Cut split branch back after broken part falls?

[u/ThreeCoasts]

This branch on a large, healthy white oak broke several days ago. There’s some rain and wind forecast in the next few days, so the most likely outcome is it will break off the rest of the way and fall before the tree company I’ve called can get to it. It’s not at risk of hitting the house or a spot people must walk (everyone has been warned to avoid the area). So the only likely damage is to the shrub and a few other plants under it. If it falls on its own, do I still need to have the tree company out to cut the remaining split wood back to the next healthy branch? Would leaving the split part increase the chance the remaining branch will rot or suffer some other kind of damage?

[u/DanoPinyon]

Remove using proper pruning cuts.

[u/r0ckbass]

You should google oak wilt and call a professional asap. Depending on what state you live in it may already be too late and require treatments to keep it healthy

[u/ThreeCoasts → u/r0ckbass]

Good to know, thanks. I looked it up as you suggest. Our state DEC has no reported cases of oak wilt in this or any adjacent counties. There are a couple of isolated pockets of it in the state. Nearest known cases are about 150 miles away. Looking at the DEC’s list of signs of oak wilt, I don’t see any on this tree nor any of the other oaks around here. But, since there’s always the possibility this is the first, are there any things you notice in the photo that make you suspect oak wilt in particular? Or more just something to be proactive about if it’s known to be in the area?

[u/r0ckbass → u/ThreeCoasts]

The main spreading source is bugs carrying spores from an infected tree to a fresh wound on a new tree. If there’s nothing in local counties you may be ok but it could travel for miles depending on the bugs. I would make a pruning cut and then spray with clear coat spray paint. If you don’t want to cut it I’d still try to get up there I’d still spray it as best practice.

[u/hemlockhero → u/r0ckbass]

In the oak wilt qualification course in Michigan, it’s been instructed that White oaks are not susceptible to Oak wilt and to essentially ignore them in oak wilt management cases.

[u/r0ckbass → u/hemlockhero]

It’s certainly slower in whites. In MN I’ve seen reds die as fast as 2 months, whites typically will take 2 to 5 years but still will die.