Remove or Cable?

[Elmore]

This healthy red oak is about 15 ' west of the house. It has a definate lean towards the house and a co-dominant crown. It has about a 30"+ DBH. It worries me what with the severity of storms that we experience here in the southeast. If it were a better form I would not be concerned but with that fork and the massive crown I think that I should have it removed. What do you think about this. Elmore

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v186/Elmore/trees%20to%20remove/IMAG0016.jpg">
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v186/Elmore/trees%20to%20remove/IMAG0007.jpg">
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v186/Elmore/trees%20to%20remove/IMAG0002.jpg">

 

[NickfromWI]

Leave the tree. Go for dynamic cabling as a "just in case."

Looks like that tree provides some good shade in the summer time. I'd hate to lose it.

love
nick

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'd like to see a trunk/stump shot. I dunno. I wouldn't want that thing leaning towards my house. I might even take out the whole right lead. It's hard to tell from pics.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

With the pic's shown I'd be happy with it. It looks to be in a stand of other trees so wind is buffered. The crothc looks sound from my desk in MKE.

I agree with Butch's concern as to what does the basal area look like?

 

[Stumper]

The crotch doesn't look bad in the pic but the lean appears pretty significant. If it were mine I would evaluate it based upon the overall landscape-It looks like you have lots of trees so it may or may not be a big plus to you. If I decided to keep the tree then a dynamic cable between the leaders and another going back to another tree might add peace of mind.

 

[Dadatwins]

Have seen worse than that stand up in 60 - 80 m.p.h. wind and better fall over with no wind. Need to see it up close and check soil around it, see root flair,trunk condition, other trees around it, ect. Remember some pretty hard words from a mid atlantic ISA hazard tree conference from Dr. Kim Coder, "trees will fail, and no one knows when, but they WILL fail" We can only try to guess when and where they will fall and do our best to try to avoid personal or property damage. Best I can do from a chair far, far away

 

[MasterBlaster]

Cool. But, I've also seen em fail under a lot less trauma.

 

[NickfromWI]

"trees will fail, and no one knows when, but they WILL fail"

also,

Trees will survive, they will survive the elements. We don't know for how long, but they have stood for years, and that tree will be there tomorrow.

Please don't instill unjustified fear in the minds of your (potential) clients.

love
nick

 

[Dadatwins]

also,

Trees will survive, they will survive the elements. We don't know for how long, but they have stood for years, and that tree will be there tomorrow.

Please don't instill unjustified fear in the minds of your (potential) clients.

No intentional panic or fear meant to be placed on any (potential) client, but the facts are trees are living things with a finite life and the (potential) client should be made aware of all the possibilities with any situation. It is still up to the property owner to make the final decision.

 

[murphy4trees]

I say leave the tree... very little concern on that one, though it might be different if seen in person. The lean doesn't bother me if there is no structural defect. Cable if you can get it done right.

Hey did you tell 'em about the guy that wanted to push that tree over with a skidder/chopper unit... now that'd be way more dangerous than giving that tree another few years.... and cheaper too!

 

[Elmore]

Jarraff

Thanks for the imput. There is a local fella who looked at this and some other trees close to the house and he said that he can get a piece of equipment into place and remove the tree a little at a time, gradually reducing the canopy so that no large pieces of the crown come down on the house. The equipment is called a Jarraff. It is on a platform like a skid loader and has a telescopic boom with a blade on the end. Anybody know about these?
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v186/Elmore/trees%20to%20remove/Jarraff.jpg">

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

if the tree was mine i would reduce the crown ie lighten the load ,lets face it the tree isn't going to form a big ''SAFE '' tree ever! ,the co-dominant stems will end up with dangerous included bark at some point in it's life time [it may have included bark now i can't tell from behind a computer].i believe that NO tree is worth keeping if it threatens somebodies property or may injure somebody

slightly off the subject but
imo it's time we put un-productive farmland, waste land etc back to woodland,and create community woodlands ,where trees can grow with included bark and all manor of pests,diseases, wood roting fungi etc as nature intended instead of moaning about home owners that cut a tree down that's only 15 meters away from there house or in the back yard..oh and if you want to walk around one of my community woodlands do so at your own risk

 

[murphy4trees]

This is GuyM at murph's computer. Elmore the answer to your ? is neither Cable or remove, but lighten the load as Rolla says. That is a narrow-angled crotch but the bark is growing out, not included. I'd make reduction cuts on 2-3" dia. branches to lessen the lean and call it done.

If that fork starts to look worse later you can cable then. Taking off the whole right lead would be whacko--no offense mb--because it would create a hollow trunk and give an unneeded challenge for NEWTS.

Re the Jarraff, I wouldn't invite that thing into my landscape to compact the rootzones. I think the tendency to use a machine where a man can do the work with much less impact isn't worth the short-term savings.

 

[Elmore]

Thanks Guy

This is GuyM at murph's computer. Elmore the answer to your ? is neither Cable or remove, but lighten the load as Rolla says. That is a narrow-angled crotch but the bark is growing out, not included. I'd make reduction cuts on 2-3" dia. branches to lessen the lean and call it done.

If that fork starts to look worse later you can cable then. Taking off the whole right lead would be whacko--no offense mb--because it would create a hollow trunk and give an unneeded challenge for NEWTS.

Re the Jarraff, I wouldn't invite that thing into my landscape to compact the rootzones. I think the tendency to use a machine where a man can do the work with much less impact isn't worth the short-term savings.

Hey, you guys aren't shackin' up,... are ya???
heh heh heh

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

ive often seen tree's with co-dominant stems that seem well grafted [have a good join] do all or nearly all tree's like this end up with INCLUDED BARK..????...i think they do am i wrong??

 

[Big A]

ive often seen tree's with co-dominant stems that seem well grafted [have a good join] do all or nearly all tree's like this end up with INCLUDED BARK..????...i think they do am i wrong??

Had to take down an old Horse chestnut in your neck of the woods a while back with co-dominant stems starting about four feet from the ground, only trouble was the included bark disguised it really well, local t.o.said it was safe, then half of it had snapped away one summer across a swimming pool and its pumphouse, cost a fortune to clear up the mess, luckily no-one was home that day! Good job to be on, in the pool in saw gear!

 

[glens]

I don't know how there <i>couldn't be</i> included bark in a configuration like that.

Glen

 

[John Stewart]

Hey
It does seem to have a lean but the back leader looks like it is growing strait up so it may have corrected it's lean. I might subordinate the leader closest to the house to try and prevent crotch failure but it seems pretty strong. Refer to attachment.
Later
John

 

[MasterBlaster]

Sweet, John. That's probably what I would have done myself, once I got up there.

 

[glens]

I'm thinking the lean isn't nearly as pronounced as it appears in the images.&nbsp; Subtract the amount of "lean" you see in the trees in the left-most corner to get a better idea.&nbsp; This happens because the "film" plane isn't parallel to the trees anymore since the camera is pointed up.&nbsp; I don't know if they're making digital cameras yet with perspective-control lenses/mounts.

Glen