how thick are the branches?

Could you prune out one to lighten its load a bit and maybe it will lift up? (depends on how thick)

the sleeve idea will only be temporary (if it even works!) as the branches will still grow.

I have hung pouches of rocks from branches to train upright branches to be a bit more horizontal. Something like that perhaps? (again, depends on how thick)

Interesting ideas. I'll look at the upper one and see if there are any areas I could prune without causing too much damage. How much weight am I likely to need in a back of rocks for the lower branch, 2 inches across and already mostly horizontal? They're both up high enough that I can't reach without a ladder.

presuming an oak can live 100 years ...

are you going to be able to take care of it for that long?????

proper removal of one or the other branch is the way to go ....

anything else you dream up is contrary to nature ....

are you going to add plastic with the sleeves ... wont that trap water.. increase winter heat trapping.. etc ... anything you think up.... i can find variables which will create bigger problems than the one you are trying to fix ...

canopy reduction.. done properly ... will simply stimulate the tree to grow ... I AM NOT TALKING ABUT TOPPING ....

have it taken care of properly.. you have a heritage tree ... one that has the potential to live longer than your great grandchildren ... take care of it..

if you do not take care of it.. the tree will shed one or the other of the branches itself.. sooner or later.. [maybe not in your lifetime] through storm damage.. insect damage.. or disease damage.. or all of the above ... so do it right...

ken

Ken, those are exactly my concerns. The oak is older than the house and I hope to keep it there forever. However removing either branch would result in a major canopy reduction (probably about 25% if I remove either of the branches). The tree is already stressed due to its proximity to the house, recurring droughts, and the steep rocky hillside it grows in. I'm reluctant to cause any more stress by removing a major chunk of its canopy if I can find a nondestructive way to eliminate the rubbing.

exactly how big are these branches... are we talking over one foot across .. width.. caliper....????

if they are 50 year old branches... then i would ignore the problem for another 50 years ...

i often say we kill more things with to much TLC.. rather than benign neglect .... opening giant wounds.. because you fear there MIGHT be a problem... is bordering on that thought ...

how close to the house??

any chance at a picture??? without the benefit of a picture.. i suggest you invest in the opinion of a certified arborist in your local area... and find out if you really have a problem.. might be money well spent ...

ken

Which branch will support the crown in the future the best? Eliminate the other one. The Heck with the crown. It will take care of itself.

I'd say each of the branches is about three inches diameter. They normally don't quite touch but there's a definite worn spot where they rub every time the wind blows. I had an arborist look at it last week and he thought there was a risk of bark damage but that it would be even more traumatic to remove one of the brances since they both support a large amount of canopy. His advice was to watch it and keep worrying, and possibly remove a branch in the future. Thus my original question about whether there is any nondestructive way to reduce the rubbing. Note that I'm in a dangerous area for oak wilt (central texas).

i dont understand how a 3 inch branch supports a majority of the canopy ...

get rid of one of them.. the canopy will restore itself ...

what might be a $100 job now.. will be a $1000 job in 10 years... your choice on waiting ...

ken

Leaving the branches to rub (the arborist's suggestion) doesn't make much sense to me. I'm with Ken and Ann on this. A picture might help us understand the issues more, but I'm not sure it would make a difference in the advice.