I have an old oak tree (probably as old as my house--81 years old)...I'm
trying to treat it well so that it will last even longer...today I was
pulling ivy off the trunk and I noticed that there was a distinct smell of
vinegar coming from the tree bark. When I leaned closer, I confirmed it
was definitely coming from the tree--kind of a clean smell, like apple cider
vinegar but I find it strange!
Kirsten

"kc" wrote in
:

I have an old oak tree (probably as old as my house--81 years
old)...I'm trying to treat it well so that it will last even
longer...today I was pulling ivy off the trunk and I noticed that
there was a distinct smell of vinegar coming from the tree bark.
When I leaned closer, I confirmed it was definitely coming from the
tree--kind of a clean smell, like apple cider vinegar but I find it
strange! Kirsten




Kirsten,

I split a lot of red oak for firewood, and I too have experienced that
smell-- vinegar or almost a mustard smell from the wood. If you were
smelling it from pulling ivy, I suspect it's coming from the corky bark and
not the interior wood, so I wouldn't worry.

--
David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7)
email:
http://beyondgardening.com/Albums

The message
from "kc" contains these words:

I have an old oak tree (probably as old as my house--81 years old)...I'm
trying to treat it well so that it will last even longer...today I was
pulling ivy off the trunk and I noticed that there was a distinct smell of
vinegar coming from the tree bark. When I leaned closer, I confirmed it
was definitely coming from the tree--kind of a clean smell, like apple
cider
vinegar but I find it strange!

You're probably smelling tannin, a natural preservative in oak bark.
It used to be harvested for the natural preservation of animal hide, to
make it into leather.

Janet.