We have a 150+ year old Southern Live Oak in our subdivision back yard. For years it spanned the entire back yard. 5 or 6 years ago the entire back half f the tree fell from it's own weight. I hired an arborist who specializes in live oak preservation to remove the broken part of the tree and prune the remainder for optimum growth. The soil under the tree was compacted so Bob aerated the soil and added a heavy dose of nitrogen. In the following years I added a heavy dose of nitrogen twice each year. Last Thursday I noticed a large section of bark peeling away from the trunk and a large crack running down the trunk. Friday the crack was larger. The remaining part of the tree spans across the shop, patio cover and house roof. I called a reputable arborist to evaluate the tree. The consensus is what I expected. The huge branches on the front side of the tree are going to split from a co-dominance. Sooner rather than later.
The arborist could have taken the tree out Friday but he has to bring equipment into the back yard. Doing so involves possibly encroaching on my neighbor's yard by a few feet. I had to get permission from her first. The arborist will repair any ruts in the lawn - mine and hers.
The tentative schedule is Monday but I have my doubts because it is supposed to storm Sunday.
This is an extremely difficult decision to make. I love my tree. The tree is the reason we purchased the house in 1987. I have hugged and kissed my tree good bye and can't stop shedding tears. I really wish they had been able to do the work yesterday. The more I look at my tree the more I cry. By the time the tree is actually taken out I will have cried a river.
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ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
-
ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
The tree was removed Wednesday. I cried all day. 
I kept a 4' x 3" branch for my brother. He makes custom culinary knives and will use the wood for handles. There were several seedlings in my patio pots. I harvest them and potted in 1 gallon containers. I will give them to my sister and another brother who have acreage. A southern live oak is just too large for a subdivision lot.
The equipment made a mess of the side yard. The company did till the ruts but we will have to bring in sand and soil in the spring. It will be unsightly all winter because the St. Augustine is dying back for winter.
The stump has not yet been ground out. The remains from the stump will not be raked out. With our wet and relatively mild winters it will decompose quickly. In the spring I will bring in cured horse manure from my sister's horse farm and compost from our Parish compost facility (both are free). I will have it all tilled together and have a soil test done. I will probably have to add nitrogen and lime. Even though it is completely cured and composted the horse manure is still a little on the acidic side. I won't add anything without the soil test.
I want to make a rather large, slightly S shaped berm and plant a drake elm as the focal point. It is very fast growing and relatively small. More suitable for a subdivision lot. My herb bed is gone so I will use the berm for planting herbs and perennials. Filling in with annuals, bulbs and rhizomes.
It is so weird not to have my tree. I was able to leave most of my patio plants out because the tree protected them from frost. I will have to move them under the patio cover. I used to have to turn on the kitchen light every time I went in there. Now there is light.
The back side of the house will be colder in the winter and hotter in summer until the drake elm gets well established.
A word to the wise. If you have a beautiful Southern Live Oak or other specimen trees on your property spend the money and have a preservation specialist inspect and care for your tree on a regular basis. Had we done that starting in '87 when we purchased the house we would still have our tree. Over the years it would have cost less than the expense of having the back half removed 5 or 6 years ago - $3,000 and another $2,800 to have the remainder removed. In the spring there will be the expense of creating the berm and planting a new tree and other plants. Spend the money to have your trees professionally cared for. When working with Southern Live Oaks or other specimen trees you do want to hire a preservation specialist - not just an arborist.
I am BROKEN HEARTED.
I kept a 4' x 3" branch for my brother. He makes custom culinary knives and will use the wood for handles. There were several seedlings in my patio pots. I harvest them and potted in 1 gallon containers. I will give them to my sister and another brother who have acreage. A southern live oak is just too large for a subdivision lot. The equipment made a mess of the side yard. The company did till the ruts but we will have to bring in sand and soil in the spring. It will be unsightly all winter because the St. Augustine is dying back for winter.
The stump has not yet been ground out. The remains from the stump will not be raked out. With our wet and relatively mild winters it will decompose quickly. In the spring I will bring in cured horse manure from my sister's horse farm and compost from our Parish compost facility (both are free). I will have it all tilled together and have a soil test done. I will probably have to add nitrogen and lime. Even though it is completely cured and composted the horse manure is still a little on the acidic side. I won't add anything without the soil test.
I want to make a rather large, slightly S shaped berm and plant a drake elm as the focal point. It is very fast growing and relatively small. More suitable for a subdivision lot. My herb bed is gone so I will use the berm for planting herbs and perennials. Filling in with annuals, bulbs and rhizomes.
It is so weird not to have my tree. I was able to leave most of my patio plants out because the tree protected them from frost. I will have to move them under the patio cover. I used to have to turn on the kitchen light every time I went in there. Now there is light.
The back side of the house will be colder in the winter and hotter in summer until the drake elm gets well established.
A word to the wise. If you have a beautiful Southern Live Oak or other specimen trees on your property spend the money and have a preservation specialist inspect and care for your tree on a regular basis. Had we done that starting in '87 when we purchased the house we would still have our tree. Over the years it would have cost less than the expense of having the back half removed 5 or 6 years ago - $3,000 and another $2,800 to have the remainder removed. In the spring there will be the expense of creating the berm and planting a new tree and other plants. Spend the money to have your trees professionally cared for. When working with Southern Live Oaks or other specimen trees you do want to hire a preservation specialist - not just an arborist.
I am BROKEN HEARTED.
Sorry for the loss of your fave tree.
I am now finally looking at a different angle of getting a tree removed. There's a weed tree elm that should have been out years ago, now is the time, well I have a bit of $ that I can deal with the issue. Back yard, near house, tel lines etc. I got the 1st of perhaps 3 tree people out today. (don't just go with the 1st person!) He can't get the bucket truck in, so needs the skilled guy with ropes and a chain saw up there. Along with this tree would clean/trim up the pecan next to it. I don't reap any pecans as the squirrels have that business totally under their control. I am leaving the stump as a platform for bird bath or better an awesome metal piece one son made for me. Then bright side is I will have more sun in a neglected part of yard. I plan to put in another perennial bed adjacent to one there. This is far from fancy, just space to put in some of the milkweeds, shasta daisies, coneflowers etc.
I am now finally looking at a different angle of getting a tree removed. There's a weed tree elm that should have been out years ago, now is the time, well I have a bit of $ that I can deal with the issue. Back yard, near house, tel lines etc. I got the 1st of perhaps 3 tree people out today. (don't just go with the 1st person!) He can't get the bucket truck in, so needs the skilled guy with ropes and a chain saw up there. Along with this tree would clean/trim up the pecan next to it. I don't reap any pecans as the squirrels have that business totally under their control. I am leaving the stump as a platform for bird bath or better an awesome metal piece one son made for me. Then bright side is I will have more sun in a neglected part of yard. I plan to put in another perennial bed adjacent to one there. This is far from fancy, just space to put in some of the milkweeds, shasta daisies, coneflowers etc.
I had to remove my tree two years ago and I still miss it. It blocked out some of the street noise and kept the driving rain and wind from hitting the house. Now the roots are dying underground and the area is sinking. The grass is dying because their is only air under them.
I have been looking for a tree to replace the one that was there, but now I am thinking of it as an opportunity to do something else. Even if I put a new tree there, it will be years before it fills the space again, so now I have all of this sun space that I did not have before so maybe there is something I can do with it. I don't even mind that the grass is dying since, I really don't like grass anyway.
I have been looking for a tree to replace the one that was there, but now I am thinking of it as an opportunity to do something else. Even if I put a new tree there, it will be years before it fills the space again, so now I have all of this sun space that I did not have before so maybe there is something I can do with it. I don't even mind that the grass is dying since, I really don't like grass anyway.