Another Fallen Oak

[twosox]

I'm back with a progress report and a question for the more knowledgeable folks on this board.

I took a few weeks to go from this: https://www.hearth.com/talk/bookmarks/?type=post&id=1786793

to a nicely stacked woodpile:

You can see in the very bottom left corner the trunk of another oak tree that has unfortunately met its demise (this morning with a huge crash at 6am). Little or no wind, this was a sickly oak. Here's what the trunk looks like now:

It looks completely rotted in the center of the trunk. It managed to take out only a small part of my wood pile, but I guess mother nature is telling me I need to split more wood!

 

[Woody Stover]

Same thing happens to the Red/Black Oak here; They die and a lot of times the core is rotted out like that. Should still be a lot of good wood further up the trunk, though.

 

[twosox]

I guess my question is how to check the other trees nearby for similar problems, or should I even worry about that? Is this sort of thing a diseased tree that I should be keeping an eye out for? I am looking forward to blocking and splitting this tree though -- probably next fall when the weather turns cooler.

 

[Woody Stover]

Was there any indication on the outside of the trunk at the bottom....a hole maybe?
C'mon man, I'm an old goat and I'm out there working wood...probably will be all summer. Get on it and stack that puppy!

 

[twosox]

@Woody Stover -- okay, okay. I'm on it this weekend. I have to cut the top end of the tree anyway, since it's blocking a trail now. Happy?

I didn't notice any rot or holes at the bottom of this tree before, so I can't say that there was any indication. I've let my neighbor know about it, and I think he might have someone come out and look at the nearby trees.

 

[Applesister]

Its heartwood rot or brown rot or bacterial shake. Its soil born and may be affecting surrounding trees. Its a problem that is taken up by the roots.
The sapwood stays healthy.
You might see crown die back or not. Since the heartwood doesnt really serve a living purpose. It just weakens the trees structural integrity.
I think, for you its pretty lucky to have the tree so conveniently dropped. Whats the chance of that?
It also relieves guilt about cutting healthy trees when nature drops them for you.
Its not so good for the tree but good for you.

 

[Jags]

Sometimes things just tip over. I am currently working a VERY large oak that Y's off to two large sections about 15 ft in the air. One of the Y sections just decided to split off of the trunk. No apparent rot. Weather was not an issue. It just decided to tip over. The Y section I am working on is actually larger than the tree that just tipped over your wood pile. My guess is that it simply got too heavy (very brushy) to support.