Should I cut down a big, old oak?

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betulo Moorestown, NJ(Zone 6b) Sep 11, 2009

Hi,
The issue is a huge, probably seventy-year-old oak barely ten yards from the house in the backyard. Although it looks generally healthy, it has all its branches pointing to the house, because there's a maple competing with it on the other side, and no branches grow on that side. So if it were to be toppled by ligthning or wind, it would definitely crash into the house. It also has some big branch stumps that may be hollowed out, and some big dead or dying branches overhanging electrical cables leading to the house.
Any piece of advice is welcome...
Thanks!

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Sep 11, 2009

You might have an arborist come take a look at it--they can probably tell you if the tree has problems going on that makes it a hazard to your house or if it's OK to leave it.

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pastime Waterman, IL(Zone 5a) Sep 12, 2009

If the arborist says the tree is healthy, you could have it trimmed by a tree service. It's probably not cheap, but may be worth it to save the tree. Depending on the type of oak tree you have, seventy years is still young. I wouldn't trim it until winter though.

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betulo Moorestown, NJ(Zone 6b) Sep 13, 2009

Thanks for the advice. I'm trying to locate an arborist in the area. It's red oak.

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pastime Waterman, IL(Zone 5a) Sep 13, 2009

That oak tree could live for 100 years or more. I hope you can save it.

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CoreHHI Bluffton, SC(Zone 9a) Sep 13, 2009

I'm not sure about red oaks but we have live oaks around here that are at 300 hundred years old because people know when they were planted and wild ones that may be 500+ years old. Most oaks are long lived. I would be most concerned about branches hanging over the house. I would check those out for sure but I wouldn't be to worried about the tree it's self unless it looks unhealthy.

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