white oak hit by car

[dts99]

today i looked at a 20 inch white oak that got hit by a drunk driver, it has about a 12inch round chunk of bark missing, i think the tree will be fine i told him i would bark trace the wound and we willl watch it, he doesnt want to lose the tree. he said he heard that if a tree gets damaged like that it could shock it, i agreed, he said he heard that it needs fertalizer. thats were my expertise ran out, i have never worked with fertalzer. i told him, from what i remember reading, that fertalizer shouldnt be used unless you did soil sampling, is there anything that i could tell him or do to help the trees chances?

 

[Bermie]

Yes, trace the wound, get rid of all the rough edges and loose fibres.
Do not fertilize it, all that will accomplish is to push new soft growth at the expense of energy needed to compartmentalize the new wound.
Hopefully, wall 4 will set in strongly and over time the eges of the wound will callus over and join. It may take some time, you may even not get complete closure.

If he's adamant that 'something' needs to be done, you can't go wrong with an application of well rotted compost in the root zone to improve soil condition, tell him that will encourage soil microorganisms that are beneficial for the tree. It's a bit like aspirin, can't hurt, might help.

 

[sgreanbeans]

What he said, never fert a tree that is in stress, unless the stress is form a nutrient deficiency.

 

[husabud]

Hey Bean, as I know it he is a She.

Composting will help just don't overdo it.

 

[sgreanbeans]

Hey Bean, as I know it he is a She.

Composting will help just don't overdo it.

? Bermie is a woman, is that what u are saying? If so, I am sorry, I did not know.LOL!

 

[dts99]

fantastic thats what i thought

 

[dts99]

so it turns out the guy knows the tree will be fine but wants me to condem it in writing so he can get insurance money he wants to use to remove another tree from his property,, gota love people

 

[hunthawkdog]

seen one same deal about 3 to 4 yrs ago its doing good . it had a chunk out of the trunk about 18''x 48'' we got a restorator we use 52 arobic micro organisms it would help fight disease

 

[sgreanbeans]

Dont put cow poop on it

 

[husabud]

That is complete BS! I wouldn't touch that with a twenty foot pole. What happens when you condemn it to death from injury due to that accident and the Ins pays him? Five years from now when they comeback and see the tree is fine, has compartmentalized most of the wound and is thriving, they are gonna be looking for you to get their money back. I hope you've got good liability coverage. Tell him to go screw.:msp_angry:

 

[Wangstang]

so it turns out the guy knows the tree will be fine but wants me to condem it in writing so he can get insurance money he wants to use to remove another tree from his property,, gota love people

Insurance Fraud....stay very far away from that. Not only are their criminal and civil penalties, there is a good chance that no insurance company will ever cover you in any way for any type of insurance in the event that they tie you in on this scam. Hell, I'd be tempted to call the insurance company he's trying to scam and let them know. That's why everyone elses rates are higher than they should be.

Wes

 

[pdqdl]

I think it is more likely that he has incurred some damage as a consequence of the car collision, and is justifiably seeking compensation. Greed might be playing a role, but there is clearly a loss that the auto insurance is liable for.

There is certainly an increased risk of tree decline due to the collision. If nothing else, there will be a significant loss of visual appeal, just on account of the irreparable damage. It really sounds like a job for a tree appraisal expert more than a simple arborist.

Assessing the probability of tree failure is tricky, and the value of the tree...not quite so much, but still a bit technical for your average guy with a chainsaw.

 

[ROPECLIMBER]

Trace the bark,and there is a German scientest that has followed on Shigos studies that has found good results, if done right away with rapping the wound in cheese cloth, and keeping it moist, this keeps the cambium and outer peryncima cells from drying and dying,
the other thing at risk and I have used it to keep the customer Honest, is the CA code of ethics not only could you be charged with insurance fraud you could lose your certification or ability to become Certified,
International Society of Arboriculture
no Pictures and 38 min,
Paul

 

[pdqdl]

In May, 2010, we (accidentally) stripped all the bark off a red oak for about 15" of trunk. EVERY bit of bark was lost about 2'-3' up from the ground. Believe it or not, that tree is still alive two years later!

I thought the tree was going to be dead within days, but the homeowner wrapped the damaged areas in sphagnum/peat moss, then wrapped that with clear plastic to retain all the moisture. Apparently, the peat moss soaked up fluids and passed them on up the tree. The plastic wrap prevented drying out. Even in July, the whole thing was dripping wet, and the customer was adding no water.

As the years went by, the plastic wrap began to fall off. There isn't anything left on the tree now, but it survived two winters and still has green leaves on it. I haven't figured out how any water is making it to the top of the tree, though. There is still NO bark whatsoever for the entire circumference of the tree.

 

[ROPECLIMBER]

Pdqdl, I just listened to that long boring but interesting pod cast again, and he recomended black plastic, I think the cheese cloth was in my mind but might help with sugar transfer to the roots if placed under the black plastic.
The tree pulls the moisture up in the xylem, which behind the cmbium, the Phloem on the out side of the cambium transports the sugars down from the leaves to the roots, so a lot of damaged trees live for several years, but decline early, since they cant promote new root growth as well especially when they have been completly circumvented, my sister lost 2 post oaks when bevers striped the bark all the way around up to 2 feet or so,
Paul

 

[Bermie]

? Bermie is a woman, is that what u are saying? If so, I am sorry, I did not know.LOL!

Busted! Takes some longer to realize it than others

 

[sgreanbeans]

Busted! Takes some longer to realize it than others

LOL, sorry about the "hey dude" now I will say...........................dudette

 

[Bermie]

Haha, I am SO not into being PC...say what you like!:smile2: