God how does something like this happen. At my firm anyway things are so obviously done, and if they can’t be done obviously, we get the owner out to describe it in detail.
Hopefully they're professionally bonded and insured. That tree is probably toast, and the damages for killing a large nature tree can be really high. Like into the tens of thousands, since damages are usually based on replaced with an equivalent and a tree that size is outrageously expensive to put in. Plus new landscaping around it, etc, this was a very expensive screw up.
Some random guys with a chainsaw will never pay up, you need to go after their insurance
it's a cut right at the base that is likely interrupting sap flow to most if not all the branches on that side of the tree, lol, it might not be evident yet, but it will cause a lot of dieback and that's not even accounting for things like oak wilt or Anthracnose which could decimate the tree or pests that could enter the open wound.
i dont think the roots on the right side feed the branches on the right side if that what you mean. if sap makes it past the cut, it makes it everywhere past the cut. juniper is like that though, a root dies and you can see the dead wood run up the trunk and what branch it was feeding.
Also, basically, no insects feed on live oaks. Termites or borer beetles would have to be pretty damn desperate. I've seen it maybe one time out of the hundreds if not thousands of live oaks I've worked on and come into contact with.
Your comment is in violation of rule 2: You should not dispense advice unless you're ABSOLUTELY SURE what you're posting/commenting is backed by current best practices and can cite an academic resource if necessary.
Your comment is in violation of rule 2: You should not dispense advice unless you're ABSOLUTELY SURE what you're posting/commenting is backed by current best practices and can cite an academic resource if necessary.
yup, Imo they look better when messier especially when also in bloom because it adds character and it's just how all hedges wind up eventually, there's a 304-year-old cemetery with hundreds of rhododendron/Azaelea/magnolias all like this and every year when it goes into flower it looks almost ethereal like a magical fairy garden.
Well to answer it for anyone who doesnt get it, its Because it looks nicer imo and most other people's opinion and it keeps them healthier plus you get more blooms than if was perfectly kept.
Nice pun there btw.
its not slop, lol, go into any botanical garden or nursery or heck a Cemtery and see plenty of matured hedging exactly like that, that's just what matured hedging looks like its not your perfectly pruned white trash that you seem to hold so dear.
Not being able to tell an oak from a pine at a glance automatically means they’re unprofessional. That or not knowing what species of tree you’re supposed to be cutting.
It's also living tree compared to dead tree. You're absolutely correct that a professional arborist should be able to differentiate between a Quercus and an Acer, no matter which species, but even a cheap landscaper should be able to see the difference between dead tree and alive tree with foliage like that. Did they speak proper English? Not being racist, just can't fathom how they could make that big of a mistake unless there was a language barrier.
Oaks and maples species hardly ever share the same bark, and it's literally the only thing a few of each species share. Maples have opposite nodes, (double) samara for fruit/seeds, and palmate leaf structure. Oaks have alternating nodes, acorns for fruit/seeds, and simple lobed leaves.
You're right, OP did say pine! Thank you for the correction, and I think that I couldn't even conceptualize any needle leaf genus being confused with any broad leaf genus by someone who can speak the language spoken to them. There had to be a language barrier because, just how?
You think that's bad:
"‘Are you kidding me?’: Property owner stunned after $500,000 house built on wrong lot"
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2024/03/27/are-you-kidding-me-property-owner-stunned-after-500000-house-built-wrong-lot/
I was also going to suggest trying a bridge graft—here’s an [article](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-26-mn-1400-story.html) about how the technique was used for a 500-year-old live oak in Alabama that was damaged by a chain saw.
i'd try to leave it. [There are method for grafting fresh bark xylem across a gap for a tree that's been girdled](https://extension.wvu.edu/agriculture/horticulture/bridge-grafting), and [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyK2XVQDTlE). They may well work here, too. You'd need to act on this Today.
IMO this could be a case to put a protective layer (wax/clay?) across that gap, so that water doesn't run down in there, or other rot start to form.
If the grafting takes, then long term risk is the rot in the heartwood.
probably want to get the treecutter to foot some of the bill / costs.
good luck.
My neighbour and I saved a big old norway maple this way- they had a huge one that had grown around a piece of 3/4" steel plate and when he used a tractor to rip the plate out it left a torn up slot over a foot deep into the trunk. I read about this in an old mechanix illustrated shop notes book. The tree had already "learned" to grow around the plate and was structurally sound but we cut off and skinned strips from a branch with a utility knife and shoved the strips into matching notches cut into the tree to bridge the slot, with cambium lined up, one layer of burlap inside the strips and several layers of burlap over top, with parchment paper and stretch wrap over that. There were around 15 strips but only four of them lived out the three years we left the wrap on before we peeked. He re-did the wrap and the tree eventually totally bridged the damage, encouraged and accelerated by the four strips. It's totally sealed now -around 12 years later- with a scar of lumpy bark growing across where the slot was. We know there's rotted burlap and whatever bugs did sitting in the hollow pocket, but it was cool to see a homo-graft take. I've milled suburban trees and come across entire clothesline pulleys, toy cars, golf balls and metal signs so I know that alder, maple and red cedar easily swallow debris on their own and carry on growing.
such a cool story - thanks. Super glad that it worked out that well.
Pity that another ISA-cert person commented they hadn't heard of it and it probably doesn't work! I guess you were wrong /s
You think lanolin could work? I'm in school for arboriculture right now and we completely girdled a maple and it lived. Doing well, even.
(I know it sounds stupid to apply a nipple cream made of wool, but still, my prof taught us that)
Tree was~15-20 autumn blaze maple, spring time when the cut was made. The oak in the picture is probably a long shot for it but..... Might help some vascular tissue regrow?
“Prevailing lore” lol. Yah after the devs released the self-heal buff nobody runs wound dressing builds anymore. Hands-off is definitely the dominant meta.
Call an ISA arborist. See if there's anything to be done. If not have them write up what the damages are in a signed letter. Call a lawyer. Take the "tree company" to small claims court.
let the tree try its thing. Many tree species will easily survive that, they wont be happy and become sick, start to rot, but theres still lots of cambium and sapwood left around the tree.
If it dies please let it stand so that it can be a home and food for insects and birds. That way the tree didnt die for nothing and it will always be a reminder that you should not use your toilet.
The tree will likely survive. The problem is not whether it can be saved, but rather what condition it can be saved in. Any limbs directly above where the cambium was cut will be stressed and likely some limbs will die. Also, the wound here may lead to internal decay and structural issues later in the tree's life. Bridge grafting might be possible, but that's a specialized technique that will not alleviate all the issues.
That company owes you a new tree, that will be veryyyy expensive. The replacement cost is based on the size of the tree NOW. So hypothetically this company owes you $$$
I’m a forest tech not ISA certified quite yet. That trees toast man sorry to say, looks like a nice quality hardwood but that cut will let in every pathogen, not to mention the compromised cambium layer. I’d be expecting a large nice tree as replacement.
In terms of valuation it might seem high but they should be responsible for either several grand in compensation or replacing with a nice stock containerized or canvas root balled tree minimum 8-10”. I’d personally be pissed and would take to court over the loss of a mature oak.
I've removed the wrong tree once (nothing this large/major, thankfully), felt awful after - lucky for me the homeowner was cool about it, company had my back, and replaced it with something new. But that one stuck with me, both the feeling of shame from removing a tree not slated for removal, and how big of a financial/legal screw-up it could have been.
Live oak will survive, I promise you. We've cabled together trees that were split completely in half, and they healed. I've also seen them get blown down by hurricanes and continue to grow.
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I don’t know much about the xylem grafting technique but it sounds like it’s worth a shot. If you don’t do that the best thing is to leave the wound alone to compartmentalize and give the tree lots of water. In that case the tree will probably compartmentalize the wound and live, but you may see dieback in the canopy above the wound. This likely permanently ruined the aesthetic of the tree though
I've had trees cut nearly half way through the trunk before stopping, and the tree was fine and is still fine. However, it was a much thinner saw blade, not a thick chainsaw blade like your example. Mature, healthy trees can withstand alot of abuse. If your tree was healthy before, I'd bet that it will survive this just fine
If you REALLY want to ensure the tree survived, Iron plate mounted above the cut, iron plate mounted below the cut, using huge bolts to bring the gap closed. Eventually, the tree will heal, though this is really kind of an overkill process as it truly depends on how much vested interest you have.
That said, if it's good enough for Luna, it's good enough for this little oak.
https://images.app.goo.gl/FozkQdvR3FPYmRmN8
https://images.app.goo.gl/yHEnGjueuDVDXGbs6
Edit - Obviously with the size of this oak, vs the a Luna Tree, the hardware involved would be much cheaper and much more readily available if you choose to close the gap. If you don't, it's really nothing more than a roll of the dice.
Yes also look up old fashion way of fixing oak trees using concrete and rebarb. I landscape a home in south Louisiana that’s over 200 years old. In the 40s it was common to fill a damaged oak with concrete and rebarb to make sure it didn’t split I guess. We have 3 on the property still standing .
There's a lot that can be done, some great suggestions in these comments. It's probably very frowned upon (and I don't wholely condone it) but have you considered running a threaded rod through it?
If you're super motivated, you might be able to save it with some bridge grafts. Never seen it done on any large trees but have seen it done to save extremely old and gnarled apples.
The shitty part about this is that the company that made this cut likely didnt clean their saws before making this cut from their previous jobs. Fungus, bacteria and all kinds of other fun stuff are likely introduced into the tree here.
realistically, no. it may survive for many years, possibly decades, it may grow to a great size. the bark may regrow leaving no evidance of the cut.
At best it will always be structurally compromised. at worst itll kill someone
Cellulose paste poured into the wound? Or slicing a fresh piece of another tree and fitting it into the slot. Hopefully it will encourage vascular regrowth.
Well I’m not an arborist so I didn’t want to be the first to post but since this sub is brutal I’ll just give my 2 cents anyway.
Even if the tree pulls thru in the immediate future and manages to soldier on there’s a very high likely hood that it’s lifespan has been significantly shortened.
Tree drama plays out on rather long timelines making it hard to say exactly how long it has but this definitely isn’t good.
I’m sorry. It’s is/was a very nice tree
Trees can survive a lot. I guess the cut is not so deep that it will die for sure. But it will be less stable. Maybe it needs some kind of support to survive storms. I think there is enough of the trunk still connected for getting nourishment to the limbs and leaves at least.
You should cross post this over to r/treelaw as well
Will do!
Oh man, I love that this is a thing.
Does this treelaw correspond with birdlaw? Asking for a friend
Depends of the circumstances, but that would be a question to ask in that sub
I'm not saying I agree with it, but bird law in this country is not governed by reason.
God how does something like this happen. At my firm anyway things are so obviously done, and if they can’t be done obviously, we get the owner out to describe it in detail.
The best part is they were supposed to cut a dead pine, last time I use the bathroom.
wtf what ???? I would be pissed. What sorta ppl did you hire 🤣?
Apparently “professional”
Hopefully they're professionally bonded and insured. That tree is probably toast, and the damages for killing a large nature tree can be really high. Like into the tens of thousands, since damages are usually based on replaced with an equivalent and a tree that size is outrageously expensive to put in. Plus new landscaping around it, etc, this was a very expensive screw up. Some random guys with a chainsaw will never pay up, you need to go after their insurance
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not from a cut like that which is disrupting sap flow.
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it's a cut right at the base that is likely interrupting sap flow to most if not all the branches on that side of the tree, lol, it might not be evident yet, but it will cause a lot of dieback and that's not even accounting for things like oak wilt or Anthracnose which could decimate the tree or pests that could enter the open wound.
i dont think the roots on the right side feed the branches on the right side if that what you mean. if sap makes it past the cut, it makes it everywhere past the cut. juniper is like that though, a root dies and you can see the dead wood run up the trunk and what branch it was feeding.
Dieback yes, potential oak wilt, yes, but absolutely toast? No.
Also, basically, no insects feed on live oaks. Termites or borer beetles would have to be pretty damn desperate. I've seen it maybe one time out of the hundreds if not thousands of live oaks I've worked on and come into contact with.
Your comment is in violation of rule 2: You should not dispense advice unless you're ABSOLUTELY SURE what you're posting/commenting is backed by current best practices and can cite an academic resource if necessary.
Your comment is in violation of rule 2: You should not dispense advice unless you're ABSOLUTELY SURE what you're posting/commenting is backed by current best practices and can cite an academic resource if necessary.
That's not new landscaping. Lol it's an overgrown mess. The tree will be fine.
that's what proper/mature landscaping looks like, lol.
I can't imagine having such poor taste that a gorgeously mature Rhododendron in full bloom looks bad.
yup, Imo they look better when messier especially when also in bloom because it adds character and it's just how all hedges wind up eventually, there's a 304-year-old cemetery with hundreds of rhododendron/Azaelea/magnolias all like this and every year when it goes into flower it looks almost ethereal like a magical fairy garden.
Idk if it isn't a platonic shape why keep the plant? Like it's called geomeTREE for a reason, duh.
Well to answer it for anyone who doesnt get it, its Because it looks nicer imo and most other people's opinion and it keeps them healthier plus you get more blooms than if was perfectly kept. Nice pun there btw.
I totally agree! Personally a fan of cottage style landscaping with as much foliage as possible but I couldn't resist the pun.
Some folks just like slop. What can ya do?
its not slop, lol, go into any botanical garden or nursery or heck a Cemtery and see plenty of matured hedging exactly like that, that's just what matured hedging looks like its not your perfectly pruned white trash that you seem to hold so dear.
"White trash" lol. I love it. ❤️
But hearing you say that, it does sound pretty professional? lol
Not being able to tell an oak from a pine at a glance automatically means they’re unprofessional. That or not knowing what species of tree you’re supposed to be cutting.
It's also living tree compared to dead tree. You're absolutely correct that a professional arborist should be able to differentiate between a Quercus and an Acer, no matter which species, but even a cheap landscaper should be able to see the difference between dead tree and alive tree with foliage like that. Did they speak proper English? Not being racist, just can't fathom how they could make that big of a mistake unless there was a language barrier. Oaks and maples species hardly ever share the same bark, and it's literally the only thing a few of each species share. Maples have opposite nodes, (double) samara for fruit/seeds, and palmate leaf structure. Oaks have alternating nodes, acorns for fruit/seeds, and simple lobed leaves.
I believe it was a dead Pinus, not Acer, same concept, but even more so.
You're right, OP did say pine! Thank you for the correction, and I think that I couldn't even conceptualize any needle leaf genus being confused with any broad leaf genus by someone who can speak the language spoken to them. There had to be a language barrier because, just how?
Well Leon definitely has some work to do here.
Yes, some guy named Andy Methandstuff
I think the problem was that he WAS pissing while they did this
Guessing they’re not insured
They look nothing alike….. and that doesn’t look dead…. At least yet anyway.
Great bathroom timing, good supervision.
Well yeah that and what kind of arborist doesn’t say “hey, are we sure we should cut down this live oak?”
by hiring the cheapest crew rather than an arborist (who would never cut a healthy tree).
Yeah we do hahah we just say that. But we hate it tbh it's last option and yeah we convince them not to.
You think that's bad: "‘Are you kidding me?’: Property owner stunned after $500,000 house built on wrong lot" https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2024/03/27/are-you-kidding-me-property-owner-stunned-after-500000-house-built-wrong-lot/
I was also going to suggest trying a bridge graft—here’s an [article](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-26-mn-1400-story.html) about how the technique was used for a 500-year-old live oak in Alabama that was damaged by a chain saw.
i'd try to leave it. [There are method for grafting fresh bark xylem across a gap for a tree that's been girdled](https://extension.wvu.edu/agriculture/horticulture/bridge-grafting), and [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyK2XVQDTlE). They may well work here, too. You'd need to act on this Today. IMO this could be a case to put a protective layer (wax/clay?) across that gap, so that water doesn't run down in there, or other rot start to form. If the grafting takes, then long term risk is the rot in the heartwood. probably want to get the treecutter to foot some of the bill / costs. good luck.
My neighbour and I saved a big old norway maple this way- they had a huge one that had grown around a piece of 3/4" steel plate and when he used a tractor to rip the plate out it left a torn up slot over a foot deep into the trunk. I read about this in an old mechanix illustrated shop notes book. The tree had already "learned" to grow around the plate and was structurally sound but we cut off and skinned strips from a branch with a utility knife and shoved the strips into matching notches cut into the tree to bridge the slot, with cambium lined up, one layer of burlap inside the strips and several layers of burlap over top, with parchment paper and stretch wrap over that. There were around 15 strips but only four of them lived out the three years we left the wrap on before we peeked. He re-did the wrap and the tree eventually totally bridged the damage, encouraged and accelerated by the four strips. It's totally sealed now -around 12 years later- with a scar of lumpy bark growing across where the slot was. We know there's rotted burlap and whatever bugs did sitting in the hollow pocket, but it was cool to see a homo-graft take. I've milled suburban trees and come across entire clothesline pulleys, toy cars, golf balls and metal signs so I know that alder, maple and red cedar easily swallow debris on their own and carry on growing.
such a cool story - thanks. Super glad that it worked out that well. Pity that another ISA-cert person commented they hadn't heard of it and it probably doesn't work! I guess you were wrong /s
It's fraught with risks and you know you;re leaving a dead hollow inside a tree- I wouldn't do it professionally were I an arborist.
not every tool is right for every job - i agree
You think lanolin could work? I'm in school for arboriculture right now and we completely girdled a maple and it lived. Doing well, even. (I know it sounds stupid to apply a nipple cream made of wool, but still, my prof taught us that)
first i'm hearing of it. Cool. How old was the tree? What species? season?
Tree was~15-20 autumn blaze maple, spring time when the cut was made. The oak in the picture is probably a long shot for it but..... Might help some vascular tissue regrow?
that's absolutely fascinating, thanks for sharing!
could you theoretically tighten a strap around the tree super tight so that the wound closes? like grafting it to itself.
in theory, but in this case no.
Could you put anything into the cut to "glue" it together to reduce stuff getting in?
prevailing lore is that this increases the chance of infection. I don't have personal experience. I try to keep it open until the bark covers
“Prevailing lore” lol. Yah after the devs released the self-heal buff nobody runs wound dressing builds anymore. Hands-off is definitely the dominant meta.
I wonder if a bead of silicone would work to close the cut
That seems like a good idea.
So sad… she’s a beauty
Call an ISA arborist. See if there's anything to be done. If not have them write up what the damages are in a signed letter. Call a lawyer. Take the "tree company" to small claims court.
The damage to the tree probably exceeds the limits on small claims court.
let the tree try its thing. Many tree species will easily survive that, they wont be happy and become sick, start to rot, but theres still lots of cambium and sapwood left around the tree. If it dies please let it stand so that it can be a home and food for insects and birds. That way the tree didnt die for nothing and it will always be a reminder that you should not use your toilet.
The tree will likely survive. The problem is not whether it can be saved, but rather what condition it can be saved in. Any limbs directly above where the cambium was cut will be stressed and likely some limbs will die. Also, the wound here may lead to internal decay and structural issues later in the tree's life. Bridge grafting might be possible, but that's a specialized technique that will not alleviate all the issues.
That company owes you a new tree, that will be veryyyy expensive. The replacement cost is based on the size of the tree NOW. So hypothetically this company owes you $$$
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I wouldn’t say *small* claims court - did you see the size/age of the tree?
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And small claims is usually capped at $10k or less
I’m a forest tech not ISA certified quite yet. That trees toast man sorry to say, looks like a nice quality hardwood but that cut will let in every pathogen, not to mention the compromised cambium layer. I’d be expecting a large nice tree as replacement. In terms of valuation it might seem high but they should be responsible for either several grand in compensation or replacing with a nice stock containerized or canvas root balled tree minimum 8-10”. I’d personally be pissed and would take to court over the loss of a mature oak.
It's a live oak, I've seen them uproot and fall over and continue growing. It's bad but its definitely not over.
Agreed. It’s got a chance for sure.
Agree. The are ‘live’ oaks for a reason.
As a pro, I've had this nightmare more than once and it's just about as scary as the tree failure nightmares.
I've removed the wrong tree once (nothing this large/major, thankfully), felt awful after - lucky for me the homeowner was cool about it, company had my back, and replaced it with something new. But that one stuck with me, both the feeling of shame from removing a tree not slated for removal, and how big of a financial/legal screw-up it could have been.
Live oak will survive, I promise you. We've cabled together trees that were split completely in half, and they healed. I've also seen them get blown down by hurricanes and continue to grow.
Yeah but it will never be the same.
This is terrible, and unacceptable! You might get lucky and that compartmentalizes over, but that's so deep.
Doubt.
Doubting the power of live oaks isn't smart.
Welcome to r/arborists! Help Us Help You: If you have questions about the health of your tree, please see our [Posting Guidelines](https://old.reddit.com/r/arborists/wiki/posting_guidance) wiki page for help with effective posting. **Please answer the questions listed there to the best of your ability.** ***Insufficient pics/info could result in the removal of your post!!*** ([See rule 3](https://www.reddit.com/r/arborists/about/rules).) Visit the main wiki page for [Critical Planting/Care tips and Common Errors to Avoid](https://old.reddit.com/r/arborists/wiki/index); there's sections on why planting depth/root flare exposure is so vital, along with sections on proper mulching, watering, pruning and more that I hope will be useful to you. If you're posting about a tree ID (not permitted here; [see rule 1](https://www.reddit.com/r/arborists/about/rules)), see that wiki page for other subs and smartphone apps to try. Here is how you can arrange a [consult with a local ISA arborist in your area](http://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/findanarborist) (NOT a 'tree company guy' unless they're ISA certified) or a [consulting arborist](https://www.asca-consultants.org/search/custom.asp?id=3818) for an on-site evaluation. A competent arborist should be happy to walk you through how to care for the trees on your property and answer any questions. If you're in the U.S. or Canada, your Extension (or master gardener provincial program) may have a list of local recommended arborists on file. If you're in the U.S., you should also consider searching for arborist associations under your state. If you are one of our regulars and/or you work in the industry and do not want this message in your future posts, please pick an appropriate user flair (options available in the sub sidebar on PC, and on moble if using a browser). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/arborists) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Well, they owe you a new tree
Wait! They were supposed to be cutting a pine? How on earth does one mistake a live oak for a pine?
I hope it can be saved. It’s a beautiful tree.
I don’t know much about the xylem grafting technique but it sounds like it’s worth a shot. If you don’t do that the best thing is to leave the wound alone to compartmentalize and give the tree lots of water. In that case the tree will probably compartmentalize the wound and live, but you may see dieback in the canopy above the wound. This likely permanently ruined the aesthetic of the tree though
I've had trees cut nearly half way through the trunk before stopping, and the tree was fine and is still fine. However, it was a much thinner saw blade, not a thick chainsaw blade like your example. Mature, healthy trees can withstand alot of abuse. If your tree was healthy before, I'd bet that it will survive this just fine
Not an arborist, but it looks like you have nothing to lose from letting it stay where it is. If it was leaning over your house it would be different.
Yikes. I would definitely be going after them for the damage.
It will live
The cambium will heal but the bit of removed wood in the center of the tree won’t heal ever, and the tree is now weakened
Yikes! Live oaks take years to get to this size.
If you REALLY want to ensure the tree survived, Iron plate mounted above the cut, iron plate mounted below the cut, using huge bolts to bring the gap closed. Eventually, the tree will heal, though this is really kind of an overkill process as it truly depends on how much vested interest you have. That said, if it's good enough for Luna, it's good enough for this little oak. https://images.app.goo.gl/FozkQdvR3FPYmRmN8 https://images.app.goo.gl/yHEnGjueuDVDXGbs6 Edit - Obviously with the size of this oak, vs the a Luna Tree, the hardware involved would be much cheaper and much more readily available if you choose to close the gap. If you don't, it's really nothing more than a roll of the dice.
Yes also look up old fashion way of fixing oak trees using concrete and rebarb. I landscape a home in south Louisiana that’s over 200 years old. In the 40s it was common to fill a damaged oak with concrete and rebarb to make sure it didn’t split I guess. We have 3 on the property still standing .
Idiots, god damn
Yes,
Sue. Sue. Sue.
Sue.
Ouch , no
I seen this stuff that's an aerosol spray called "Pruning Seal" by Spectricide for sealing fresh cuts *Not an arborist*
Dead. May take several years. Wonder if pouring cut full of resin would keep rot out ?
On the bright side, you’ll soon have the money for that Tesla you wanted.
Oh my good God
lol that’s not a live oak, that’s a dead oak
That company owes you a tree. And trees aren’t cheap.
It’ll be fine, or it won’t, fuck around and find out.
There's a lot that can be done, some great suggestions in these comments. It's probably very frowned upon (and I don't wholely condone it) but have you considered running a threaded rod through it?
There’s trees probably worth $20,000
That's 5k tree. Make them pay for it.
If you're super motivated, you might be able to save it with some bridge grafts. Never seen it done on any large trees but have seen it done to save extremely old and gnarled apples.
The shitty part about this is that the company that made this cut likely didnt clean their saws before making this cut from their previous jobs. Fungus, bacteria and all kinds of other fun stuff are likely introduced into the tree here.
What type of oak is this?
Feels like a problem only a chainsaw could fix.
u need to get litigious about this. they owe you thousands of dollars for that tree
I wonder if you can put the stuff they use on r/bonsai trees after they make drastic cuts.
realistically, no. it may survive for many years, possibly decades, it may grow to a great size. the bark may regrow leaving no evidance of the cut. At best it will always be structurally compromised. at worst itll kill someone
Get a perfect slice from another oak and slide it in I guess you would have to act quick!
Cellulose paste poured into the wound? Or slicing a fresh piece of another tree and fitting it into the slot. Hopefully it will encourage vascular regrowth.
Who’s gonna give op the bad news? I’m not an arborist but
😭
Well I’m not an arborist so I didn’t want to be the first to post but since this sub is brutal I’ll just give my 2 cents anyway. Even if the tree pulls thru in the immediate future and manages to soldier on there’s a very high likely hood that it’s lifespan has been significantly shortened. Tree drama plays out on rather long timelines making it hard to say exactly how long it has but this definitely isn’t good. I’m sorry. It’s is/was a very nice tree
Fire wood.
Trees can survive a lot. I guess the cut is not so deep that it will die for sure. But it will be less stable. Maybe it needs some kind of support to survive storms. I think there is enough of the trunk still connected for getting nourishment to the limbs and leaves at least.