TREE ADVICE PLEASE

[beatlefan]

I have a mighty oak tree in the middle of my back yard. Must be at least 80 feet tall. There's a much younger maple growing right next to it. It's probably 30 feet tall and no more than 2 feet from the oak at the base.

• Will the maple threaten the oak?
• Will it's roots affect the big oak?
• Should I cut the maple down?

 

[Ashful]

Trees grow in "groves" albeit there we're usually talking about same species. It's unlikely that maple will do serious damage to the oak, short of maybe rubbing some bark with its branches.

I "rectified" a similar situation with a much larger pair of hackberries right outside my back door, and now I regret it. Not only did I lose a little more privacy, but now I'm worried how the rotting and infestation of the remaining stump will affect the large healthy tree adjacent to it. No way to mechanically grind out the old stump, as mine were almost abutting each other.

 

[Corey]

Guess it depends on what your ultimate goal is. If you want a 'nice' oak, cut the maple. If you want a 'nice' maple, cut the oak. If you want a big ball of shade, leave them both. Given the heights, seems like they are both fairly well established trees. Typically in a situation like that, the tree requiring a bit less sun will 'take over' the tree requiring more. I have a couple of silver maples squeezing out a locust right now, but the combined canopy makes a ton of shade all over the west side of my house in the 'hot afternoon sun' hours, so I just leave them both. On maple vs oak, not sure who would win there...may be pretty equal, or you may look at the canopy and see one tree edging out the other.

 

[beatlefan]

As long as they can cohabitate, I'm going to leave them be. I just wanted to be sure that the oak would be ok.

I've taken down 13 dead ash and 2 elm in the last 4 years. I'd hate to have to take down a live tree.

 

[Woody5506]

I'd ditch the maple.

 

[firefighterjake]

Cut the maple if you want the oak to get the most benefit of sun/water/nutrients, cut the oak (as trees go this isn't a very desirable looking-growing tree with the split like that) if you want the better looking maple to thrive or leave them be . . . neither should be adversely affected by growing so close.

 

[Catfish Hunter]

I have oaks and maples growing together and they are all well established and doing fine.


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[beatlefan]

I have oaks and maples growing together and they are all well established and doing fine.


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Very good to know. I don't want to cut either of them down.