What is wrong with this cut?

[natemason01]

My ex-business partner made this cut (no, really he did) on a street oak in Oregon in early June and the result is an unsightly sap flow that has been attracting flies. We removed several other large limbs from a similar oak sitting next to it and they are drying nicely, no sap flow, but the other cuts were closer to the branch collar. This limb was the biggest one we removed and it was growing very vigorously upwards and over the woman's house at a 45 degree angle, pushing past and through what seemed to be older, more horizontal limbs.

Aside from the aesthetics, I am worried about the health of the tree. What went wrong in the first place, and what should I do to fix it? Recut closer to the branch collar? Watching the tree ooze sap and attract flies and hoping it doesn't rot doesn't seem like a good option.

Thanks for your advice.

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[BarkBuster20]

I am not an arborist, but i dont see anything wrong with this cut.... Whats the problem? I do know enough about trees to know that the cut will not affect the health of the tree. kind of wasted your time worrying about it IMO.

 

[jus2fat]

You cut way too close to the main tree base.

You should have cut at least 6" farther out..why not..??

J2F

 

[Tree Pig]

Not to shabby.

I have to agree I do not see a lot wrong with it. Maybe the time of the year if it was just cut considering its drought conditions in most parts of the US, you dont want to get closer to the branch collar IMHO

 

[Jed1124]

You cut way too close to the main tree base.

You should have cut at least 6" farther out..why not..??

J2F

That's called leaving a stub which is a bad thing. The tree will not compartmentalize the wound and will lead to rot.

 

[Carburetorless]

It may be slightly too close, hard to tell what was there before. You can't add back on though, so it's best to cut them slightly long, then trim a bit more if necessary.

Other than that, it may be on the sunny side of the tree, and is therefore more active.

 

[derwoodii]

Nothing seen worng with his cut or work apart than

on a street oak in Oregon in early June

as down here, your not suppose to prune local government street trees unless authorized. Its no biggy, if your doing sensible tasks but your working on public lands and brings in other factors if things do go wrong.

That wound weeping should seal its self off in time

 

[ch woodchuck]

Pic 006

there may be a problem with callusing...it appears the outer bark is separated from the cambium,that ain't good..
Also there appears to be an old stain flow down the trunk on that older(Flush) cut.Looks like the lichens in that area are dead...As are the lichens around the newer cut.Wondering if that might be bacterial wetwood.That would account for the dead lichens.And also account fro the fact the upper wound hasn't fully callused.The organism will not allow for the growth of new wood.Meaning ''if'' it is BW that area may be an issue down the road.If it smells or tastes funky,thats it.Not much of a bother to healthy trees though.

cheers...beers!

 

[jus2fat]

OK..first off i want to acknowledge that your ex-partner made the cut and not you

The cut looks looks fairly small..so maybe will heal..if not fungus could set in.

Your partner was an idiot for cutting that close to the main stem..!!

Hopefully, it will seal itself..otherwise in time the tree will have to be dropped..
and this coming back on you as the contractor.

There was absolutely no reason to have cut that branch so close to the tree..!!

I really hope this works out well for you in the end..hopefully a good lesson learned..!!

J2F

 

[treemandan]

My ex-business partner made this cut (no, really he did) on a street oak in Oregon in early June and the result is an unsightly sap flow that has been attracting flies. We removed several other large limbs from a similar oak sitting next to it and they are drying nicely, no sap flow, but the other cuts were closer to the branch collar. This limb was the biggest one we removed and it was growing very vigorously upwards and over the woman's house at a 45 degree angle, pushing past and through what seemed to be older, more horizontal limbs.

Aside from the aesthetics, I am worried about the health of the tree. What went wrong in the first place, and what should I do to fix it? Recut closer to the branch collar? Watching the tree ooze sap and attract flies and hoping it doesn't rot doesn't seem like a good option.

Thanks for your advice.

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That's not sap, its vodka, and if it ain't I sure wish it was about now.

 

[treemandan]

Nothing seen worng with his cut or work apart than as down here, your not suppose to prune local government street trees unless authorized. Its no biggy, if your doing sensible tasks but your working on public lands and brings in other factors if things do go wrong.

That wound weeping should seal its self off in time

Every time I go into town to work I tell my customers that I am afraid I am about to be arrested for doing tree work without a permit.They give me an odd look and I splash one across the street just as the head of counsel usually does show up ( he don't do nothing but drive around sucking down Jewish oxygen), leaves his truck running in the middle of the street for hours while he tell me how drunk ,stoned, broke and indicted everybody is. I kinda would like to ask him for a job but I can't get up that early. Well its more like I won't than can't.

 

[treemandan]

OK..first off i want to acknowledge that your ex-partner made the cut and not you

The cut looks looks fairly small..so maybe will heal..if not fungus could set in.

Your partner was an idiot for cutting that close to the main stem..!!

Hopefully, it will seal itself..otherwise in time the tree will have to be dropped..
and this coming back on you as the contractor.

There was absolutely no reason to have cut that branch so close to the tree..!!

I really hope this works out well for you in the end..hopefully a good lesson learned..!!

J2F

Yer right! And now I think we all are gonna die now because if it. No, you ain't right, I am just being an ####### but I sure wish fer death cause i can't take to much more of this.

 

[jus2fat]

Hopefully in about a month..the end of September..the sap flow will subside.

Then the tree can start recuperating and sealing the cut made.

If it can accomplish that over the winter....You're good..!!

J2F

 

[Jed1124]

Yer right! And now I think we all are gonna die now because if it. No, you ain't right, I am just being an ####### but I sure wish fer death cause i can't take to much more of this.

it's ok Dan, It's ok. i feel your pain.............

 

[treemandan]

The sap flow is good, its helping keep it wet. The best thing to do after a cut is to bore out the heartwood while leaving the cabium intact and smearing some cut paste on it BUT we all know what world we are living in so fire up that Silky and go nuts.

 

[sgreanbeans]

opcorn:

 

[ch woodchuck]

Don't worry!It's gonna get worse..Ya'll spare a little of that popcorn....?

 

[rtsims]

You cut way too close to the main tree base.

You should have cut at least 6" farther out..why not..??

J2F

Why not..?? Because were not pruning a fruit tree in the hopes to make it produce more fruit.

 

[swngsfrmrps]

Well what we get here is called oak wilt it is when a large cut is made during the spring and summer months and beetles bring the spores to a fresh cut and effects the tree that way so you might want to keep an eye on it.

 

[056kid]

OH, that cut is all wrong! Wrong angle, wrong direction, wrong weather during the cut, wrong bar & chain used for the cut, and I'm sure his hat was tilted completely wrong. . . It will be a dadgum miracle of that tree lives another day!