So as for treatments to help the tree along, what would you add to the list below?
- add mulch/compost out to the dripline (air knife or no air knife?)
- consider planting a cover crop
- Ask the farmer who leases the field to keep the crops planted further out from the dripline
- Basal...
I didn’t ask, but I would say ATH is correct about the crop rotation.
Hopefully, someday we move to more regenerative agriculture in the Midwest, but that’s probably a long ways away.
I will list this when I send him a written evaluation to recommend planting the crops as far out as possible...
I met with the old farmer this morning.
Did find some old fruiting bodies in the decayed pocket. But I’m not sure what created the decayed area?
Uniform tip dieback/retrenchment throughout the canopy. From a distance it looks good. Some white oaks are slow to leaf out right now with the usual...
Thanks for the advice Tom!
We do have a historical society. I will look into that. One of my neighbors who is a retired high school history teacher is super involved there.
I’ll get some more pictures of the tree up soon. I’d like to know how it measures up to the Ohio state champion burr oak.
There’s definitely no condemning that tree! It is out in the middle of an open field and the farmer who is 78 loves it.
I’ll get more pics when I go out to the site.
I’ve thought about trying to get the city to start some sort of heritage tree program identifying the largest trees in town. We...
I have been admiring this tree for years. I’ve often thought about trying to contact whoever owns it to get permission to climb and measure it. I don’t think it’s state champion material but it’s still an awesome tree!
Anyway, the old farmer who owns the tree contacted me yesterday and wants me...
That could work if you find somebody you trust and make them some planting specs they have to abide by. Here’s what I use. It could be updated. I think I made it 10 + years ago or so.
I remember watching a video that August H posted where he was planting some ginkgo trees and I think they were 20-25 gallon containers with the root flares perfectly exposed and they were not root bound at all. And I thought are the nurseries out in the PNW really that much better?
I’m sure it...
I used to provide a one-year warranty, but I don’t anymore. The wholesale nursery I usually buy from doesn’t give a warranty.
I usually word it something like this “select quality nursery stock-properly planted with root flares exposed” etc. But there is no warranty. I give detailed aftercare...
I like that approach!
But I have to say I do see large sections blow out fairly often to the point where the homeowner ends up removing the tree.
Red maples are one of the shittiest trees to plant imo and it just happens to be the most common tree planted where I am. Root dysfunction...
I’d say the stems above the union are 4 inch. Its flares out where they meet above dbh.
I definitely took a lot of weight off of the one side. But it’s going to be a process. I don’t care what they say about if we make the perfect reduction cuts we won’t trigger suckering. There is always...
It’s red maple. I’m going to subordinate the left side, but it seems like these situations require annual pruning to make any real progress. And in the meantime while the reductions are taking place, I’ve often thought a bracing bolt could help regardless what ANSI standards say that bracing...
Some trees are simple to know where to make reduction cuts or if caught early enough, remove an entire leader (best case scenario).
But what would you do with this mess? Would you even bother trying to develop a central leader?
This is also one of those cases where I wonder if bracing without...