Oak Tree Damage

Question: Can you identify this issue I'm having with one of my oak trees? This is a limb approximately 12" in diameter that has developed some type of problem where it connects to the main trunk. Not sure if it is a bug infestation or a disease. I have several oak trees along the edge of Maddy's pond and wouldn't the others to have this issue as well.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied September 09, 2024, 2:55 PM EDT
response: What is the condition of the tree foliage? Any signs of dieback or poor health of this large branch? The photo resolution is not good enough for close examination of this. But it appears like it could be an old injury that has grown over, perhaps with some dead wood underneath that is rotting and possibly colonized by insects.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied September 13, 2024, 6:40 PM EDT
response: Ask Extension, I have replied to the Question below twice, but it continues to say I need to reply. I did ask the sender a question, but I haven’t seen a reply from them. Help?   Glenn R. Ahrens OSU Extension Forester  Clackamas, Marion, & Hood River Counties 200 Warner-Milne Road Oregon City, OR 97045 ph.<personal data hidden> fax<personal data hidden> <personal data hidden>      From: ask=<personal data hidden> On Behalf Of Ask Extension Sent: Friday, September 13, 2024 11:57 AM To: Ahrens, Glenn Robert  Subject: Question Escalation: A question in your Ask Extension group needs an answer (#0154144)     [This email originated from outside of OSU. Use caution with links and attachments.]   Glenn Ahrens, A question assigned to your group, #0154144 has presently gone unanswered.  Please try to respond or reassign the question at your earliest opportunity. To view or respond to the question, please login. You're receiving this notice because the question is assigned a group of which you're a member.    This message was sent by Ask Extension. If you need help, please visit https://askhelp.extension.org/.

responder: The Question Asker Replied September 13, 2024, 7:46 PM EDT
response: Hi I apologize for the slow response. I have added some pictures that might be helpful. One of them show a hole with some type of discharge coming out of it and down the side of the limb. I also tried to get a much closer picture of some of the damage which I hope will help.  I appreciate you taking the time to look at this.  Don Comer 1820 53rd. Ave SW Albany, OR 97321 <personal data hidden>   From: ask=<personal data hidden> on behalf of Ask Extension  Sent: Friday, September 13, 2024 3:40 PM To: DONALD COMER  Subject: Re: Oak Tree Damage (#0154144)

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied September 15, 2024, 5:12 PM EDT
response: Now I can see that this is on a limb that was cut. So it appears to be wood rot and insects in the dead and rotting wood. It is normal for there to be rot in the dead wood of large limbs that are cut. Normally there would be a transition where live wood is growing back over the dead part, closing over it. You should be able to see where that transition is.   The key to evaluating the overall health of the tree is to amount and vigor of the foliage. If the foliage on the tree as a whole is abundant and healthy, then this should not be a major threat to tree health. If the tree is not vigorous, perhaps being shaded by larger trees, then it may not be growing as fast and the rot can be more of a threat.  There is the question of how far the rot goes into the main stem and whether it threatens the strength enough to make the trunk vulnerable to breakage. Again, if there is a lot of healthy foliage, trees can often grow new wood fast enough to maintain their strength.