What to do with this tree?

[Michael Weber]

I know this but isn't an arborist forum but there's a lot of knowledge here so thought I'd ask. This street oak was hit by lightening a couple of years ago. I was advised at that time to just wait and see if the tree lived. It seems to have survived but there is progressing damage in the open wounds. The damage is rot caused by moisture and insects. I've cleaned out a lot of the damaged wood but fear continued future deterioration if the wounds are left open. My idea ways to complete clean out of remaining rot and spray the open areas with insecticide. After the areas were thoroughly dry, seal with something. Paint? Expanding foam? Suggestions? Is this just a bad idea? I hate the thought of having it removed but don't want it falling on my house for sure. Thanks, Mike

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Michael,

we had a dogwood tree given to us for our 25 anniversary by some dear friends and neighbors. I let the limbs grow too long while it was young. A major limb broke off in a windstorm. The resultant wound on the tree looked ugly. My wife who believes "in letting everything grow and let nature take it's course" told me to remove the tree. I ignored her. God willing, we'll celebrate our 48th anniversary in less than a month. That tree not only is extremely healthy but has healed over the large wound. You can't tell the wound ever existed. I did nothing to the tree except trim the limbs periodically.

Your tree might heal itself if given time. A couple years is little time for a tree.

[Mel Fulks]

The Northern red oaks seem to have a real small root system ,a bunch have fallen in my neighborhood. One couple has temporarily moved out of their house because a large one hit it. I don't know if that's what you have but with that damage
I would get rid of it. It's so close to the street that it is probably in the public right of way, I would try to get local government to do it. If they decline ,send them a certified letter saying they are responsible for any damage it does to your house. Without that your damage will be paid by your insurance company and then ultimately by you through increased premiums. NOT local government. Some always argue about liability because "that doesn't make sense"; it's very old common law absorbed into written law almost everywhere in this country. They are not liable for a nuisance they don't know about. But Ken did make the right call on the dogwood!

[Myk Rian]

Lightening cooks the inside of a tree and turns moisture into steam. The resulting explosion is what you see.
I have never seen a tree live long after a strike.

[John K Jordan]

I know this but isn't an arborist forum but there's a lot of knowledge here so thought I'd ask. This street oak was hit by lightening a couple of years ago. I was advised at that time to just wait and see if the tree lived. It seems to have survived but there is progressing damage in the open wounds. The damage is rot caused by moisture and insects. I've cleaned out a lot of the damaged wood but fear continued future deterioration if the wounds are left open. My idea ways to complete clean out of remaining rot and spray the open areas with insecticide. After the areas were thoroughly dry, seal with something. Paint? Expanding foam? Suggestions? Is this just a bad idea? I hate the thought of having it removed but don't want it falling on my house for sure. Thanks, Mike

You can never tell - I've had several huge trees on my property hit by lighting and have seen a variety results.

- One was hit as my son was driving past it about 25' away. Five years later the bark still looks good all the way around except for one narrow strip but the tree is rotted inside, the top is dead, and large branches are coming down. By large, I mean I find branches 1'+ in diameter and 30' long on the ground.

-A medium-sized cherry was apparently hit decades ago (before we moved here). Insects took over and the insides eventually all rotted away leaving. All that's left is a hollow shell about 3/4s of the circumference. The tree healed itself inside and at the gap - it's still healthy.

-A big poplar was hit and the lightning blew a strip of bark off all the way to the ground. The sound from 1/4 mile away was incredibly loud. Two years later 80% of the tree is dead and it will probably fall down soon. It's where that wouldn't hurt anything unless I happened to be standing there.

-An extremely large oak tree near the barn was obviously hit by lightning a long time ago. Judging from the scars and healing growth this may have happened 30-40 years ago. The heartwood exposed by the gap in the outer layer looks solid. The tree is healthy and looks completely normal from the other side.

Point is, it may or may not survive. I'd watch it closely. If significant upper portions die I think I'd have it taken down before it started dropping limbs. If only small upper sections were fried you might have those removed if you want to try to save the tree. (The best way I know to help a tree with any kind of disease or injury is to trim away damaged portions and provide plenty of water and fertilizer.)

BTW, I think arborists these days don't recommend using sealer on wounded wood - just let nature heal if it can.

I did a google search just now on things related to treating a tree hit by lighting ("repair tree hit by lightning", "save a tree hit...", "lighting damage to...", etc.) There were lots of links. I read just one which was interesting:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiJ9IW08czQAhXCOiYKHfylCcoQFgggMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gfc.state.ga.us%2Fcommunity-forests%2Fask-the-arborist%2FLightningStruckTrees.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFECF3Cjj-4cSmBoQ3O3soPVw8Ytw&sig2=oKrszDur7dM7u45Tk5P1FA&bvm=bv.139782543,d.eWE


JKJ

[michel gorge]

Ammmmmm.....beware the oak it draws the stroke

[Michael Weber]

Thanks for the input. When the lightening hit it blew the bark that was covering that damaged atea across the yard and broke a window on the house (the brick and green stucco in the background) it also blew out water lines along the street around the tree and also several other lines in the neighborhood. I slept through it.