swingset chain in oak tree limb

[effi]

oak tree limb about 8 inches in diameter has a section of swingset chain inside it now, bark grew over chain and chain cannot be pulled loose now

will chain posion tree?

[Srgnt Billko]

No

[Steveo]

The limb will fail long before it hurts the tree. Just cut off as much is practical without digging into the bark. I've had wire fence grow into the side of the trunk on silver maples and they still are fine.

If you see the limb dying, just cut it off.

[timothy]

Posion the tree, no. Choke the life out of the limb, yes. What I've done in the past is to take a 1/2 inch chisel and chisel through a link. Swingset chain, dog chain, fencing or guy cables, I've cut them all this way. After the link is broken, the tree will be able to expand as it grows, instead of being choked to death. Don't worry about removing the chain, the damage will be much worse. If the chain is deeply embedded in to the branch, then I'd cut two links. One on each side of the limb. HtH

[meirman]

In alt.home.lawn.garden on Thu, 16 Dec 2004 19:09:40 -0600 "effi" posted:

A long time ago, we left the support wires around a tree trunk while the trunk grew. When we noticed, the wire was buried below the bark.

Called the Indiana University Extension and he said to ignore it now because the trunk was already growing outside the wires. You can hunt on these terms: iirc it is the xylem and phloem that carry stuff from the earth to the leaves and the other direction. They live just below the bark, and once they have established themselves on the outside of the wire, etc, you're fine, I think. Maybe this doesn't always happen, but it sounds like it has already happeneed in your case.

Of course the tree under the bark doesn't get bigger. It's just that more tree is added on the outside.

(( lot of states give yard and planting advice, etc. via an extension of their state university, with a live human being. I would start here first however, so you don't waste their time with simple questions and so you have better questions to ask on complicated topics.)

Meirman

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