Knowledgebase

Oak tree help next to construction site #876644

Asked July 10, 2024, 11:26 AM EDT

Good Morning~ I have a very heathy Large oak tree (more than 50 years old) in my yard next to the house. We are putting on a small addition to our home and very close to this oak tree. When the excavator dug the hole a number of roots were cut to make way for the addition. If I were to guess I would say aprox 15-25% of the root area on one side of the tree was damaged from topsoil down to 4 feet below ground level; 3/4 of the trees root area was left untouched. I have noticed in the past few weeks a number of leaves on lower branches have started turning brown. A few questions for you. 1. Should I be concerned? or at what point should I be concerned about the health of the tree? 2. Is there something I can do for the tree? Fertilizer? 3. Is there someone in your department that I could speak with about this for 5 minutes? Thank you in advance for you help! Robert Overby <personal data hidden><personal data hidden> UofM Grad 1999

Anoka County Minnesota

Expert Response

Construction is always a problem for large trees but sometimes it can’t be helped. It sounds like your tree is at least suffering from the shock of the root pruning. A good contractor should have noted that you have an oak tree in the location because it is best to prune oaks in the dead of winter. 

From what you are saying, I wouldn’t worry as much about stability as insects and disease, though with all of the rain we have had, stability could be an issue. 

Oak Wilt is the culprit I would worry the most about. We cannot diagnose anything online for certain. I would call an arborist to come look at the tree and make recommendations for you. Below are some links that should help you.

https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/how-hire-tree-care-professional

https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/oak-wilt-minnesota

https://agweather.cals.wisc.edu/thermal-models/oak-wilt-dd?lat=44.9&long=-93.2

Deb Reierson Replied July 11, 2024, 1:12 PM EDT

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