Split tree trunk

[echotrail]

I have a fully grown Ash tree in the yard with a trunk that was split during a wind storm last week. The tree is like a big turkey wishbone with a single trunk that separates about 20 inches above ground into two trunks. The widest part of the split is 4.5 inches wide tapers narrower as it goes down into the ground, so far there is no sign the tree is dying. Can the tree be doctored by bolting the split together or is that a waste of time and money? And, if in the future it does fall and causes damage to the house will it be an insurance problem because I did not take the steps to remove it before it caused damage?

[sparcebag]

I've an ash in my yard,did the same,in a storm it split at a Y I used a comealong to get it back together then used a allthread through it with washers and nuts each side,the tree is coming back a little more each year.Had to do it its my only shade tree close to the house on the south side

[Dave S]

Since I bought my current house 6 years ago, I've had to cut down 4 Ash trees and one Linden. Both trees don't do well in severe weather, but if I had my choice, I would take the Linden back in a heartbeat.

One of the Ash trees took a shot of lightning and the leaves turned brown almost instantly. The other three split. My neighbor also has an Ash that has been split for as long as I can remember and he has a large ratchet strap above the "V" holding it together. So far so good.

[Powerstroke]

Ash trees are especially prone to storm damage. They have a large weight load of leaves during the summer months and cannot withstand winds very well. Probably the number one tree I handle storm damage calls for.

First about the tree, is this a brand new split or was it there before, but it just opened up? You can tell by the exposed bark being new and white. If its gray and maybe there's some scarring then its been there a while and the storm made it worse. IF I were checking it out I would look for old damage and if there is any rot inside. I would try to see how far down the crack really is and compare that to the weight above it.

A tree like this can be helped. I won't say saved. What I would do if I were working on it is to pull it together, install a rod or two in the crack itself and then place supporting cables in the crown. This may work for 5 weeks or 50yrs. It depends on the lots of things in the tree.

If you're not comfortable making that decision I would call a tree company with an ISA Arborist. Because of the insurance implications, many are charging for that kind of evaluation. Depending on where you are I could look at it if you like, but obviously only for an informal opinion. I can't charge you for the same reasons.

As far as insurance is concerned....its a fine line. The way the law reads is whether or not it was an obvious defect with impending failure. The "obvious" part means that any layperson could tell it was going to fail. Also if you get a recommendation by an arborist to cut it down, but you don't, and it causes damage, they can revoke the claim.

Always get all the comments from your arborist in writing. After talking to the arborist and the decision is up to you, then I would maybe call the insurance. Obviously they won't help, but they may give you an idea of how they would handle it.

Another great resource is your City Forester. That is what I do. That will be free. He cannot give you the same evaluations for having work done, but it can give you a pretty good idea of the condition of the tree and what route to take.

[LwnmwnMan2]

3 words.

One

Cut

Prune

Personally I wouldn't mess with it.

The sooner you get it out, the sooner you can get something new in its place growing again.

[Powerstroke]

I do kinda have to agree with lnwmwnman.....if I had to work on it I would do the rod/cable method. If it was my tree, I would give it a basal prune and feed it to the chipper. I'm not a huge fan of ash trees for many reasons and this is one of those reasons.

[dnice1707]

I am an ISA Certified Arborist and a MN Tree Inspector and have seen many ASh trees split in the last few storms. I usually tell the people to have them removed, depending on the size of the tree it can cost a lot to have it cabled and a rod inserted into it and there is no garantee the tree will survive, also the length of the crack down to the base plays a big role in the structural integrity of the tree with or without cabling and bracing. If your intersted I would be happy to take a look at the tree to better (Contact Us Please) it and what can be done. (no fee since you are a fellow FM'r

[LwnmwnMan2]

The biggest problem, is this tree is now always going to be weak in that spot.

Even if the bark were to close up, or the split were to "look" like it's healed, it will always be weak.

You can go to the expense of trying to put it back together, but you're playing roulette as to when it's going to come down for good.

Now, with that said, how many times in your lifetime have you been in one spot and had storm damage??

We had a decent sized oak tree come down last summer, but it had rot where it broke, about 20' up.

In 1984, we had 80 oak trees blown down on the front 3 acres by a storm.

That said, it's been 23 years since we've had storm damage, so you COULD have the tree that long, or as an earlier poster said, 5 weeks from now (not likely in fall, but trying to make a point) you could get another gust come through and it'll be down.

[echotrail]

dnice1707:

Thank you for your offer. I need to do something as the house is a potential target. Please email me at [email protected]

[Powerstroke]

LIke I said, every situation is different and if the crack is not too terrible and it is new, It can heal and live a normal life with some intervention. If it is too severe than no amount of help will do it any good. Your money will be better spent on removal and replacement.

Dnice, which city do you work for?

[echotrail]

Powerstroke; after your last post I looked more closely inside the split and see there is not any new exposed wood. It's all gray and aged looking on both sides. It sounds as if the presence of older wood inside greatly diminishes the chances of re-hab. As for the insurance, my agency told me today that if repairs such as cabeling were done by a licensed professional and the tree later failed and caused damage to the house the claim would be valid.

[Powerstroke]

Like I said before, without seeing it up close its hard to say, but the presence of the gray bark tells me its an old crack, at least a year if not more. If there is not any scarring on the edges, then its not healing.

Any attempt to repair it would only pull it together. It would not likely heal. It sounds like your insurance is reasonable, but personally I would think if you're gonna pay the money for a tree company to repair it, I owuld strongly consider the alternative of removal and replacement. Weigh the cost vs. the risk. Insurance may fix damage, but do you really want to have damage in the first place?