Would I be wasting my effort if I cut this limb from the tree?
Would it even stop the infection from spreading?
That doesn’t look good. Treatments are usually expensive
Edit no knowledge of this particular problem though
Sometimes cutting can spread things as well
4 Likes
U may lose this one indeed…as an avid tree lover not tree hugger I love all kinds my trees and exotics
.I lived in the tree covered area my whole life
.now I’m on top the old fam home place hill where no trees are and I call it big sky ranch…I love my oak tree lines behind and all around me w some exotics I’ve planted here and there…sometimes a certain tree can be a focal point or just great shade tree. Those can be priceless to an individual. Some ppl don’t understand but my trees are my view and I love my few…can’t wait till they all covered w leaves again time for nice DMT opened eyed journey as it’s been a while! That’s right physcadellics brought me to a found love for trees years ago… Nothing like tripping during the day eyes open watching nature change it’s so beautiful! Lol sorry for getting off track.
I hope your tree makes it
2 Likes
Yeah, if this tree dies I might cry.
I think its probably done for.
1 Like
I’d try removing the limb. Sometimes it will save the tree.
1 Like
Is the infection in the trunk? That’s what I’m worried about
I don’t see it anywhere on the trunk, but that picture is on the leading branch.
1 Like
What kind of oak is it? I don’t really have any knowledge of these kind of issues, but I would think following the three D’s of pruning dead, damaged, or diseased parts would be a good place to start. Maybe follow with a feeding of some agt-50, beneficial microbes, and something like aspirin to coax a SAR may be worth a shot, once the tree is out of dormancy anyhow.
Worth doing a bit of research. Perhaps it could be fought off with the introduction of the right beneficial endophytic fungi that could outcompete whatever is causing the slime.
Here’s a link that may be useful:
This one too:
Both look fairly hopeful, stating it usuallly isn’t fatal.
Edit: Pruning sounds like a bad idea according to @Cthulhu, and he’s an arborist, so I definitely defer to him.
1 Like
Fucking cut that bitch off then like gangrene limb!
Wouldnt u think?
Yeah, I only hesitate because it’s such a large portion of the tree to cut off.
It’s a live oak.
5 Likes
I am(was) an arborist. Do not cut stuff off to try and solve this issue, its systemic and in the vascular system of the tree.
Cutting an affected limb off would be akin to you cutting your leg off cause you have a blood infection.
Considering as well that with the reduction in photosythenetic area the trees vigor would decline further in combination with a massive open wound from pruning, allowing diseases like this to really take a toll on the tree and opening the tree up to further infection/invasion.
I come.from an area of the world where no fungicide or pesticides can be used so I have no working knowledge of what to apply if anything. But this illness will not outright kill a tree alone.
It’s kinda like having hepatitis for us, it could kill if the tree is weak.
Also, just a side note: It doesnt look like an oak to me. Looks more like a cottonwood/ poplar based on leaves and lenticular nodes on bark.
If you do decided to prune/remove make sure to sanitize impliments afterwards cause this can be spread from tree to tree with dirty impliments. Dont raw dog it. It commonly spread in this manor.
Best advice I could give is improve vigor of tree. Put down 3-6" mulch around root zone outwards to drip line of canopy, dont pile it up next to trunk and make sure the transitional zone of root flare is exposed after mulch application.
Fertilize and water(lotta people forget that trees need water and could use more than nature provides). For fertilizer I suggest deep root fertilizer, nitrogen dominate with iron supplementation. This will normally give the side benefit of root zone decompaction. Or just some topical slow release granular would work aswell but take longer to get to the root zone and have greater change of washing away.
Best of luck to you and the tree.
15 Likes
U know I think he’s right after looking at the leaves it may not be an oak at all…esp looking at the bark structure
Lol on side note a guy taught me how to tell red oaks from white oaks one day…he said white man shot musket balls which are round, hence the round leave edges…then red man shot arrowheads hence the pointed leaves
Heres screenshot the main oak tree leaves
It’s crazy the last pic leaves look like my holly tree they poke the fuck outta u
Does it make acorns? All oak trees have acorns
1 Like
Could you explain what the transitional zone of the root flare is?
1 Like
I’d say take @Cthulhu 's advice and improve the overall vigor of the tree. A good mulching of wood chips at the drip line is a great idea and extra food and water wouldn’t hurt. Get that tree stronk and it’ll probably be able to live with the bacteria cause there’s really no treatments for it. Most I’ve seen for suggestions is pruning and that’s more than likely gonna spread the bacteria to more plants or more spots on your tree.
2 Likes
Man that looks like Holly tree leaves though
Here’s one in my yard
I believe u have a Holly oak my good sir they do make acorns
Do all the leaves have points like barbs
Looks to be called bacterial wetwood…some say a diluted bleach wash might work
1 Like
3 Likes