Irma caused my large Live Oak to lean

[LBK]

I live in St Petersburg, FL. Apparently Irma's winds here were predominately from the North. The north side of my Live Oak gets very wet and the wind caused her to start to lift up the roots and visibly lean to the south. No roots are exposed, but the area around those roots is visibly raised up and bouncy when I walk across them. I know this is a very big job, probably better left to professionals, however, they are all busy with more pressing storm damage, such as trees on houses and folks with no power. So I get it. But I feel like help for this tree is needed sooner than later.

So my questions are: Can we attach 1 or 2 winches and cables to nearby trees and try to right her and bring her back to vertical? Will doing that help or is she already doomed? If it's worth trying, how high up the tree would be the recommended point for attaching the winches/cables to be effective? Thanks for any advice and thoughts in advance.

 

[jomoco]

The only option I offer clients with uprooting trees, is to cut it back viciously, as much as 75 percent, and see if it resprouts.

Other than that, it gets the big chop.

Good luck n stay safe.

Jomoco

 

[ATH]

I didn't see a tree big enough to try to pull that. Might see if you can anchor it to a big truck? The problem then is you'll need to anchor it to something for a year for those roots to try to grab the ground again.

Some canopy thinning could help...but not enough to damage the viability of the tree.

If that tree falls, what is it going to hit?

 

[LBK]

I didn't see a tree big enough to try to pull that. Might see if you can anchor it to a big truck? The problem then is you'll need to anchor it to something for a year for those roots to try to grab the ground again.

Some canopy thinning could help...but not enough to damage the viability of the tree.

If that tree falls, what is it going to hit?

I didn't see a tree big enough to try to pull that. Might see if you can anchor it to a big truck? The problem then is you'll need to anchor it to something for a year for those roots to try to grab the ground again.

Some canopy thinning could help...but not enough to damage the viability of the tree.

If that tree falls, what is it going to hit?

The two trees along the fence line in the video are big enough to anchor the Live Oak for a year or more. If it falls, the crown may or may not be within reach of the deck off the back of my house. It will be very close and will crush my chicken coop (and maybe my chickens) for sure. Canopy thinning is a must to lighten the weight on the anchor points.

 

[LegDeLimber]

The pro Arborists will have be the judge of this question/thought.

What if you had cable rigged for taking up slack during this process. And then were to use a water hose in a fashion like an air spade
around and under the lifted roots?
I'm wondering *IF* you could do this to allow the roots to settle back closer to their original depth.
Could a person do it without causing fatal damage to the fine roots?

??? I expect that IF this worked, you would need to be extremely thorough in getting the soil Gently and completely back around the roots , yet not (over) "pack" or damage them.

Of course the cabling would need to stay in place until the roots have grown back into the soil.
Again, I say this needs an Arborist opinion.

 

[jomoco]

Folks in Florida post about live oaks requiring vast amounts of roundup to kill.

Whack it, it'll survive, and come back with a vengeance!

Don't be a chicken killer!

Jomoco

 

[ShawnFL]

Thanks LBK for mentioning your post on my recent post. I have a similar problem. Mine are leaning south as well and roots exposed. I think I'm going to do as Jomoco mentions and have it topped / thinned as much as possible.

 

[jomoco]

Remember guys, Quercus virginiana/Southern Live Oaks, are supposed to be hurricane resistant because of their taproots being such effective ground anchors.

But that's only true for trees grown from seeds in natural setting, not manmade containerized, over fertilized n ill conceived suburban settings.

Once you whack it, it's gonna send sprouts out right down to its toes, and it'll take years of selective sprout removal to regain its former dignity and graceful elegance.

Jomoco

 

[ATH]

I agree people screw up root systems for trees in transplanting...but the idea of a "tap root" sticking down into the soil and anchoring trees goes away pretty quickly in a tree's life. It is re wide spreading roots that anchor a tree. It is also those that are inhibited by poor planting practices.

Don't top the tree. Find somebody who knows what they are doing and thin it...but don't top it.

 

[jomoco]

Considering the roots are lifting and compromised already.

More a characteristic than idea.

Could be more than chickens gettin squished in the next big blow.

The southern live oak has a deep tap-root that anchors it when young and eventually develops into an extensive and widespread root system. This, along with its low center of gravity and other factors, makes the southern live oak extremely resistant to strong sustained winds, such as those seen in hurricanes.[10]

Jomoco

 

[jomoco]

Unlike my old pal, detective dendro, I'm unwilling to sacrifice my firstborn son trying to save an oak with discernible and documented faults.

I'm more the ShropShire Slasher type O family bodyguard!

How is my old pal Guy anyways?

Jomoco

 

[Blue Oaks]

It's fairly common out here in CA to build a steel A Frame and support a tree that is leaning for years or decades.

 

[jomoco]

Even with Armillaria shrooms at the base?

Jomoco

 

[ATH]

Considering the roots are lifting and compromised already.

More a characteristic than idea.

Could be more than chickens gettin squished in the next big blow.

The southern live oak has a deep tap-root that anchors it when young and eventually develops into an extensive and widespread root system. This, along with its low center of gravity and other factors, makes the southern live oak extremely resistant to strong sustained winds, such as those seen in hurricanes.[10]

Jomoco

 

[ATH]

It's fairly common out here in CA to build a steel A Frame and support a tree that is leaning for years or decades.

Curious...are they normally pulling them back up or propping them as the lean?

 

[Jed1124]

I didn't look at the pics but is it possible to pull it straight then guy it with a cable to one of those other trees?