Split trunks

[Chemist]

I have several trees with a trunck about 25 inches in diameter that splits into two trees with truncks of about 12 inches in diameter. They are great producers, but I fear they will split in half someday. They look fine now and are about 40 years old.

Should I select one of the two trunks and cut the other one off on each tree like this to avoid the split, or should I just leave them alone?

[Rob Harvey]

I think you will have to leave them alone and hope for the best. I do not belive the 12" wound that would result would ever heal over. It would just begin to rot. Rob

[H. Walker]

I look after an Estate that have several trees like that, or they were like that 50 years ago. What someone did was go up as high as possable and drill right through each half of the tree with what looks like a 5/8" eye-bolt then guy-wire the two togeather. The trees get all the wind off the lake, 1 major ice storm and they look fine. The tree has healed over the nut end of the bolt so they had the work done a long time ago.

Just an idea!!

[Chemist]

It seems that I can leave them or try the bolt thing. Both trunks are good on all of the trees. I went out and counted 5 doubles like I described, 4 on my property and 1 on my neighbors (where I also tap).

[MaplePancakeMan]

How far appart are the split trunks, Though i'm only 21, i have pictures of our yard where i now have come to tap.... there were 4 split trunks when we moved here, since then 3 have grown together to make nice massive trunk the other one is still split, i tap each split.

[Chemist]

The trees I have are still very close together. Maybe they will grow together.

I would be happy as long as they stay how they are and don't split to the ground and die. Right now, they are very solid, with no signs of falling apart. They are also in the middle of my woods, so they are somewhat protected from wind of all directions.

In a sense it might be better to describe them as double trunks. When our neighbors move someday, those 5 trees will become very important to me since we have only about 20-25 trees on our half acre lot. I tap about 12 on our lot and 12 on theirs right now to give my trees a break until I need them. Most of my trees are 10-12 inches in diameter and are young, so I am trying to wait a few years to tap them. The trees I tap are 14 inches or larger right now. I want to continue to run 24 taps for the forseeable future.

Actually, I am very happy to have that many. One other neighbor has none. That would be a bummer.