Silk Oak in Tucson AZ

[ellenwilliscong]

We purchased a house 2 years ago with a large silk oak near (15 feet) the house. Directly West of the Silk Oak is a desert Willow that provides some shade in the yard, but none to the house yet.
The Silk Oak is messy, not particularly pretty because I'm sure no one has pruned it. It is taller than our 2 story home and I am concerned about the brittleness that I have read about.
It does give some shade for the really harsh West side of the house and of course that matters a lot here.
How do I prune it to keep it healthy and make it look better, or due to the brittleness of the tree should I take it down and hope that the Desert Willow grows fast so that we have more shade.

 

[treeseer]

How do I prune it to keep it healthy and make it look better, or due to the brittleness of the tree should I take it down.

Brittleness is way overhyped. Good pruning will make it a lot safer, and retain the asset. Call a professional. Cutting it down would be an unfortunate error. Willow is not a tree to favor--talk about brittle!

Post pictures here if you want specific advice.