BillNole
ArboristSite Operative
Greeting all.
I've searched the forum and found some good information, but thought I'd just pose the questions anyway, to be sure I'm not missing something.
I've attached a couple of photos of an oak in my backyard that has one particular branch that worries me just a bit. The one that sticks out toward the left in the image will eventually be hanging over the house, which I'd like to avoid, in case it drops in a storm, or for any other reason. It also appears to my uneducated eye that the structure at the joint could lead to health problems for the tree as it matures and the weight of that branch increases and moves with wind, snow and ice.
I read in an old thread that leaving the "branch collar" is apparently advisable, as opposed to cutting flush, to aid in healing and to avoid damage to the main trunk.
My questions are:
Does the angle / structure of this joint present a problem that would be best addressed now, as opposed to when it becomes a chore beyond my capabilities? Even though that's still 20+ years in the future, I'd just as soon do it now and have it recover easier, than doing it 20 years from now and leaving a glaring bald spot.
Is it correct, that leaving a portion of the branch is the best option if cutting is advised? Is 2" - 3" correct?
Is this the right time of the year to stress the tree by trimming? (Fall)
I'll lose a small patch of shade if I cut it, but I have to chase the shade anyway since the tree is so small still. I would think it will fill in in a couple of years and be healthier in the long run.
I know the spacing with all the trees is wrong and will have to address the arborvitae at some point as they become shaded by the oak more and more. I wish I'd have never put them in and would have just gone with a privacy fence in the beginning, but hindsight is 20/20... The pines in the far background are intended to block the glaring (ALL night...) lights from the neighbor at that end. They are now almost completely doing that with the help of the fence behind them. Sitting on our deck was previously an exercise in frustration as we sat feeling as if we were about to be interrogated in the evenings, or late at night, or anytime for that matter.
Thanks in advance for any advice offered.
View attachment 374272 View attachment 374273
I've searched the forum and found some good information, but thought I'd just pose the questions anyway, to be sure I'm not missing something.
I've attached a couple of photos of an oak in my backyard that has one particular branch that worries me just a bit. The one that sticks out toward the left in the image will eventually be hanging over the house, which I'd like to avoid, in case it drops in a storm, or for any other reason. It also appears to my uneducated eye that the structure at the joint could lead to health problems for the tree as it matures and the weight of that branch increases and moves with wind, snow and ice.
I read in an old thread that leaving the "branch collar" is apparently advisable, as opposed to cutting flush, to aid in healing and to avoid damage to the main trunk.
My questions are:
Does the angle / structure of this joint present a problem that would be best addressed now, as opposed to when it becomes a chore beyond my capabilities? Even though that's still 20+ years in the future, I'd just as soon do it now and have it recover easier, than doing it 20 years from now and leaving a glaring bald spot.
Is it correct, that leaving a portion of the branch is the best option if cutting is advised? Is 2" - 3" correct?
Is this the right time of the year to stress the tree by trimming? (Fall)
I'll lose a small patch of shade if I cut it, but I have to chase the shade anyway since the tree is so small still. I would think it will fill in in a couple of years and be healthier in the long run.
I know the spacing with all the trees is wrong and will have to address the arborvitae at some point as they become shaded by the oak more and more. I wish I'd have never put them in and would have just gone with a privacy fence in the beginning, but hindsight is 20/20... The pines in the far background are intended to block the glaring (ALL night...) lights from the neighbor at that end. They are now almost completely doing that with the help of the fence behind them. Sitting on our deck was previously an exercise in frustration as we sat feeling as if we were about to be interrogated in the evenings, or late at night, or anytime for that matter.
Thanks in advance for any advice offered.
View attachment 374272 View attachment 374273
