers all over it and it dies. The rest of the tree is perfect still and hopefully will stay that way and wall off the origin of the infection.
I had a fastigate oak I planted in the tree lawn below my house. I nursed it through the first growing seasons (3 years) hand carrying water down to it every 4 days during the summer and knocking leaf eaters and leafsuckers off it. Then one day my contracted lawn service bumps it. Within a week it is riddled with borer holes that seep and a week later it is dead.
Point being that wounding is a huge thing. I sit in my UFB meetings while the other 6 members ramble on about this and that and no one wants to listen to me about what a huge deal the lawnmower wounds and stringtrimmer strikes are. We have huge old trees in our upper middle class town but all the small trees live about 10 years. Riding a lawn tractor between row trees and a little bump by the 1000 lb vehicle....infection. Get their lazy asses of the machine and hand mow..? no way. Heck, a 4 inch wound is 50 percent of the conductive tissue of some of the trees.
How far away is everything? Pool from tree, house from tree, any other structures around?
The pool and house are out of the drip line of the oak. I can see people getting out of the pool and running around the tree while wet and compacting tho.
