Does my oak tree have a disease?

[K-AngeL]

I have quite a large oak tree in my back garden and it is covered in white patches. The older bark on the main trunk doesn't seem to have them but it is present on all the upper branches. I have attached a couple of photos so you can hopefully see what it's like. What I'd like to know please is whether or not it is a disease. If it is diseased is it serious and can I do anything about it. I have a few other smaller oak trees in the garden so I'd also like to know if it's contagious and if I need to do anything as drastic as chop down the tree (I hope not). Thanks.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

this is as fine a young oak pollard as youll ever see, what a joy, what a tree, such potential.

[David Goss]

this is as fine a young oak pollard as youll ever see, what a joy, what a tree, such potential.

 

Nutter:001_tt2:

 

I would be paying particular attention to the central leaders there, from the picture (once i got the crick out my neck) it looks kinda busy in there and there could be future problems with compression fork cracks (included bark) etc. it may be worth taking one of the leaders out now to save problems in the future. It is looking good and healthy anyway:thumbup1:

 

Shame someone butchered it before it would have looked much nicer in its natural state:001_rolleyes: ( standing back waiting for the hama onslaught )

[Sam Thompson]

It would have looked much different in its natural state.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[Fungus]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ...

 

Thompson,

... only true, as long as he or she doesn't look in the mirror .

[Sam Thompson]

Thompson,

... only true, as long as he or she doesn't look in the mirror .

 

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Nutter:001_tt2:

 

( standing back waiting for the hama onslaught )

 

it is true i am slighlty bonkers, and actualy proud of it.

 

as for the Hama'ing ive accepted that you do not like pollards and have no appreciation of this art. your loss, though it is a natural phenomina.

[Sam Thompson]

it is true i am slighlty bonkers, and actualy proud of it.

 

as for the Hama'ing ive accepted that you do not like pollards and have no appreciation of this art. your loss, though it is a natural phenomina.

 

Have you got those "Funge" pictures to release upon the world mate?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

watch the lunge thread in 30 seconds!

[David Goss]

it is true i am slighlty bonkers, and actualy proud of it.

 

as for the Hama'ing ive accepted that you do not like pollards and have no appreciation of this art. your loss, though it is a natural phenomina.

 

*picks up handbag ready to take a swing*

I get the feeling you still dont get where i am coming from so i will try to explain once again....

Its not that i dont like pollards, i love the way trees react to the brutalisation (love that word too) that some humans inflict upon them and find it fantastic that they continue to survive the way they do. What i dont like is trees pollarded for no intelligent reason, like leaves making a mess and wanting a view etc, because as you well know this is a very temporary fix and then the problem is doubled within a year or 2. I like the natural form of a tree 100% over a pollarded tree, why? because thats the way nature intended. If a tree in a forest / woodland park or similar, naturally pollards itself then i like it because thats what nature intended. If you or monkey d or the likes go out to a woodland and pollard a tree to create habitat for nature (because humanity has taken away natural habitat in abundance) then i like it. If a tree is pollarded to use the new growth for something useful then i live with it without necessarily liking it (something like shooting a cow in the head so we can use its meat kind of idea). If street trees are pollarded and maintained then i think "why not just plant something smaller and save wasting money?".

 

I think thats pretty much covered most of it plus i dont want to start ranting but you are welcome to quiz me some if you feel the need

[dave888]

hi its dave888, ive managed worse looking oak trees than that, looks better than my birch neighbour kepts hacking at it from there side.we need more trees in my oppinion