I have two Oak trees growing together.
1 is a very nice, old Oak tree that has a nice *mostly* uniform canopy.. looks like the ones you see by themselves out in a field. It is probably 70 feet tall at least.
The other one is growing only about 7 feet away (trunk to trunk) and is skinny with a poor canopy. It is about 60 feet tall and is interfering with the larger Oak's branches.
I would like to cut down the smaller Oak, to allow the large Oak to fill in (It is really pretty and I want to be able to see it better).
If I cut down the smaller Oak, will its roots begin to rot and can that spread to the larger Oak? Insects?
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opabinia51
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It's possible but, keepi mind that the oak that you cut down will also become food for your other oak. I think that the most likely scenario would be that the Oak that is still living (provided you don't damage it to much when cutting the other one down) will be fine as it's immune system will still be functioning.
What do others think?
What do others think?
I'm with you Opabinia. There are few dying/dead wood fungi that readily transfer to living wood. If you think about it logically any forest or woods is doing this all the time. A tree growing too close to a larger stronger tree will eventually be killed off or a strong wind will knock over a weaker sapling leaving it to rot on the ground. Natures way isn't it?opabinia51 wrote:It's possible but, keepi mind that the oak that you cut down will also become food for your other oak. I think that the most likely scenario would be that the Oak that is still living (provided you don't damage it to much when cutting the other one down) will be fine as it's immune system will still be functioning.
What do others think?
I don't think leaving the stump in the ground will have a detrimental affect at all on the larger tree.....unless anyone knows different....-
opabinia51
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- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC
Enjoy your Oak Tree! Make sure to have a lot of nice picnics underneath it! I often see doves around our local Oaks. We have Quercus gariana (Garry Oak) here.
And take the free gifts of leaves that the tree gives you each year, mulch them up with your mower and put them into your garden beds. If you have ornamental grasses, don't put them in those beds.
And take the free gifts of leaves that the tree gives you each year, mulch them up with your mower and put them into your garden beds. If you have ornamental grasses, don't put them in those beds.