I live in Georgia and have a 40 yr. old sawtooth oak. It has been very healthy. Just last week my neighbor cut a couple of large roots installing a fence. We returned home yesterday afternoon after a trip to the doc and it looked like we had had a severe wind storm (which we did not). Our deck and yard was covered with fallen leaves. It has been very hot the last couple of weeks but we have had considerable rain the last few months. Long story short, could this be from damage caused by the root cutting or from water needs? Could the tree be dying? How can we save this wonderful mighty oak? Or is this something we need not worry about? Thank you in advance for your help.
The leaf fall is more likely related to the weather than the root cutting; but equally, major root cutting will leave the tree open to root decay and potential instability in the longer term future. How far is the tree from where the digging was done? It might be worth thinking about planting a new tree now, so that it is a decent size when the existing tree becomes dangerous. If it is any consolation, Sawtooth Oak is a potentially invasive non-native in Georgia, so its demise may be a good thing in the longer term.
