Oak decay

[Dave177]

Hopefully I have attached the pictures right today.

Went to look at this in my aunts garden today and not quite sure how to proceed. Its a fair sized Oak, the Crown looks full and well shaped, its lost a major limb off one side previously and the resulting damage has caused dead tissue around the wound.

In the base of the stem are signs of decay in at least 2 locations and a third spreading up a crack to about 6ft in height. There is also a large bulge also around the 6ft mark.

There were some some fungal brackets at the base but they were removed to "kill" the fungus my my uncle

 

They want to keep the tree but at the same time dont want to risk damaging their property or the road.

Any ideas what I should tell them to do, I was thinking getting someone in to do a detailed assesment to check the extent of decay in the stem or doesnt it look too bad/is it not work the expense?

 

Cheers guys

[Mr. Squirrel]

Sounds like topping to me. Repeated topping.

 

But sounds so much more clever! That's all 'a reduction' amounts to really, a (generally) lighter, less brutal topping.

 

Reiterative distal tissue annihilation, going in that bit of my brain I use for confusing people. Including myself.