Question about Oak Wilt

[tree md]

I removed a large Red Oak earlier this week and although it showed no signs of Oak Wilt, It had definitely been invaded by some type of pathogen. I have more large Oaks to prune (deadwood only) at this same location in the future. My question is how concerned should I be about spreading Oak Wilt or another pathogen. Should I wait until the leaves drop? I sanitized my handsaw with mineral spirits, what should I do to sanitize my 200T?

 

[2dogs]

A possible resource.

http://www.suddenoakdeath.org/index.html

 

[tomtrees58]

yes did you spike it if so that to tom trees

 

[tree md]

Yeah, I spiked the removal. I don't spike prune jobs but will sanitize my spikes to be cautious. I blew my chainsaws out with an airgun. Should I pour some mineral spirits on the bar and chain as well?

 

[tree md]

A possible resource.

http://www.suddenoakdeath.org/index.html

Thanks for the link. very informative.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

You should be very concerned about spreading a given pathogen. You should sanitize all gear used on oak wilt jobs with a 10% bleach solution. Chains should be removed and autoclaved or discarded after the gig. Ropes can be washed in sealed pillow cases or net bags. Use the large, vertical drum machines at the laundermat. Air drying will usually be OK, afterwards.

 

[tree md]

Wow, I never even though about my ropes. Thanks for the advice!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I heard that there is a hypoxilon (sp?) problem in TX, it tends to show like a wilt, but takes longer to progress.

 

[OLD CHIPMONK]

In Savannah, Ga.- Hypoxilon is still on the rampage. Not good fror gracious Oaks. A lot of Oak leaf wilt, and gall, due to the tremendous amount of rain and humidity. Pine beetles are less noticible, but lightning strikes are up.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Hypoxylon canker is showing up in numbers I have never seen before. We are taking out sycamores and pecans that are rotting away, by degrees. I wrote to Dr. David Appel, a world authority on Oak Wilt and other tree pathogens, and asked him what was up with the huge increase in HC. He told me it is more of an opportunistic pathogen that preys on stressed trees, rather than an aggressive invader. Since heat-stressed and water-deprived trees are everywhere, down here, the increase in HC is not that surprising. I just got back from trimming a sycamore on one of my properties. Unfortunately, the dead limbs are showing HC. Since I caught them early, I can hope that the HC has not gotten into the rest of the tree, but that's doubtful. I'll probably be taking down the tree within a year, if not sooner.

 

[tree md]

Any idea what the growth is at the base of this oak? There is even a swelling of the ground at the base of the tree where there is ground swell out to around 5' of the base. This is at the same residence where I did the large take down last week with the huge cavity. The cavity began as a growth such as the one pictured here on another tree in the yard. It soon had an infestation of carpenter ants that I treated with pesticide. Eventually the growth rotted out into the large cavity I had pictured in the other thread. I am hopeful that he will not have to remove the other Oaks. Also pictured is some of the large dead limbs I have to remove. One of the trees pictured is the Oak with the growth and the other is a neighboring Oak with no growth at the base. This is why I am so concerned about sanitizing my equipment. I don't want to spread any pathogens to the trees I have to deadwood.

You might notice that much of the canopy is gone from these trees. They were severely damaged in an ice storm a year and a half ago and lost much of their canopy.

Any ideas of what is going on with these trees?

 

[treeseer]

the swelling/burl is not unusual and may be a sign of disease and may not--tap test for hollow, and drill if you REALLY gotta know more.

Crowns mangled by ice shoulda been pruned at the time or at least in winter. now when leaves are still forming is a bad time; late summer better.

Hypoxylon is endophytic--in the tree latent until stressed, then spreads. ice damage and lack of care is definitely a bad stressor. hc can be compartmentalized if the tree gets reinvigorated by root therapy.

 

[tree md]

the swelling/burl is not unusual and may be a sign of disease and may not--tap test for hollow, and drill if you REALLY gotta know more.

Crowns mangled by ice shoulda been pruned at the time or at least in winter. now when leaves are still forming is a bad time; late summer better.

Hypoxylon is endophytic--in the tree latent until stressed, then spreads. ice damage and lack of care is definitely a bad stressor. hc can be compartmentalized if the tree gets reinvigorated by root therapy.

I forgot to mention that I found carpenter ants in the growth about a month ago when it was shown to me. I treated with pesticide and they weren't present when I removed the other tree last week. However it is the exact same scenario that led to the large cavity in the other tree. I would like to have already taken care of the pruning but funding is an issue.

 

[tree md]

Was just thinking about my grandfather telling me about the American Chestnuts that were so plentiful when he grew up. They were wiped out in his lifetime by the blight. Not too far fetched to think something like that could happen to our mighty Oaks. Imagine how different our landscape would be without our majestic Oaks. What a nightmare that would be.

 

[Grace Tree]

spam

.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Was just thinking about my grandfather telling me about the American Chestnuts that were so plentiful when he grew up. They were wiped out in his lifetime by the blight. Not too far fetched to think something like that could happen to our mighty Oaks. Imagine how different our landscape would be without our majestic Oaks. What a nightmare that would be.

After seeing the pictures of the Michigan EAB destruction I look at the neighborhoods where they are around 90% of the canopy, a virtual clearcut in the cities. Such a high price to pay for globalization, right up there with outsourcing. (My wife is worried that here IT job might be on the chopping block, and many of Wisconsin's auto jobs have gone to Mexico this year.)

I've been on a number of OW jobs where the DNR authorized what amounts to suburban logging sales on highend residential properties; forwarding paths, yarding sites, blow down everything as quick and dirty as possible within the marked area.