Request for Pruning Feedback and Advice

[BillyB]

I've been cutting dead branches from mature oaks around my house. After study, most cuts seem reasonably straight forward but this one has me puzzled. I invite your feedback and advice.

Allow me to apologize in advance for not taking photos before cutting and even more importantly, cutting without certainty. I will try to do better.

There was a cluster of two branches attached to the trunk. Both were dead hence my reason for removing them. One was actually an older stump cut whose remnant can be seen to the left in the closeup photo and the other larger one completely bare of bark and threatening to fall. The union with the trunk was V shaped and there was and, as you can see, still is rot in the crotch.

I have had difficulty identifying the branch collar since the lower remaining portion of the branch seems to me to be a parallel component of the trunk. The double branch stem complicated the architecture even more.

Not certain how to address the removal of these branches, after dropping the branches with more distal cuts, with the intention of being conservative, I progressively removed only small sections near the trunk at a time. Eventually, wanting to remove some rot, I wound up cutting vertically through the crotch a few inches then outward more perpendicular to the branch growth in order to then minimize the cut surface. Earlier cuts were higher on the branches but didn't work because of the union of the two branch cluster. I attempted to arrive at more simple and clean lines by pruning the cluster as a single unit rather than each branch independently.

Please advise. Did I do right or did I do wrong? What is this tree's situation now? Have I broken it's protective barriers or not? Is there anything more that should be done given its current status? Do the cuts need adjusting? Please describe any further action you recommend.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Del_]

That is ugly but about the best that can be done. That is not a limb, it is a co dominate leader. It was dead as you say so you had little choice. You will not find a branch collar on a co dom and pathogens now have a direct path into the main trunk. Not much you could have don'e about that though. Looks like a gum.

 

[BillyB]

That is ugly . . .

I agree.

. . . That is not a limb, it is a co dominate leader. You will not find a branch collar on a co dom. . .

I thought it a co dom but didn't want to ask a leading question. Good to have the confirmation. Now I know they don't have collars.

Must've been co dom early in the tree's life because at this point the remainder of the trunk grew to be much taller.

It's interesting to realize the risks associated with a co dom near the base of the tree. If it were higher and broke off naturally, the wound would likely have a top and bottom. Near the base, however, such a wound would reach down to ground level. I could be wrong but this seems to make the trunk even more vulnerable to microbial infection. Would you agree?

I think my understanding of co-dominant leaders is deepening but it's painful.

. . . pathogens now have a direct path into the main trunk. Not much you could have don'e about that though. . . .

They would've had anyway. Right? Do you think it possible that the rot could be contained in the co dom section of the trunk via level 2 (inward protection) or level 3 (lateral protection) barriers? If not, what do you think the main trunk's chances of compartmentalizing rot development?

. . . Looks like a gum.

I'm afraid to ask but what's a "gum"?

 

[ropensaddle]

Gum ie sweet gum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidambar_styraciflua
As far as walls some trees respond by trying to out grow such as gum others are good at compartmentalizing. I agree with del not really much you can do about it but cut the dead or cut the tree. Here at the farm I just cut them but then I have 55000 trees so a poor defect is wiped out of my lands gene pool

 

[BillyB]

Gum ie sweet gum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidambar_styraciflua
As far as walls some trees respond by trying to out grow such as gum others are good at compartmentalizing.

This one's actually an oak. Would that make it a good compartmentalizer? If so, does that capability decline with age

. . . Here at the farm I just cut them . . . . so a poor defect is wiped out of my lands gene pool

Are you saying trees can be genetically predisposed toward developing co-dominant leaders?

. . . I have 55000 trees . .

That's alot of trees!!! How'd you come to own so much responsibility?

 

[ropensaddle]

This one's actually an oak. Would that make it a good compartmentalizer? If so, does that capability decline with age

Are you saying trees can be genetically predisposed toward developing co-dominant leaders?

That's alot of trees!!! How'd you come to own so much responsibility?]

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