Tree Tops

[Yellowdog]

Hopefully, the pictures make sense and are viewable. I want to fix the two trees in the foreground (left side) of picture. Both trees have been like this for 5-7 years and I am tired of looking at them. There has been root damage due to a road cut in about 7 years ago and again about 5 years ago. I hate to remove the whole tree but there is so much of the trunk that looks dead. Any opinion are appreciated...

 

[treeman82]

I would suggest that you possibly try applying some Cambistat. Prune out the dead wood as needed. Possibly try to aerate around the root system if you have access to an air spade, backfill with a soil that has a high OM content. If you know somebody who has a compost brewer, put some tea in there. You could do those things, or cut them down. Either way.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I would just remove deadwood, leave as much green as possible. The only live stuff I would take would be on tips I felt too trisky to climb.

Get a bucket on that and go to town on the dead tips.

Cambistat may be a good idea, I've seen pictures of stressed plants that hold on with the use, a root stimulant like cytokinin and broad spectrum soil amendment, i like seaweed, but I think you should be able to find some aged manure someplace.

Some sort of soil work that would not disturb the integrity of the remaining root plate may help too. Judiciouse mulching...

 

[Yellowdog]

Excellent advice and thanks for taking the time to edit the picture.

The ground is very rocky. Limestone and not much dirt. I have literally tons of cedar mulch that I am composting and will add to base of the trees. I will find some cambistat.

These trees are live oaks but just out of the frame are spanish oaks which look okay but really fall down in storms, etc. Trailer park across the street so you see why I want to keep these guys. I didn't originally cut the roots so I am not sure how long they have been stressed but I am guessing 6-10 years.

Thanks again

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

That time frame is typical of construction damamge.

It takes 5-6 years for the tree to deplete it's stored energy, then you start really noticing decline 7-8 years from the damaging incedent.

By then the damage is usually irreversble and all we can really do is extend the life of the tree a while. For human use that is ok, but 10 years for a tree that would have lasted 100 more is sorta sad.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

BAsing what I say on the pic and your description, it seems that cutting ONLY deadwood is in order. Mulch etc too.

I've had this be very effective in keeping trees going for a long time. Don't get bullied into cutting all of the trees back to the same height. The tree has adjusted the tops to what can be supported by the roots and visa versa. Keep every bit of the food factory in production instead of stressing it more.

Tom