Oak limbs

[kram]

Unsure whats best for this tree. Its an old one but has been topped, and flush cut pruning in the past. Thrunk starting to hollow out etc.. It has a limbs in bad shape but lots of growth on the living side, I assume the dead wood is not adding much if any strength when this far gone. Quite solid to stand on.

 

 

Leave as they are, could be years before new growth weight causes an issue?

 

Trim the dead off to leave a hollow living shell of strong recent growth?

 

 

They are over a long driveway entrance and hedge so very low risk if a limb failed.

 

[Dan Maynard]

I'd leave it alone, to me it looks like it's been quietly doing it's thing for a lot of years already.

 

Oak deadwood decays very very slowly, and even if not adding a huge amount of bend strength it's keeping the other wood in the right shape. Bit like ribs in a hollow tube structure, take out the ribs and the tube can buckle.