Can this Oak Tree be saved? Please help - crying & upset. PICS added.

[ruth]

Got home today to find that cable company showed up when no one was home and buried a new cable in response to my husband's repeated phone calls and complaints going all the way to corporate headquarters. Discovered that they ran the cable all the way from the road to the back of our house and then came right through the base of a large oak tree by our deck that overhangs our home. They just cut right through those huge old above ground roots and dug them up. When we first saw the pile of what looked like a sawed up tree and tree stump we kept trying to figure out where it came from. That's when it hit us that it was the roots to the large oak tree. Sure enough you look down and about three feet out from the trunk they just cut a path the size of a canal and dug it out. Huge exposed tree roots just sawed off and left there. I spent the better part of the day crying and now I'm just mad. I think they did it on purpose because my husband would not stop calling them and having them out here to see why our internet connection would not stay consistent. We'd even switched to DSL months ago because of it but he would not let up. He became obssessed with making them fix the cable - which he wanted to keep as a "backup" system in case DSL went down. I had been pleading with him to let it drop - it wasn't worth the day after day phone calls and complaints and service calls. They never could find out what was wrong other than our house was too far from the road. Well today they showed us - showed up unexpected and though they had 8 acres in which they could have laid that line or gone around that tree - they went right through the base of it. O.K. now I've vented. My question - anyone out there an arborist? Anyone know if the tree will live. I've looked online and all info I found says "probably not". I'm so upset right now I could chew nails. Any help or consolation would be much appreciated. Will probably cry myself to sleep. I'm afraid the tree will die and now we'll have to pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars to have the tree cut and removed. Sad part is that this tree survived Katrina when we lost over a hundred others. We stayed during the storm and watched that tree sway and sway but it held. I don't think it will hold up now in a simple breeze because all roots on one side have been severed. In fact it is the only side in which they were exposed above ground. On the other side (the shady side) most of them are below the surface. It's like the guy just looked for the worst place to run it. Our existing cable was wrapped around the house, through flower beds and under the deck. This guy just sawed through that tree and then left the rest of the cable laying on the deck for us to deal with because he didn't want to climb under deck. He could have even tied the new cable to the existing cable and just pulled it along the same path and under the deck so he wouldn't have to dig or climb under deck. Help!!! Is there anything we can do to save the tree!!! Hubby ran to Depot World and bought top soil, manure, fertilizer and I don't know what all else and dumped it on exposed tree roots as an emergency procedure. I can't walk out there without feeling like I'm watching my best friend die.

 

[okiechick57]

:aww Oh Ruth, I wish I knew how to save that tree,,,they are like old friends...isnt the cable company liable? how stupid to do that....... without speaking with you first.do they have that right?oh my....so sorry for you, I pray you find out what can be done.sounds like your hubby did good though.....

 

[Yonaton]

Try and get some good, rich top-soil and bury the roots as much as you can. Water like crazy and then call the cable company and give 'em hell and let them know you'll be contacting your lawyer to be prepared to sue them if the tree does die.

IMHO your husband was right to keep at them. It's a service you paid for and if it wasn't working, *you* were losing money. Too many people wimp out when it comes time to complain about poor service.

 

[silkiechicken]

It's time for your husband to keep on calling the cable company and make them fix the damage or pay for any repairs and the messy job. Don't settle for bs like that.

 

[Bubba]

Sorry to hear for your loss. The tree will most likely die and if it doesn't it WILL be a hazard to your family in adverse weather! If it were me I could make a nice story out of it let it hit the media then sue them for negligence. Don't over water it, thats a quick way to kill an oak.

The question is are you willing to risk your family for that tree.... I know its tough but its something you need to seriously think about.

Yes I do know quite a bit about trees and plants. (Head Greensman for General Hosp. The Soap Opera for 2 1/2 years.) Want to talk about hard, try keeping plants alive when they are indoors for 5 days at a time with no light

Bubba

 

[barg]

We have an oak tree on the side of the house, it was infested with aphids to the point that I decided to cut it down.
I cut the main trunk and then to be sure, I took the chain saw to some of the large roots.... cut it up real good to be sure to get rid of it for good.... It grew back the next year

Its still there growing to this day.
And the aphids are mostly gone.
It isnt quite the tree it used to be because I cut down the main trunk, but its still alive and about 25-30 feet tall now.

So I guess if you want your tree to live, abuse it real bad.

Real point is, yes there is hope, but id'e still make them pay for it!

 

[CtlisencedArborist]

Hi Ruth.Sorry about your tree.Will it make it ,no.Putting top soil on it will not help by any means.Fertilizing it is just wasting your money.Once the buttrous routes{the larger ones}you are going to see major dieback in your trees canopy.These roots are used for storage,anchorage and play a major part in the transperation process of your tree.The company I work for are lisenced Ct arborist,certified Mass arborist and ISA certified.My boss is a consulting arborist who evaluates trees after things like this have been done to them.We have a current case going were a tree company crossed a homeowners yard to cut a large 24" leader out of the tree because it was hanging over her house.Without the property owners permission.We found the tree company to be liable and found the tree to be worth 35,000 dollars to the estate.So if that answers your question and you like to seek further instruction you can email me and I can find a member of asca{consulting arborist's}to assist you with your litigation process.Good luck,Chris

 

[ChickMomma]

Ruth,
I would have to agree with CT. As a horticulturist from NCSU I dont think that putting topsoil on the roots will help and do not put fertilizer down. That will just encourage new growth that the tree no longer has the roots to support. Keep the tree watered and take lots of pictures. Where I work we do estimates for people that have neighbors cut down trees on the wrong side of the property line, even pruned trees that were not theres. If it dies you are entitled to replacement cost of the tree. That is the cost of putting a tree the exact same size in its place.
The cable company obviously went through a lot of trouble to cut the roots when it was not the only way to achieve the desired result.
As a side note it could take many years for it to die. My parents built a new house 4 years ago and the septic people went on two sides of a large poplar tree and it just this year completely died. So I would document like crazy and gather info about how long they can survive.
Susanne

 

[Wolfpacker]

As a horticulturist from NCSU I dont think that putting topsoil on the roots will help and do not put fertilizer down.

Heed the advice of a fellor Wolfpacker! One of the best horticultural schools in the country!​

 

[Zenbirder]

Ruth,
Go take a lot of pictures right away. You will need them in court. It is really sad that we sometimes have to go after idiots who damage our property just because they are too dumb to think anything out ahead of time. I am so sorry for your loss. We lost a huge oak near the house of natural causes this year, the spot seems so bare. I will try to tree ring date it when a section dries out. I am guessing anywhere from 250 to 400 years old. Once again I am so sorry for you.