On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 16:12:39 GMT,
(Babberney) wrote:

Why do you say your tree is going to die? And how sure are you that
the distorted trunk is related?

I looked around a bit and there is good info out there. In the case
of my Lacey Oak, a fungal attack of the trunk near ground level has
girdled most of the tree and the area above the girdle attempts to
reconnect with these grotesque downward growing "fingers". The result
is the top grows slowly and thinly and the tree is putting up a lot of
root suckers near the base. There is a nearby Chinquipen Oak that has
started to develop symptoms, also. So it could be contagious.

Neither show any signs of oak wilt. I think I will get rid of both
and start over with one Burr Oak.

Rusty