Oak tree thoughts

3 years ago

Hi all! There are some beautiful trees on the property of the home we moved into a few months ago. There is one large oak tree in particular that really stands out. A couple of months ago I was approached by a young Arborer (late 30s) who told me the tree was about 60 years old and was diseased and he would cut it down for $4,000. We got a second opinion from an Arborer with decades of experience who said the tree was at least 100 years old and that there was nothing wrong with it and did not need to be cut down.
There’s something special about this tree and just want to learn more about it if possible. If there’s anyone out there with extensive Oak knowledge, I’d love to know your thoughts!
I posted some pictures as it is right now (it’s very damp and wet here) but can post more once this year’s leaves come in. I wish the pictures did justice, it’s really a beautiful tree.
For reference, it’s at least 40 feet in height and the very base of the tree is between 4 and 4.5 feet in diameter.

Featured Answer

cecily 7A

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

"I was approached..." In my suburban neighborhood men with chainsaws go door to door offering to trim or remove trees. Do not hire these guys, they don't have insurance and are not trained arborists. Anybody can call themselves a "tree service" - look for an ISA certified arborist to appraise your valuable tree.

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Comments (7)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
3 years ago
Where are you located? Is that a hole in the trunk? If so, that is NEVER a good sign. As a matter of fact, it’s a sure indication that the interior of the tree is rotten, dead.
BillMN-z4a
3 years ago
Always make sure that you use an ISA certified arborist. They can give you more than just an opinion.

Oak trees can live for decades with a certain amount of interior rot, that's where old hollow oak trees come from.

The older gentleman was closer with his estimates than the younger imo.

Do it right and you'll have the peace of mind associated with that.
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bengz6westmd
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Rhizo, the "hole" is an outward projection producing shade.

White oak. They can survive with some damage for quite a long time. Unless there are alot of branches dying (not leafing out), there's no reason IMO it won't live as long as you're in the house. Obviously, tree-cutters want to cut trees.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years ago
take a 6 foot shovel... common spade is such ... .lean it against the tree .. then back up and take a pic of the whole tree. ..

then you have your scale leaning against the tree.. and can multiply it out.. i might think its much taller than 40 feet ...

never trust a guy who knocks on your door and offers to do anything for 4000 dollars ... really.. unsolicited???

where are you.. big city name ...

if and when you decide you need work done ... get at least 3 quotes .. demand to see insurance info ... and make sure everything is in writing ...

and do pay an ISA tree doctor ... for an opinion on this tree ...

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=isa+arborist&ia=web

ken
charles kidder
3 years ago
I've had people knock on my door. It was winter and things were slow, so they were looking for work. They made some suggestions that I agreed with for the right price and they did the work fine. I was getting rid of trees I didn't plant and I didn't want. Not because they were in danger of falling.
AnnKH
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
That is a lovely tree, with lots of character!

I once had an arborist knock on my door - he was working in the neighborhood, and noticed a large branch of an ash tree hanging over the driveway, and asked if I wanted it trimmed. We had several large trees with dead branches that we couldn't get to, so I asked him to clean those out as well. He worked a day and a half, including hauling away the branches and raking the yard. The trees looked great when he was done, and he charged me what he quoted.