What Should I Do With This Long Oak Arm?

[ROFL BOX 6649]

Hanging over the fence & it has more a few years before it would be a hassle for the road, but I think now is the time to do something.

 

Trim a bit off both the end ("just the tip") plus maybe some of the smaller branches, take off some weight & thus give some lift?

 

Take it a lot further back to the trunk?

 

Rig up a lift or brace to keep it elevated? I do like massive Oaks with very long arms.

 

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[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

[ROFL BOX 6649]

Of course @Your Mom likes that.

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[Guest Lobo]

Pro tip:  Don't think about doing jackshit to it until July/August.  Doesn't look you have much neighborly activity around you, but no reason to tempt the Oak Wilt Fates right now.  Not bothering anybody during lockdown, doesn't look like it'll fall in the next couple of months during a storm.  

[Irish Wrist Watch 1359]

Other than the main limb. lop off any limb that is growing in a downward direction, and maybe a few growing skyward. Get on a ladder, and any limb on the main limb that are  growing skyward will have some limbs growing toward the ground. Take those off (the ones growing toward the ground.) That should lighten the load and give it a pretty good appearance at the same time.

[Post Oak 20217]

39 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Pro tip:  Don't think about doing jackshit to it until July/August.  Doesn't look you have much neighborly activity around you, but no reason to tempt the Oak Wilt Fates right now.  Not bothering anybody during lockdown, doesn't look like it'll fall in the next couple of months during a storm.  

I agree with this. Leave it till the fall or winter. You don't want Oak Wilt.   Just saw it off. Don't take it off all the way down to trunk. Leave a good nub 

[luke duke 6413]

1 hour ago, Post Oak said:

I agree with this. Leave it till the fall or winter. You don't want Oak Wilt.   Just saw it off. Don't take it off all the way down to trunk. Leave a good nub 

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[Your Mom 4806]

3 hours ago, ROFL BOX said:

Of course @Your Mom likes that.

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Lol, no hard feelings man.  It was just the fact that it was the very first post that got me.

[ROFL BOX 6649]

Lol, no hard feelings man.  It was just the fact that it was the very first post that got me.

No, I meant "of course YOUR mom will try out anything as a dildo". You're slipping, Shag².

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[ROFL BOX 6649]

& Of course I won't actually make any serious cuts until the season is right.

The only Oaks I cut right now are ones that are rubbing / wearing shingles. & Even then, the ones I *DO* cut get sprayed with Spectracide within 4 or 5 minutes of the cut.

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[Guest Lobo]

10 hours ago, Post Oak said:

I agree with this. Leave it till the fall or winter. You don't want Oak Wilt.   Just saw it off. Don't take it off all the way down to trunk. Leave a good nub 

Fantastic then, I’ll wrap up it and come see you with my nub. 
-sol Rosenberg, chief arborist. 

[MAUFRAIS 6629]

About the oak wilt risks right now, what should be done if a limb breaks during this time? Do I need to put a balm on it?

[Guest Lobo]

A balm is unpredictable.  Who told you to put the balm on?  /jackie 

If you've got a break, I'd still saw at the base of the split as clean as I could.  Do it by hand, not a chainsaw just to be as precise as possible.  Do it just before midday with a freshly cleaned handsaw, take a leafblower to the cut if you have one (or at least wipe the area down), then apply pruning sealer as liberally as possible (the gooey black stuff, it'll get on you but that's okay---it's a sign that you care).    That's as much as you can do this time of year, but yeah breaks do happen and you gotta keep 'em from falling on the house/people.  Is it obvious after this many posts that I clearly like trees more than I like people?  

Edited May 9, 2020 by Lobo

[Hate 20108]

[Deej 76797]

18 hours ago, Post Oak said:

Leave a good nub 

 

[Guest Lobo]

3 hours ago, Hate said:

Well we did just pass the MayDay, the Russian New Year.  We gotta make plans! 

[RPM 26322]

The state will come and trim it if it's a right of way problem. They usually check about every 5-6 years. Just cleaned up the ROW on the state highway that runs in front of me last year. There's one tree with a long limb I was concerned about being a potential problem and they didn't bat an eye at it. Worry less, drink more.

[horn4life 3760]

Basically the reason you aren't supposed to prune now is sort of like Coronavirus.  Keep your tools clean and when you make cuts and paint over EVERY wound!

Your biggest risk of Oak Wilt? A cheap tree trimmer that brings it to you on the tools he just used to dismantle some dying tree yesterday.  In fact I look out my window and notice where my neighbor's tree on the far side doesn't look too healthy. Then I see where the tree trimmers nibbled a bit off the tips of my overhanging limbs onto their property. You can see in rural areas the best, the devastating effects of oak wilt.  Huge patches wiped out basically as far as the root structures overlap.

My suggestion Rox, is if you want to do something about it now,?  Take it back to the trunk and spray the hell out of it.  Then maybe come back in a day or two and spray it again just in case the large wound causes cracking in the seal (unlikely honesty, but I am overly cautious on this shit).

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by horn4life

[Longhorn Fever 267]

A balm is unpredictable.  Who told you to put the balm on?  /jackie 
If you've got a break, I'd still saw at the base of the split as clean as I could.  Do it by hand, not a chainsaw just to be as precise as possible.  Do it just before midday with a freshly cleaned handsaw, take a leafblower to the cut if you have one (or at least wipe the area down), then apply pruning sealer as liberally as possible (the gooey black stuff, it'll get on you but that's okay---it's a sign that you care).    That's as much as you can do this time of year, but yeah breaks do happen and you gotta keep 'em from falling on the house/people.  Is it obvious after this many posts that I clearly like trees more than I like people?  

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[Longhorn Fever 267]

A balm is unpredictable.  Who told you to put the balm on?  /jackie 
If you've got a break, I'd still saw at the base of the split as clean as I could.  Do it by hand, not a chainsaw just to be as precise as possible.  Do it just before midday with a freshly cleaned handsaw, take a leafblower to the cut if you have one (or at least wipe the area down), then apply pruning sealer as liberally as possible (the gooey black stuff, it'll get on you but that's okay---it's a sign that you care).    That's as much as you can do this time of year, but yeah breaks do happen and you gotta keep 'em from falling on the house/people.  Is it obvious after this many posts that I clearly like trees more than I like people?  

Avatar checks out.