I don’t have oak Wilt in my area. It’s in NY so we still don’t prune oaks in Summer. Or Elms for that matter because of DED.
Oak Wilt is spread through beetles attracted to fresh breaks or pruning cuts. That’s not speculation, that’s a fact. It’s also spread through root graphs.
I inform my clients of this, and we prune in winter, easy peasy.
You make a post like the one you did on July 30th and your going to rub some people the wrong way. If you don’t understand this I can’t help you.
I actually intended to rub some the wrong way. I appreciate a man good at his job but the increased risk is only in... God only knows low probability.
We have very limited oak wilt here.
It is spread by root transmission 90% (speculated like all)
10% is beetles, insects, and humans.
(Speculated)
Yes if oak wilt is tearing a town up and you trim an oak mid summer you are an idiot. People do not seem to grasp the concept of probability tbough.
You warn of the increased risk which is little to none in my areas, and move on forward.
I tell the same thing to customers daily about doing hard docks on their bradford pears or other trees.
I don't advocate it.
I don't whisper tricky lines or mumble.
"It will be best if we do this in late february or in march."
When its hot out I love setting up jobs for that time of year but it always gets slow because they want it done now.
I had one customer a couple years back who wanted three trees topped.
I said, "that is not an acceptable method and they may not live."
One in particular I said "it wont make it".
Well he cared more about his house getting hit with limbs. The one died and the others look like crap.
He called me back to cut it down had me remove five others and grind 13 stumps.
I lay it out honest to my customers and give them what they want. Oak wilt transmission because of a summer trim is one in thousands and thousands in my area if it has ever happened.
Thats hundreds of thousands in business companies that wont trim them in summer lose. My trees do not come with an extended warranty because they aren't mine. People get way to wound up to jump off any study tossed out by a university rather than look at the statistcs.
Kinda like the university of Arizonas study on pruning sealers. What was once a good thing is now cast out as harmful.
In the end it makes little to no difference either way but gives some customers a peace of mind.
I am not doctor Quinn medicine tree and I dont go around acting like one because I don't need the lawsuits.
It's their tree, I give my professional opinion and warnings, and they decide.
If it dies they cant say I didn't warn them.
You wont catch me broadly calling someone stupid for trimming an oak tree in summer as others would.
I have cut down 200 year old trees because they are blocking the Wi-Fi.
Dunno how it is where you are, but we aren't interested in sacrificing creature comforts because of a tree. If its that much of a touchy sob we cut it the f down and plant a hardier breed.
Calitalism... Make no mistake the ISA was a capitalistic venture. They are interested in their money and not yours, dont forget that or you will go broke.