Can 60 Foot PINE Be Saved??

shaytala

Last night I was woken from a dead sleep to the sound of breaking wood.
I have a steep hill with a pine tree on it approx 50 feet from my bedroom patio door. The pine tree is about 60 feet tall. I live in San Diego and I bought this home specifically because I loved this beautiful pine tree and the feel it gave of being in the mountains.

A branch approx 7-9" across broke off and when it did it took out a second branch below it also the same diameter. The break occurred about 20 feet up the tree and the bottom branch is still slightly attached only because of the steepness of the hill (it feel directly on the hill side) and their are about 9 small 2 inch in diameter branches resting all along my back fence at the top of the hill.

This was not a break a few inches out from the base of the tree...it looks like a mangled splintered mess up there and the "wound showing fresh bark is about 3 feet tall. The top branch stripped the bark as it came down.

I thought I would just have someone come and cut off the branches tar the wound and be done. I met with someone this morning and he pointed out that the pine was leaning towards my house AND that the two branches that fell were THE ONLY branches giving balance to the tree...ie once they are cut off all other branches are on the "house side". He therefore brought up the fact I should remove the tree completely.

If there were a way to save the tree even if I have to cut it way down that's what I'd like to do. I don't care it it doesn't look too pretty I only want to know if it can be topped and pruned and the wound sealed?

Appreciate any thoughts.

dannyboysfc

1. Wound sealing is somewhat of an old practice and believed to not be of any benefit. Topping will permanently disfigure and ruin the tree, and can also lead to other problems.

2. Pictures are necessary to give any advice. A closeup of the wound, one of the whole tree, and one of the tree in relation to your house would be excellent.

3. I could give you contact info to someone in the San Diego area for a second opinion and tree work if you are able to PM me.

shaytala

What does PM you mean?

Is there a way to attach pictures to my post? I can do that.

dov

Easiest way is to use the 'Insert Image' button above the text field when you post something to the forum. See the pic below. Also note that all pics must be uploaded to the forum itself - links to pics on remote servers are blocked.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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southsoundtree

Don't go on one guy's, "you better remove it or it will fall on your house. Actually, you better pay me to remove it or it will fall on your house". Get an experienced tree preservationist's opinion, be him/ her an ISA-certified arborist or otherwise. So many people are just removal wizards. There is more money in the job for them to remove it than prune two branches. Unless you have beetle problems, which you may, the wound dressing is a no-no. Expect to have to pay for good advice, like if you go to the doctor. Ask a mortician, and you'll be told to cut it all apart. A consultation is a small price to pay compared to buying the home for the tree.

Pictures please.

treeshaveneeds

Good advice Southsound. There are many White Pines in Northern Ontario that are largely or completely one sided thru ongoing wind damage. The Group of Seven though they were quite picturesque and painted them. One sided trees can last for several decades.