On 2/18/2013 9:14 PM, micky wrote:
....

Thanks. So it doesn't mean a thing that my triee is maybe 83 years
old. So I still wonder, Was there any point in digging that hole
ar0ound the tree?

Depending on variety, it may still be just a youngster. Average for
undisturbed white oak is 300 yr or so w/ maximums approaching 600.
Northern red oaks, post oak, chestnut oak are generally around 400 yr
for max longevity and many of the other typically slightly faster
growing are closer to 200 max. There are something approaching 200
species of oaks in North America alone, so while all are relatively
long-lived, it's hard to say much more about any one, particularly not
knowing what variety it might be. Guessing from the location it might
be a pin oak, that's one of the shorter, 200 max kinda' guys.

Would have to know/see what it actually was like before, but I seriously
doubt it had any real effect one way or the other at that time and
location of the trench wrt the tree.

....

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