Dennis_Peacock
ArboristSite Operative
Ok, so it's that time of year again when the LOML and I walk our property and inspect our trees to check on new growth and overall health of our plants and trees.
Last year, I posted here about an Oak tree on the back side of our property that has pealing bark on 2 sides and just looked suspicious to me.
Well, here we are several months later and here's what we found today:
The same bad spot as last year, but now we are seeing it larger than before as well as surrounding areas that are loosing bark.
Now looking further up the tree, we see more bark gone with bark still splitting up the one trunk and a formation of a type of "mushrooms" on the front-most trunk.
Still further up the tree, you can see where the bark is continuing to split way on up the trunk and when you tap on the bark around those areas, it is almost like a hollow drum sound to it.
Still the bark is pealing off around some of the roots and the wood just under what used to be the bark has dried out and turned black. In many places there are little white growths of fungus on the wood that is bare and without bark.
On the opposite side of the tree, we can see this even more with more bark pealing and the wood underneath turning black.
Now you can see even more of the "mushroom" growth on the tree and further down in the pics, you'll see even more growths like this, but much further up the tree.
In this pic, you'll see a wide spread of the fungal growth even further up the tree. I don't know what kind of fungus this is, but it can't be healthy for my tree.
Here I am just ever so slightly pulling out on a spot of the bark and there's fungus underneath and it goes so far up the tree that I can't reach it unless I climb up into the tree.
I've posted all this to simply ask these questions:
1. What is wrong with my Oak tree?
2. What fungus is that that is traveling up the trunk of the tree?
3. Do I need to take this tree down?
Both tree trunks are putting out new growth, but from what I can see, they are going to be dead trees in the not to distant future. I'd rather cut this tree down than to have any part of my family injured or killed by falling dead limbs out of this tree.
Please advise.
Last year, I posted here about an Oak tree on the back side of our property that has pealing bark on 2 sides and just looked suspicious to me.
Well, here we are several months later and here's what we found today:
The same bad spot as last year, but now we are seeing it larger than before as well as surrounding areas that are loosing bark.
Now looking further up the tree, we see more bark gone with bark still splitting up the one trunk and a formation of a type of "mushrooms" on the front-most trunk.
Still further up the tree, you can see where the bark is continuing to split way on up the trunk and when you tap on the bark around those areas, it is almost like a hollow drum sound to it.
Still the bark is pealing off around some of the roots and the wood just under what used to be the bark has dried out and turned black. In many places there are little white growths of fungus on the wood that is bare and without bark.
On the opposite side of the tree, we can see this even more with more bark pealing and the wood underneath turning black.
Now you can see even more of the "mushroom" growth on the tree and further down in the pics, you'll see even more growths like this, but much further up the tree.
In this pic, you'll see a wide spread of the fungal growth even further up the tree. I don't know what kind of fungus this is, but it can't be healthy for my tree.
Here I am just ever so slightly pulling out on a spot of the bark and there's fungus underneath and it goes so far up the tree that I can't reach it unless I climb up into the tree.
I've posted all this to simply ask these questions:
1. What is wrong with my Oak tree?
2. What fungus is that that is traveling up the trunk of the tree?
3. Do I need to take this tree down?
Both tree trunks are putting out new growth, but from what I can see, they are going to be dead trees in the not to distant future. I'd rather cut this tree down than to have any part of my family injured or killed by falling dead limbs out of this tree.
Please advise.
