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

[CtlisencedArborist]

ive seen worse,but the long term effects are going to be bad.Youll slowly see dieback in the cnopy of the tree.Roots and the canopy are directly in cahoots with each other.After it starts to dieback youll prob have to deal with a heavy damage from insects attacking this stressed tree.1.WATER IT WHQEN IT IS DRY!The average tree needs one inch of rain water a day!A small shower will not cover this.It is a fairly young tree,probaly not over 80 years old.Dont know about anyone else but a 400 year old tree is rear around me.This is not one.2.Once those roots are gone,there gone!nothing else is going to grow in its place.youll probly start to see a large canker start to grow from the butt up.When this happens its time to consider taking the tree down.Armalaria root rot is one of the most common root rots of oaks and when you start to see this its bad new.3.When in dought, hire a lisenced arborist,your trees health depends on it!

 

[CtlisencedArborist]

P.s.were do you live?

 

[ruth]

Thanks CT for the follow up. Yeah, this tree is not that old and was a lot more spread out before it lost a few large limbs to Katrina. However, it is rather large and provides the shade for the deck and 2nd and 3rd floor windows/walls. There is a similar sized oak, but a Live Oak, on the opposite side of the house that provides shade for the 2 floors on that side - it too survived the storm but then all of our Live Oaks did - we lost most of our other oaks - they just fell over. Without these trees, and with our metal roof, our cooling bills would be unaffordable - as it is, they are only about $200 a month and we have 3 a/c systems running and every light in the house on at all times. We are in Covington, LA (across the lake from New Orleans). I'm hoping that the fact that the tree is not very old will help it to survive. After Katrina when it had a few broken limbs we hired a tree specialist to come and trim branches (or so we thought). They cut out the huge limbs that the broken branches were on all the way back to the tree trunk. I thought they would just trim them where they broke and leave the bigger parts. However, it is sprouting and growing and thriving in the 2 years since the storm - a lot of our really old pines that did survive the storm slowly died due to stress, bugs, disease. So, we are currently dealing with having trees cut and hauled out on a regular basis because they have died or keep leaning more and more.

Thanks to all - I'm feeling better and have made peace with this. After all it is a tree and life goes on and hey, what's another legal battle when that's what's consummed years of your life anyway (another story - another day).

 

[hollyclyff]

We had an oak about the size of yours that was root damaged on two sides, but a bit further out than yours. Just like CT said, it became stressed and was seriously attacked by insects about 4 years after the second side was damaged, 7 years after the first side. One whole side of the tree looked dead. We did not want to lose that tree because it is the only source of shade for the pool (the cause of the damage on one side). We had an arborist come out and look at it and treat it. It's been about 4 years since then and the tree is still with us and is doing much better. But like I said, the damage was done further away from the tree. If our tree had been close enough to fall on our house I'm not sure what we would have done.

 

[Yonaton]

It's never 'just a tree'. Without them, there'd be far less beauty on this plant, far more dirty air, and we'd all be living underground. Unfortunately, too many people live their lives absolutely clueless about living in harmony with that which keeps us alive - Nature. The symbiosis they so blindly (and idiotically) don't support, will eventually be the downfall of mankind. So you're not anywhere wrong in having 'feelings' for that old tree.

 

[chrissum]

fwiw, we had to have a waterline run up our driveway (over 900ft) and they cut through everything! trees, bushes what ever was betweeen the fence and driveway. 2 years later and everything is still doing fine.

 

[ruth]

I'm really appreciating everyone's comments - especially those that give some hope or "hang in there". And to Yonaton, I never said "just a tree", I said "it's a tree and life goes on". While my son was in Iraq I learned to put things in perspective. I do appreciate the trees very much, that's why I grieved so - we had already lost so many. We have some of the only uncut property around here because I bought in this "subdivision" 15 years ago when there were only a handful of houses and the rest were woods. The only thing the previous owners cut was the area where they placed our home. Before Katrina, we literally had trees right up next to the walls. We have a small river that cuts through the back of our property and we leave the property on the other side completely undisturbed (I've only been over there twice). When the acreage next to our property was sold to another subdivision to be subdivided, we bought the adjoining property just to keep someone from buying it and cutting every tree down - I had to mortgage my home to do that - that's how important those woods and trees are to me. Good thing, cause that's just exactly what they're doing. They move over here from the city (New Orleans) and buy an acre or two of woods and then cut every single tree down - I mean every single one. Now our 8 1/2 heavily wooded acres and river are some of the only sanctuary for the deer, foxes, forest animals, etc. I love sitting outside or walking the trails through the woods and seeing the wildlife. Sitting amidst God's creation and His creatures is where I feel at peace. Though hunting is allowed here, I would never allow anyone to hunt on my property. I've had real estate agents knock on my door since the storm and offer me many times over what I paid for that extra property but I will not sell it because I know they will cut down every tree and the wildlife have no where else to go. Every one of God's creatures has a home here. In fact, we have a name for this place based on a vision God showed me - it's called Bethel. O.K. now that you all think I'm crazy I'll wrap this up. That tree is a living thing and by looking at it with it's roots cut like that, I feel responsible - like it happened on my watch - if someone had been here it wouldn't have happened and I've actually told the tree "I'm so sorry - this shouldn't have happened". O.K. now you can all call the guys in white coats. But all that said and done it is a tree, and not one of my children, that has a potentially fatal condition, and I give thanks that it is still standing and I have placed it in God's hands.

 

[Judymae]

 

[justusnak]

Ruth...I have been reading your posts...and watching what everyone has to say about it. We have just a small piece of land in woods....3 acres. If someone was to hurt one of MY trees...trust me, the legal battle would be ON! We depend on our trees....for clean air, clean water. shade...and homes for our animals. Trees are very important to us all. Your is beautifull as well. I will say a prayer that this giant beauty will survive the attack of human kind. I have to be reasonable tho....it doesnt look good. Im so sorry. Like you said, put it in Gods hands...his will be done.

 

[hollyclyff]

Ruth, I don't think you're the least bit crazy. Your perspective sounds exactly right to me. And I couldn't agree more with your feelings about the land around you. We have 4 acres, mostly wooded, and the land behind us is for sale. There is no possibility at all for us to buy it. They want 2 million for it and they won't subdivide. It's beautiful land and home to all sorts of wildlife. I'm so worried they're going to bulldoze the whole thing and put up cookie-cutter houses on bare lots. They've already done that with so much of the other land around here. It makes me sick to think about it.