Garry Oaks Rotted at Base?

[Bob Smalser]

Got a call offering all the lumber from two nice wind thrown Garry Oaks for my assistance in removing them from an old hilltop cemetery.  Around 900 bf.



This is our native White Oak and there's an excellent market for green and airdried oak in the local boatbuilding communities.



Problem is, there weren't the root balls I expected when I went to look at the site.  These trees are on the edge of an embankment next to a road that dates from the 1890's, and probably widened in the 1950's.  In the process of widening the road, the lower three feet of these tree trunks were buried in loamy sand.  While the trees look healthy and are full of buds, I suspect the explanation of why there are no root balls is that the trunks gradually rotted off at the base and broke in our recent hurricane winds.  Unfortunately, I didn't take a saw with me when I went to look at them, so I couldn't do any plunge cuts.

Oaks are rare around here and I've no experience with them.  Think this is worth a second 120-mile round trip packing the chain saw?   The first 4' of only a 10' clear bole may be rotten.

[Steven A.]

Sounds like a great deal for the tree owner, a poor deal for you unless you are interested in charity work.

[SPIKER]

You may have some good spalting inside there?  just a guess though but with the moss & fact the trees were partly buried it may be rotted or just nice & purdy. ;)

MarkM

[Tillaway]

I have had to cruise  lots of them in Oregon and California.  I see nothing in the pictures that would compel me to drive back and look closer.  If you were right next door then maybe its worth a couple ounces of saw gas. 

[Bob Smalser]

You may have some good spalting inside there?  just a guess though but with the moss & fact the trees were partly buried it may be rotted or just nice & purdy. ;)

Thanks, but if the trunks rotted off, it'll be worse that just spalting.  There's over 3 grand in oak there if I can get 10' lengths.  But if the boles rotted sufficiently to break, I'll lose half that length and its not worth doing.   As the cemetery crew will assist with bucking and cleanup, it's a 3-day job.

Moss in these parts grows everywhere, and doesn't mean anything except to show how deep those trucks were buried.

[Bob Smalser]

I have had to cruise  lots of them in Oregon and California.  I see nothing in the pictures that would compel me to drive back and look closer.  If you were right next door then maybe its worth a couple ounces of saw gas. 

Thanks, am leaning in that direction.   The problem with imported white oak around here is that it isn't green and fresh for bending stock or timbers that won't dry too much while the boat is being built.  That's my market.

[Steven A.]

What is the price of green rough sawn white oak  there? What dimensions are desired?

[farmerdoug]

If the trees were growing fine in the summer but were just pushed over by the wind they are probably still solid.  If they were buried in the fifties and were rotting they would have died and been done along time ago.  Usually buring the tree like that kills the rots for the lack of oxygen and the tree is dead if a few years.  If the wood is worth that much to you then I would say go back with the saw and check them out better.  Especially since the oak is a premium around you.

Farmerdoug

[Fla._Deadheader]

I agree with farmerDoug. We called it "Smothering" the tree, where I grew up. They would die in a few years. These might just have blown over, stump and all, by the looks of the photos. I would invest a little more time.

[Bob Smalser]

Thanks all.

As these are heritage trees in a pioneeer cemetery, the superintendent and I agreed to leave the trees for another year, filling the holes with topsoil.  The cambium is obviously intact.  If the trunks haven't rotted, we'll wait and see if the trees survive.

[Cedarman]

Figure the cost in going back including value for time.  Figure possible return on this investment from low end (trees worthless) to what they are worth if sawed minus the cost of working up the trees.  This should give you the risk - reward factor.

And if you don't go, you may always wonder what you missed. 

First is strictly business decision, second takes in the human side.