Hollow in a dogwood

[Omarius]

Hello everyone, I'm a first-time poster.

I searched google, but could not find an answer to this quandry:

we have a HUGE dogwood tree in our front yard, the biggest I've ever seen. It has a hollow where a large branch broke off. It's probably 5" in diameter at the top and goes 6" down as long as I can reach, though it seems to taper off deep into the tree. It is upward-facing and
was full of dirt, which I was digging out
for sheer curiosity's sake. The wood
around the hollow is squishy and light brown.

Is there anything I should do to fix the hollow? I thought about perhaps letting it dry out and capping it with a piece of plywood or something, but thought I should find out more before acting. Was it a mistake to dig out the detritus?

Cheers,

-JD

 

[Treeman14]

Welcome, JD.

Digging out the dirt and decayed wood is good for the tree. Be careful not to damage any living (green) wood. There is no point in trying to cover or fill the hole. Just keep it cleaned out and let nature take its course. The tree has already "compartmentalized" this wound. In other words, this damaged section has been cordoned off from the living part of the tree.

And don't worry about it holding water, either. This is not a problem. Do NOT drill holes in the tree to drain it.

 

[treeclimber165]

Although most of us tree guys know and believe that hollows should be left alone, many times a customer insists we do something to fill the cavity. IMHO, spray foam is about the least intrusive way to satisfy the customer's desire to see the cavity filled without doing more damage to the tree. I can see where it would keep critters from nesting in the cavity.

 

[Omarius]

Thank you

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it. I will heed your advice and leave the hollow alone.

Cheers,

-JD