Here we go

[dipper]

The inevitable has struck, I guess. I've got oak wilt in 2 locations about 150 yards apart. A guy just can't win.

This white oak was fine, and it rapidly turned turned color over the last couple weeks.
So much for managing for acorns

 

[biglakeba$$]

My neighborhood has been absolutely decimated by oak wilt. Lots that were full of trees 10 years ago are almost void of trees now.

I have been very lucky. I have had 2 trees get it, and we did the vibratory root plowing both times to isolate the trees and it was stopped dead in its tracks..... Knock on wood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kabic]

Oak Wilt can spread through the roots, which you probably know. Large stands of oak trees can have a linked root system, which allows the wilt to spread between trees.

Which is just a way to say if you more oak trees in the area, they may get it to. I think I read something about using large sub soiler to basically break the root connections between trees to try to stop the spread of oak wilt.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I probably lost 100 red oaks just this spring on 30 acres of woods. Some of them are the 150+ year old trees with 2-3' diameters. Our red oaks seem to get hit the hardest, but we occasionally see a white or burr oak die.

I'm planning on bringing in a DNR forester to tell me if I can make any money if I clearcut a few sections. I'm concerned that the sections dominated by red oaks will soon be taken over by the elm, buckthorns and other junk trees that are struggling under the oak canopy. I'm thinking it might be better to clear cut those specific areas so new oak seedlings have a chance.

 

[dipper]

My neighborhood has been absolutely decimated by oak wilt. Lots that were full of trees 10 years ago are almost void of trees now.

I have been very lucky. I have had 2 trees get it, and we did the vibratory root plowing both times to isolate the trees and it was stopped dead in its tracks..... Knock on wood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What did u use to plow?

 

[bueller]

White oaks are more tolerant of oak wilt, but not immune. Our lands have been hit bad. We lose a couple big ones every year. Soon enough there won't be many left. Forester suggests planting white oaks and white pines to replace them. In most spots we have a decent amount of oak regeneration under the ones dying from the wilt. From what I've been told they don't succumb to the wilt until a later age so although these may eventually die also, they can produce for many years in the meantime.

 

[biglakeba$$]

We set up a neighborhood effort last year and had a guy come in with a root plow.

He did around 25 lots in the neighborhood and gave us more than a 50% discount because he was able to leave all his equipment in the neighborhood for a couple weeks.

He did 2 lines to isolate my one tree and my bill was $150.

 

[wildfire]

We had a red oak in the yard get it too. A arborist came out and inoculated one 15 feet away, 12 years later the tree is still there. It was expensive, $300, but what is a 80 year old tree worth. According to the arborist, once inoculated, good forever.

 

[biglakeba$$]

I was told by our county forester that the innoculation is a 50/50 gamble if it is going to work. Hence the reason I chose to just go with the root plowing and take my chances.

I have dozens of trees that are fully mature and its just way too much to do everything in the area for odds like that.

 

[bueller]

Root cutting is not 100% either. If oak wilt is prevelant in the surrounding areas it will be back sooner than later. It's a fungus spread from tree to tree by insects.

 

[PackerBacker]

Have a stand of Northern Pins that have been decimated by oak wilt on a property here Shawano County. Been having to replace with maple because we can't get any other type of oak to grow in the sandy soil on that property.

 

[browndog]

We lost a lot of black oak on my folks' old place over the decades, but never lost a white or swamp white to the wilt.

Same here. Black/red oaks getting hit by me that are among the white oaks but have never lost a white oak...knock on wood. It would suck to lose some of these white oaks here. I put cams on them and some need 8' straps to get around them.

 

[biglakeba$$]

Root cutting is not 100% either. If oak wilt is prevelant in the surrounding areas it will be back sooner than later. It's a fungus spread from tree to tree by insects.

Agree. From what I was told by county forester, DNR forester, and private forester; root plowing is your best method..... Then removing the infected trees so the spores are not able to be spread in the immediate area.
Doesnt mean it stops, but its the best course of action to minimize the threat.

 

[BuckSutherland]

Boy is this thread depressing.


Must explain what is happening to a bunch of the oak trees in my neck of the woods.


If you wanted something deep to break the roots a tile plow goes about 7 feet deep, but you need about 450 HP to pull it that deep.


Why is it that everything good dies off and all the shit continues to thrive??

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I think I'm due for a buckthorn and boxelder wilt to come through my property.

I will say though that if you can control the buckthorns, elms and boxelder in the understory that you can have some nice looking shrubs sprout in areas where the red oaks are killed. I expanded my apple plot in an oak wilt killed area and after taking out the junk trees and shrubs it has turned into a great looking thicket with dogwoods, plums, hazelnut and wild raspberry. The good shrubs that were barely hanging on in the woods edge really took off when the oaks died.

 

[bueller]

Agree. From what I was told by county forester, DNR forester, and private forester; root plowing is your best method..... Then removing the infected trees so the spores are not able to be spread in the immediate area.
Doesnt mean it stops, but its the best course of action to minimize the threat.

Yep. Best practice to control above ground spread is to cut down the oaks that died from oak wilt the same year the die. And then burn or cover all of the firewood by April. Anything that wasn't burned should be covered for one year. dipper, this may work for you if you caught it early and only have a couple trees. Remember though that infected trees don't immediately show signs of infection and die. I believe they recommend root cutting at least 50 feet out from your wilted trees. It you want to attack this aggressively now in hopes of saving trees in the future, you may want to consider taking down all oaks within 50 feet of the wilted ones regardless if they show signs yet or not. Prior to doing that have the roots cut at that same diameter. Big job as all the wood should either be burned that winter or covered for a year afterwards. And if your neighbors have wilt present unfortunately it will probably be back.