Updated storm information

I was preparing to walk out of the shop this morning to check on our greens when I heard a yell and a loud crash. I had no idea what I was going to find when I went around the corner. One of our old native oaks came crashing down the hill hitting across part of our dump truck and slightly grazing the side mirror of an employees car. No one injured thankfully. The tree basically uprooted out of the ground from the wet conditions.
The tree resting on part of the dump truck.














The uprooted base of the tree. Note the lack of rooting for a tree that has a circumference of 7' and is about 2.5 feet in diameter.












Here is the real problem for this tree. Over 1/3 of the base was dead and decaying leading to less overall rooting holding the tree in place. Over the next few years, we will probably be making some tough decisions regarding weakened and or damaged trees that are potentially unsafe like this tree. Basidiocarps are mushroom type growths that you see at the base of Oak trees that have Root and Butt Rot. I found a good article from North Carolina State regarding this type of disease. Most trees with this disease are older trees that are in decline.http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/notes/Ornamental/odin30/od30.htm










Here is a view of the tree where it split open to show a cavity inside. Bees have taken up residence in the tree with their queen which might potentially create a problem when we try to remove the tree. Maybe they will move on their own or we can get a beekeeper to come by and move them for us.












12 fairway where we had just laid sod last week. Oh well, we found the sod down on 3 fairway at the beginning and will try to lay the sod again when it dries out.