Health question on this White Oak

[JTinaTree]

Was at a new customers house Monday removing some dead wood, on his Oaks. They appeared to be 50-60 years of age, the second one in the pictures is in poor health.. It is peeling its bark but appears to have good wood underneath on some locations.. It also has plenty of healthy buds.

It had some storm damage, and root damage/compaction from the driveway. Will root damage cause the tree to look like this? Any help would be great I would like to advise the customer if it can be saved or not?? I told him I would get some certified arborist to have a look at the pics. Also while Im at it, what causes so many suckers on White Oaks? or is this just because they have never been pruned.. They sure make it hard to move around in canopy, they ranged 12-24 inches lenght wise.

 

[treeseer]

Trees seem to have multiple issues. If they are post oaks, it looks like a canker disease that they only get. Just keep cutting the dead stuff off and don't remove live branches, including epicormics, until the trees surge back.

 

[mckeetree]

Looks like Quercus Stellata. Some of that appears to be old mechanical damage of some sort. Other looks like a type of canker common in Post Oaks. The suckers can be stress related.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Yep, what they said. Though I do not know Q. stellata if it bighting me in my minimal glute.

http://www.dogpile.com/dogpile/ws/r...e/iq=true/zoom=off/_iceUrlFlag=7?_IceUrl=true

I would want to do some soil work with activated compost, or worm castings in the amending soils.

What is the soil type, is it easily compacted? Could you convince the client to put a perennial prairie garden under the tree. These plants have rootsystems that can reach 6-8 ft in 5 years. Very good for deep remedy of deep compaction.

Even though you are in the Carolina Highlands, it looks like there is more then enough light to use this method. Though "grassland" and woodland soil ecologies are greatly different, it is a relatively quick and cheap way to start.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I think it's problem is obvious!

 

[lumberjack333]

stressed oak

I agree with mckeetree and treeseer, the epicormics and/or the sprouts are both indications that the tree is stressed probably in response to another issue like darkface scarring from mechanical damage, or fungus and cankers. Prune back as much dead crown as possible and then wait a season and see how the tree does, looking at the damage to the roots though it seems that there will always be an open scar in contact with the ground. This means there will always be an opening for rot and disease to enter the tree, an increment borer may indicate roughly how much of the bole has succumb to rot and let you know if the tree is worth saving or if its just going to be a removal five years down the road.

 

[treeseer]

well yeah root loss to pavement may be the primary stressor but...

mckee, you got pics of post oak canker in tx? I'm trying to get info to sinclair/lyon on this, or someday to ID it somehow. the q stellata on duke east campus are full of it. JT you oughta come to durham sometime and look.

And listen to jps--most of the problems are under the ground, so that's where the solutions might be.

 

[JTinaTree]

well yeah root loss to pavement may be the primary stressor but...

mckee, you got pics of post oak canker in tx? I'm trying to get info to sinclair/lyon on this, or someday to ID it somehow. the q stellata on duke east campus are full of it. JT you oughta come to durham sometime and look.

And listen to jps--most of the problems are under the ground, so that's where the solutions might be.

I have not studied Tree Biology/Arborculture but Im always wanting to learn more.. I would like to educate people in my town, not just say oh well that tree needs to be removed.

Never been to Duke campus and seen there trees but, would like too though.
I now relized that the Post Oak in my picture may have the canker disease..
If so any thing you can do for it??

 

[Ed Roland]

Yep, what they said. Though I do not know Q. stellata if it bighting me in my minimal glute.

http://www.dogpile.com/dogpile/ws/r...e/iq=true/zoom=off/_iceUrlFlag=7?_IceUrl=true

I would want to do some soil work with activated compost, or worm castings in the amending soils.

What is the soil type, is it easily compacted? Could you convince the client to put a perennial prairie garden under the tree. These plants have rootsystems that can reach 6-8 ft in 5 years. Very good for deep remedy of deep compaction.

Even though you are in the Carolina Highlands, it looks like there is more then enough light to use this method. Though "grassland" and woodland soil ecologies are greatly different, it is a relatively quick and cheap way to start.

JPS, i would like very much to look into this. Any sources of info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mckeetree]

well yeah root loss to pavement may be the primary stressor but...

mckee, you got pics of post oak canker in tx? I'm trying to get info to sinclair/lyon on this, or someday to ID it somehow. the q stellata on duke east campus are full of it. JT you oughta come to durham sometime and look.

And listen to jps--most of the problems are under the ground, so that's where the solutions might be.

I thought I had some file pics of nectria but if I do I can't find them. Nectria canker in Stellata looks different than it does in some other varieties and I think I see it in the first pic posted. Hypoxylon canker is a real problem in Post Oaks too.

 

[treeseer]

Nectria canker in Stellata looks different than it does in some other varieties and I think I see it in the first pic posted. Hypoxylon canker is a real problem in Post Oaks too.

May not be Nectria, but Cryphonectria, aka Chestnut blight. I'm not sure that it is either.
I rarely see hypoxylon on post oaks here.

re treatment, JPS has a plan. There is no "stuff" to treat it with directly. Tree has uphill battle due to bulldozer blight.

JT, the best thing you can do is buy the sinclair/lyon book and start using it. NCSU offers no training on tree care; local resources suck. You can visit ncufc.org for events, but they have little on tree care.

Out tax dollars wasted. :censored:

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I'd hit this tree with some Cambistat, then rent a lawn core aerator and use it in an area to about 200 feet from the tree. And then rake some compost around. Don't forget to water during drought.
Got a bigger shot of the root zone?

 

[treesandsurf]

I would want to do some soil work with activated compost, or worm castings in the amending soils.

Activated compost? Being a hort student, I should know.... but could you elaborate JPS?

jp