Leaning Tree - Post Oaks

[Beki]

I live an established neighborhood rich in Post Oaks. My next door neighbor and I both have some in our front yards that are leaning. These trees are a good 25 feet tall and the homes are over 20 years old.

They hired a certified arborist to trim their trees. I had him come over and look at mine to give a quote. He used both our trees as examples. He said that by simply trimming the trees to give them access to more sunlight would make them straighten up. He also used a whole lot of big words that I learned in elementary school - this made me really doubt his sales pitch.

Since these trees are established and leaning at about a 10 to 15 degree angle, can the sun straighten them? Will it happen within my lifetime?

Thanks for giving me any information you may have.

 

[ctrees4$]

An established leaning tree will also have an established root system that should support its own structure,that is if it has grown naturaly over its lifespan.Also you can look at the branch structure of the tree...are the limbs larger on the opposite of lean side.
Trimming your trees will not make them grow straight but with proper prunning ( using lateral and directional cuts ) you may gain a desired shape.Without any pictures I would say don't trim anything until you get a second opinion.

 

[Beki]

Thank you

That is what I thought. How can simple sunlight totally straighten a tree of that state of its life up. You can make it look straight but to explect the whole trunk to correct itself. Even a baby tree needs staking to make it happen.

Thank you so much for your insight.

 

[forestryworks]

25yrs old? At that age, and as slow as Post Oak grows in your area, you won't see them straighten much in your lifetime.

 

[Beki]

Power up

Once a tree is established, what good is fertilizer? If you have Post Oaks that are huge but yet not full is there a way to make them perk up with fertilizer?

 

[Ed Roland]

Beki, trees grow from the tips outward. Fertilizer is a big no no without soil test.

 

[Beki]

I know, no swings in the sky

Yes, I know that, learned it when I was a kid. That is why old trees in the country don't have swings in the top part of the trees! Think about it, would that not be funny?

So how do you know to deal with a huge tree? The roots are as deep as the tree is wide. I have some where I suppose it is time to let them go - old age.

Thank you for your comments

 

[Ed Roland]

Biomass already established will remain crooked. Growth going forward may be effected.

Mulch is the best fertilizer.

 

[treeseer]

So how do you know to deal with a huge tree? The roots are as deep as the tree is wide. I have some where I suppose it is time to let them go - old age.

Old age is no reason to die. Post pictures, please. No reason to give up on them without knowing your options.

Ed's right, and no, the roots are not that deep.

I don't trust guys who throw big words around either, but yes trimming can balance trees. If they are older trees, only a little should come off at a time, <20%.

 

[ThePruner]

Doubt that they'll straighten at that age. What shape there is already there will remain. The new growth from the tip might start growing straight after a trim.

 

[Rftreeman]

I'd like to see a before and after picture of a straightened tree using this method....

that guy sounds like an old friend of mine who used big words and most of the time made himself look like an idiot trying to use them.....

 

[xtm]

Beki,
JMO, but I wouldn't do any significant pruning on a Post Oak for a long while. All of north Texas just went through a severe summer drought with many severe 100 deg.+ days, and any unnecessary cutting on it is bound to further stress it. I haven't seen a photo of yours, but the really large Post Oaks around here are several hundred years old - and don't respond well to anything messing with their roots or main limbs. Besides all that, this unnecessary "Lifting the Canopy Pruning Program" that is heavily promoted by so many of the drive-by tree hackers around here is, IMHO, a racket that does nothing but add further stress to the oaks and other long-lived trees. My personal rule is to never prune an oak unless there is a good reason to do it - ie. a limb is endangering the house, or in the way. Routine pruning to let in more sunlight so you can grow St. Augustine, or because you think the tree will look prettier is silliness - the tree put on that growth for a reason, and you are battling Mother Nature...

Do you really have Post Oaks?
http://www.oplin.org/tree/fact pages/oak_post/oak_post.html

For some reason, many of these local "experts" call our Blackjack Oaks "Post Oaks", too....and they typically take on a lean because of their close proximity to other BlackJacks.

If you want to really do your oaks a favor and watch them thrive like never before, then forget the synthetic fertilizers and try Howard Garrett's Sick Tree Treatment, particularly the broad expanses of mulch and root aeration.
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=130

xtm