What can I do to help my tree which has mud and water in the trunk?
September 4, 2015 12:19 PM   Subscribe

Here are pictures of the tree and what I've done to it. Looks like the tree was originally in two parts and half was cut off, but the stump filled with water and debris, creating a rotted pool that goes down at least a foot. I tried to clean it out with a hose and drain it by drilling a hole, but it's not looking pretty. When I drilled the hole, I noticed the wood was wet all the way in, not dry like normal wood.

I really really really want to save this tree. Before I cleaned it out the mud had all sorts of bugs in it, including live worms. I'm going to get an arborist out here eventually, but things are busy, it may take months. What can I do in the short term to make sure this tree is OK and what should I do about the gaping hole?
posted by brenton to Home & Garden (13 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
If it were my tree I'd build a little roof or awning over the hole and then put some fake windows and doors on the trunk to make it look like a little chipmunk house.

That's what I'd do.
posted by bondcliff at 12:23 PM on September 4, 2015 [6 favorites]


I'm not sure how familiar you are with living trees from your question. When you say "dry like normal wood", living tree wood is not the same dryness as, say, dried fire wood or wooden furniture. It is quite possible you knew this already, though.

My very basic understanding of trees is that the bark and the wood just under the bark is the living tree. The inner fibrous stuff that we associate with wood is really "dead" like the hair on our head. The tree grows out from its trunk, giving it those rings that tell us how old the tree is. Now, rot and bugs can definitely affect its health in the longer term, if it affects the living area of the tree. I'm thinking it might be best to use a chainsaw and cut off that hollowed area entirely. Many trees are just fine if a large branch breaks off (such that there is no bark on an exposed area), so, following that, cutting off the area that pools water and rots would help retain the rest of the tree.

I am not an arborist. I have, on occasion, hugged trees, though.
posted by jillithd at 12:57 PM on September 4, 2015




I REALLY understand wanting to keep the tree - I love them and used to protect them for a living (not an arboriculturalist of any stripe), but I would want a professional tree person to look at it sooner rather than later, on safety grounds. Does the wet wood look or feel crumbly or spongy? Have you noticed any fungal fruiting bodies either on the tree or on the ground close to it? Does the tree lean towards the house, other property or a road? If you do decide to undertake any diy tree surgery, I really wouldn't recommend anything more than a branch or two; too much cutting away at the trunk could throw the tree off balance should you get lots of wind / damper than usual weather. You are also, if not careful, introducing more points of entry for rot and / or disease.

It's certainly possible for trees to happily hollow out and retain their structural integrity - where else could Robin Hood have hidden in Sherwood?

On preview, as per Johnny Wallflower.
posted by Martha My Dear Prudence at 1:12 PM on September 4, 2015 [2 favorites]


I don't think there is anything you can do on your own to cure a large, unhealthy tree. Move the arborist up to the top of your list if you really want to keep the tree alive.
posted by cecic at 1:15 PM on September 4, 2015 [2 favorites]


I lost a tree because the city trimmed branches without tarring the cut ends. This led to an infection. I'm not an expert, but it seems that your tree may be to far gone to fix. Consult an expert soonest.
posted by Splunge at 1:33 PM on September 4, 2015


I lost a tree because the city trimmed branches without tarring the cut ends.

Actually that sort of sealing is generally recommended against. I agree, though, that the OP should consult an arborist sooner rather than later. The heartwood, which structurally supports the tree, is rotting away, and it can't be replaced.
posted by jon1270 at 1:56 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


That's definitely a job for a tree surgeon. If he doesn't recommend cutting it down, I imagine he'd clear out all the soft rotted stuff, like a dentist cleaning out a cavity, and then completely fill in that hole with tar, like filling in that cavity.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 2:50 PM on September 4, 2015


Ok, this is DEFINITELY NOT the proper and correct thing to do, but....

I have a Bismarkia Palm that is one of a pair that flank my driveway. It has an 8" diameter/ 7" deep hole about 6' feet up the trunk. It is BIG and would be far too expensive to replace, so I filled the hole with Great Stuff expanding insulating foam so that no more water would get in. I realize that at some point the tree will probably die, but it's been about three years now and the tree is still going strong.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 2:52 PM on September 4, 2015


That stump shows extensive growth of the bark over the cuts, and there's lots of what appears to be sap around the hole you drilled, both of which indicate the stump is still alive and connected to the root system.

However, there's a notable absence of shoots or suckers growing up, which I think means the other trunk is exerting apical dominance over the roots connected to the stump, which implies in turn that what you've got is a single tree with two trunks rather than two trees which happened to grow together.

So you'll probably need to be careful that whatever you do to the stump doesn't cause the roots to rot if you want the other trunk to remain healthy.

You don't mention whether you were having some kind of problem (such as mosquitoes, perhaps!) or were trying to take prophylactic measures, but drilling that hole likely means you won't be able to return to the status quo ante.

I agree it's time for an arborist; please let us know what they have to say.
posted by jamjam at 2:53 PM on September 4, 2015


I'm going to get an arborist out here eventually, but things are busy, it may take months.

Are you in a remote area or something? Because you've already spent time doing all this stuff....so things are not so busy you don't have time to drill a hole in the tree....I say this from the standpoint of someone who is nearly losing her shit every day about how busy things are (and many days, not 'nearly') and who has, within the last eight weeks, met with an arborist.

I found an arborist through a Google search of professionals and picked him at random because he was in the town over from me, and importantly, was capable of communicating over email.

Can you find someone local--or indeed, not local but capable of looking On The Internet At A Picture and offering advice? I realize that's a higher bar than a person would think. Professionals who can handle electronic communication are a godsend.

The biggest question is safety, whether it will fall on your house, family, or someone else's house or family, and then the secondary question is 'How can you ensure this tree survives long term?'
posted by A Terrible Llama at 3:34 PM on September 4, 2015


A few things:

Trees have evolved dealing with loss of branches, and no, a tree with a hole that collects water and has local decay is not in itself a sign that your tree is dead, dying, going to die imminently, a falling hazard, etc. The side shoot that was cut away from this tree happened a long time ago judging by the amount of overgrowth at the perimeter of the wound site.

Drilling into the (healthy) trunk to create a drain was not a great thing to do. This is now essentially a wound open to the fungi and bacteria that may have otherwise been largely cordoned off from the living wood of the tree by years of growth.

Filling the hole with material or almost any sort is advised against in the overwhelming majority of cases.

Your arborist will likely (1) scoop out as much of the interior water and debris as possible, taking care not to scrape, puncture, or otherwise damage the living wood, (2) loosely cover the hole with a water-shielding but moisture permeable barrier, and (3) tell you not to worry about this again unless the tree shows signs of distress, disease, or imminent risk of tree fall. The risk of tree fall is something to have assessed by the arborist, since the tree may need to come down if the wet site has caused significant structural weakening of the trunk and the tree is near enough to fall on your house or other valuable structre.

[FWIW I grew up in a very dense forest and trees with big water-collecting hollows were very common sights, including grand old ones that had clearly hosted hollows for a long time. People considered them a nuisance because mosquitos breed in those pools, not because it kills or damages trees in any rapid sense]
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 4:18 PM on September 4, 2015 [8 favorites]


I'm wondering if you could remove the soft/rotted wood -- maybe by getting a wire brush for your drill -- vacuum in out, and then fill with expanding foam?

Unfortunately I think you'd only buy the tree a few more years. When they start to deteriorate like that it's hard to save them.
posted by Ostara at 10:37 PM on September 4, 2015


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