Problem with Oaks

[heartland]

Guys... not sure if this is the right forum for this, but it seems more appropriate to post here vs. Commercial Tree Care and Climbing

I have a customer with a problem. Several pics will follow. The facts as I know them are:

-red oak planted approx 18yrs ago as part of back yard landscape project
-tree is surrounded by a brick patio and brick planters
-brick is set in morter

Symptoms: I don't know the technical terms for this so here is my best shot. Appears to be a "girdling" effect happening at the crotches. Don't see it at other parts of the tree: only the crotches. Looks like cambium layer slowly dies off... this continues 360 degrees around the stem, then the entire branch dies.

While I don't know the root cause here, I do know that the roots can't be getting enough oxygen due to the brick patio. The fact that the bricks are set in morter further complicates matters of water and O2 absorption. The tree should be much bigger after 18yrs....it's environment has played a role in that for sure.

Your insights are appreciated here. Pics to follow.

 

[heartland]

more pics.

 

[heartland]

This one shows another limb. Look close above to see some dead leaves.

 

[heartland]

here is one that fell off in a recent wind storm....

 

[heartland]

the whole tree: remember, this is supposedly 18 yrs old!

 

[heartland]

here is the patio.

 

[heartland]

brick and morter

 

[heartland]

this branch is still alive.... there is still enough cambium to keep it alive...

 

[heartland]

the ultimate fate of the branches is death

 

[Treeman14]

Squirrels are chewing on the bark(they do stuff like that) and eventually girdling the limbs. Could be some other rodent type varmint, but most likely a squirrel.

 

[TREETX]

Straight up tree rats. Seen that damage in red oaks, live oaks, cedar elms#1, and pecans.

I couldn't believe it was tree rats either.

I have seen then girdle some big limbs.

Some powdery mildew there too.

.02

 

[heartland]

Squirrels You have to be kidding me

Wouldn't there be some type of "chew" marks?
Are they selective in this habit??? Why only the crotches?

I'm not biting that quickly......

 

[heartland]

What about the other factors: surrounding brick with mortar causes reduced oxygen to roots, causes stressed tree, etc...

BTW - I left this tidbit out earlier: there are other oaks in the yard... 3 live oak out front, 1 live oak on side, another red oak about 10 yards from this one.

The live oaks out front have only two affected branches (that were obvious). The red oak next to this one did not have any.

This tree is saturated with the girdles.

 

[Reed]

There's an issue - however moot due to the nature of Plano and other community/cultural tendencies to occupy a home for 1.3 years then sell and move on - that those Quercus texana's will expire from age related factors in another 10-15 years if those defects don't kill them first. I believe they are surviving the patio factors, fighting the chewing elements, and appear (in spite of the damage) in good health.

I recommend ground cayenne pepper (avaliable in large cannisters at discount grocery warehouses) applied every day to the peripheries of the wounds and base of the truncks.

Also protect those exposed areas from Summer sunlight - keep the suckers established over them.

 

[TREETX]

Originally posted by heartland
Squirrels You have to be kidding me

I'm not biting that quickly......

Wait until you tell the customer, they will feel the same way. I get skwerl call about that damage and also about all the little tips of cedar elms being snipped off when they go out to seed.....

Originally posted by heartland
Wouldn't there be some type of "chew" marks?
Are they selective in this habit??? Why only the crotches?

There should be some chew marks somewhere. Keep in mind that this damage is fairly old. I don't know why but skwerlz have a habit of chewing to wound stuff, letting it callus and then chewing it again - making a huge callus. Seen some make what I call "plates" or "bowls".

 

[TREETX]

Found this Q&A with a google search

Q.Why are chunks of bark gone from a limb of a tree?

A.Consider the possibility that this damage was caused by a squirrel. If this happens during a dry period, the squirrel may be searching for moisture. If that is the case, a pan of water placed at the base of the tree might help. If the squirrel is chewing for other reasons, try treating the area with a rabbit or deer repellent.

 

[heartland]

Hmmm... ok, so has anybody ever tried Fox urine to combat the tree rats?

A friend here in Dallas solved a similar problem by strategically hanging little bottles/viles of fox urine throughout the canopy. Said they must be refreshed every 30 days or so.

I don't know how long the applications need to be maintained.

 

[Stumper]

Pity the climber who has to hold the fox!

 

[TREETX]

Deer are a pest here in Austin.

I have one client that was using some fox/coyote urine in little canisters that hung from the shrubs.

The deer stripped the leaves off all around the canisters. Guess deer don't leave the forest because a fox is there.

Reminds me of the sonic whistles that mount on the front of a vehicle to prevent the problem of smacking deer with your truck. I tried them and found that those things break right off when you hit a deer......

.02

 

[Reed]

There's a big difference between what the fox predats and what a cougar stalks. The San Antonio zoo sells lion urine and it's close enough a feline match that deer around here freak out. We've had big cat visitors but the welfare-supported goat and sheep ranchers shoot them on sight, along with any remaining Golden eagles. Dolph Briscoe, former governor, has the cockpit floor of his Bell Jetranger littered with .22/.220 shell casings. His hobby is eagle hunting. In as much the deer are too many, now slight freaks of what the white tails used to be.

Human hair balls I've seen tied to sensitive plants, but yuck. Another approach is human male semen - I can just see Uncle Henry out there applying a fresh night's coating, another "no thanks". Imagine the Plano Police Dept. trying to sort through that excuse.

Tangle foot pisses squirrels off, and rats too, what's wrong with dusting the cayanne pepper? Too easy? No data?