White oak, some kind of disease?

Old Greenhorn · March 17, 2019, 08:59:22 PM

SO I have these two or three white oaks within 20 feet of each other and they all have these 'damage spots' where it looks like the side of the tree collapsed on itself. There is no history of trauma that I am aware of and these trees have other issues that made me decide they will come down for firewood or lumber in the next year or two. They seem quite stable, but not at all healthy. The photos are not great, but all show show of this 'damage' I am talking about. Maybe somebody here can tell me what causes this? One of the trees has a huge bole on it about 20' up. One of the stems has an awful lot of little boles popping out of it. Seems very unusual and I am confused and perplexed.

Southside · March 17, 2019, 09:10:28 PM

Chainsaw bandit came wandering by one time in the past? Mother nature rarely makes perfectly straight lines so not really sure, just throwing an idea out there. In cedar I have seen marks that look like the 3rd one down where someone ran a fence wire across the tree and it grew over it.

Old Greenhorn · March 17, 2019, 09:53:44 PM

Yeah SS, I am very familiar with barbed wire marks, seen them many times. This is not that I don't think. Some of these marks are 20' or more up the trunk and the tree shows it is 'folding' or collapsing over these marks. Bizarre, actually.

Southside · March 17, 2019, 10:21:33 PM

What about wood pecker damage? I have seen them make a complete circle around many a pine tree.

Old Greenhorn · March 18, 2019, 12:42:08 PM

Yes, I have seen that also but again, I don't think that is this. these are like slices of varying sizes all over the trees. Seems like some kind of disease. I am betting when I cut them open I find rot behind these cancers.