Oak Tree Problem

paul06

I have not found a similar post regarding this problem. I have an opening in the trunk that I believe is a "canker". I had an arborist out to look at is last Fall. He said it was "sound" and all that it needed was a trim and a cable to shore up a Y. I looked at the trunk today, and it appeared like within the canker, the wood is rotting. The diameter of the trunk is 9 feet. The opening of the canker at its widest is 6 inches. I am concerned mainly because the beautiful tree is close to the house and should it fall in that direction I hate to think of it. The height of the tree is around 30-40 feet. I have pictures and will try to get them on with this post. This is my first post, so I am not fully aquainted with all the ins and out of doing this. Thank You
Paul06

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Brent Ferris

I expect the tree is 9 feet in circumference (distance around the trunk) and about 3 feet in diameter (distance across). The likelihood of a 9 foot diameter oak still existing is really small.
Closeups of the leaves would allow id of the type of oak.
However, most oaks contain rot fairly well. It is obviously an old injury, and the callus tissue that the tree produces to contain rot has been actively growing for some years. Eventually, the callus tissue will envelop the rot, as the tree grows larger. The rot will always remain, contained within the live wood of the trunk. How much of an issue the rot is (right now) depends on the extent of the rot -- ie how deep does the rot go into the trunk, and up the trunk/down into the roots -- and the configuration of the crown, and its structural stability.
If the tree continues to live, (and 3 ft in diameter still has growing to go) as the years go by, more wood outside the rot will enhance the strength of the trunk. Oak normally resists breakage from windstorms quite well.
More of an opinion requires different shots of the tree and crown from different directions, and preferably an idea of North and location of the street.

paul06

Thank you for your reply. You are absolutely right about the size of the trunk. I knew it was “circumference”, but for some reason known only to someone greater than myself, it came out as Diameter. Re: the leaves, I have enclosed a photograph. I feel better about the “rot” since your explanation. Although I am not familiar with the term “callus” , your explanation is clear as to what this is. I am not sure how deep the rot extends. Would it be safe to remove the rot that I see to discover the extent of its depth ? The canker is approx 8 to 10 ft high. How can I tell if it extends beyond the canker and into the roots? As requested I have enclosed different views, including the crown and upper branches. Most shot taken from the NE direction. One shot contains a 2x6 laying on the ground pointing in a northerly direction

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Brent Ferris

On the positive side, the crown seems well rounded, the strong trunk wood is towards the house, and given oaks' strength, the likelihood of wind damage is small. The leaves suggest an oak in the Red Oak group - not quite as strong as White oak, but still pretty good., If the wind was strong enough to break limbs, it might also be strong enough to damage the house. At this point, damage would likely be considered "an act of God".

What direction is the prevailing wind from? And the direction of the worst storms?


The rot can be probed with a sharp object, trying only to ascertain the depth and breadth of the rot, not penetrate live wood. There is no real advantage removing the dead, rotting wood - it will eventually decay within the tree. If you do remove it, it is more likely to be a home for animals, wasps, bees, ants, and then you would prob want to fill the void with something. Just leave it be, and only probe the depth with perhaps a long spike and note dimensions - particularly with regard to the diameter of the trunk.

TreeSpecialist

The tree is definitely in the red oak family - most of which compartmentalize decay very poorly.

The "canker" you mention appears to be an old lightning strike. The pictures show what appears to be scar callous not only along the sides of the wound and extending above the open part of the wound for some distance.

Red oaks hit by lightning typically will eventually loose the entire diameter of the tree at the time of the injury - in other words, the trunk is soon to be quite hollow. Included in this column of decay will also be the root system at the time of the injury.

While the crown remains quite healthy biologically, the trunk will become weaker in time as its "modulus of elasticity" or bending coefficient is changing. In short, it will be more likely to fail in high winds in the future.

The tree should be evaluated by a more experienced arborist who can do a full hazard tree assessment or evaluation.

Reduction of the crown to limit wind loading may be needed.

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Eric Frei

An application of Cambistat will also help increase root mass, slow growth and offer further decay resistance.

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paul06

Thanks for your replies. I have been reading and deciding which direction to proceed. After hearing the answers from you very knowledgable people, I think the I am going to call an arborist to come out and examine this situation.

Paul