Is my tree on the verge of falling over?

[Rod78]

We've just gotten through a windy spell here in the Mojave Desert, and my wife pointed out to me how the ground has cracked around the 30' tall pine tree in our front yard. There is a network of inch-wide fissures in the dry dirt on the upwind side of the tree, suggesting the root is trying to come up out of the ground. It's too late in the evening for me to take pictures of it, but I will try to post photos tomorrow, if it will help. Let me know what other information you need to determine whether my tree is in danger. Thanks in advance.

Rod

 

[Adkpk]

In the mean time, don't be sleeping underneath it.:biggrinbounce2:

 

[Ekka]

Rod, here ya go mate, have a read, it's on it's way, roots are like ropes and work in tension the upwind ones are affected.

http://www.palmtreeservices.com.au/news/2007/01/

 

[Rod78]

Here are some photos. The first three are just photos of the cracks in the ground from various angles, so that you can get a feel for how severe the problem is. I've also attached a photo taken from across the street, which would be from the north side of the house looking south, and another from the driveway, which would be from the east side of the tree looking west. Look for a few more photos in my next post.

Ignore the other, smaller tree in my front yard.

Notice that the tree branches about six feet above the ground. One sub-trunk (I'm sorry I don't know the correct arborist lingo) grows upward to the north, and the other sub-trunk grows upward to the northeast. I'm wondering if I could save the tree just by removing the northeast half of the tree.

 

[Rod78]

Here are a couple more pictures. The first is taken from beside the house, looking north at the tree. The second is a close-up of the pine needles, which I have posted in the hopes that someone can identify the species of tree for me.

I would really like to keep my tree, if that is possible, but if it is in imminent danger of falling over, I'll have to have it removed, because I can't risk it falling on my house or my driveway. Any help or advice from you is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Rod

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Are winds like that norma, or only a few times every several years?

It looks like the basal heave is on the house side of the tree, is that so?

Does the tree lean away from the houes as the pictures lead me to believe?

Sitting here in Milwaukee county leads me to believe that the heave was not severly damaging and that failure would most likely take the tree away from the house.

If there are major suportive roots broken, then over time the tree may start to fail in that direction due to decay. Like a stool with a bad leg, it will beging to lean that direction. A plumb bob installed on a branch and measured on a annual basis can tell you if this is happening.

Roots are poor anchors, which is why they need so many branchings to help hold on, when soils are either very wet or very dry and loose, then the cohesion is lost and root can pull trhough the soil. This is why you see so many root plate failures after hurricanes.

The what would I do senario is maybe;

• thining the crown at the tips to reduce weight, do not gut the center, except for deadwood. Over thinning can cause other problems that lead to branch failure, also the needles have the chloroplasts that are the engine that drives the tree.
  
• install a plumb bob on an eye screw to monitor any movement towards the likley root loss, place a surveyors stake directly under the bob.
  
• ensure that the tree gets sufficient water for the species and maybe a soil treatment that would stimulate root growth.
  
  

 

[Rod78]

John,

I've only lived here a few years, but my impression is that windy spells of this severity are rare. We do, however, have numerous earthquakes, most of which are too slight for a human to feel. Only about once a year do I feel the earth move under my feet and get all shook up.

The tree, as a whole, leans toward the driveway. Were it to fall, it is wide enough to crunch the front of the garage, and potentially break enough branches from the other tree to kill it. The heave is opposite the tree from the driveway.

I may try the plumb bob idea, but I get the sense that if there is a problem, it is imminent, and I should take action fast.

What would be the consequences of removing the northeast-leaning section of tree?

Thanks for all your help.

Rod

 

[treeseer]

Pruning is indicated, but whacking off half the tree seems extreme. Reduce or remove smaller branches to correct the lean. And for goodness' skae mulch the root system; It will hold on better if it is not heat- and moisture- stressed

 

[Treeman587]

I like these. opcorn:

 

[neighborstree]

i would get some cables put it it and 2 or 3 to anchor it , atleast when it does fall., its leaning away from the house. but i would say cable it and give the roots some time to heal.

 

[lees trees]

trim

looks as it has never been trimmed. If you can't see through it the wind can't pass through it. We have alot of exp, with wind blown trees and they don't have to go.

 

[treeseer]

looks as it has never been trimmed. If you can't see through it the wind can't pass through it. We have alot of exp, with wind blown trees and they don't have to go.

Lee County, lee's trees. I get it! that's a good name!

 

[Ekka]

Looks like a pretty dodgey co-dominant toward the base, how about some close up pics of where those two main leaders meet.

I thought the ground was dry and hard here, that looks bad.

 

[pinus]

If the lean is not pointing to house or to other critical points then the supporting cable(s) and after that the one-time strong flooding of the soil around the trunk to tighten it and after that the slight addition of some additional soil, if cavity forms can help to the tree..

 

[treeseer]

If the lean is not pointing to house or to other critical points then the supporting cable(s) and after that the one-time strong flooding of the soil around the trunk to tighten it and after that the slight addition of some additional soil, if cavity forms can help to the tree..

pinus, that's exactly what we did to a Cryptomeria after a hurricane. A 60-degree lean went back to about 85 degrees.

 

[lees trees]

leaning hard

I drive by a 60ft Hack berry every day that we stood back up after Wilma. It was flat on the ground totally up rooted. gave it shot and stood the tree back up glad we did, one year and some fertilizer and its like it never happened