Our oak tree in the yard know to be 120 years old fell last week in a gentle rain. No wind. It was in a perennial garden with a soaker hose. Did the hose contribute to the falling of the tree. The ground was not, nor had been throughly soaked.

Greetings Mary,

Interesting...a mysteriously felled oak tree in the absence of wind?

Instead of a good answer for you, I guess I have more questions such as (1) was there recent construction around or adjacent to this tree? (2) was the tree healthy and vigorous prior to this event? (3) did the trees have any sign of decline, rot, or crown dieback? (4) was the tree unusually buttressed at ground line? (5) are there any signs of fruiting bodies near the base of the trunk of the tree (i.e., root rot) (6) do you have unusually shallow or sandy soils? (7) did the tree snap in half or was it up-rooted?

My initial response would be strong winds associated with waterlogged soils contributed by butt rot and/or root rot (e.g., Armillaria).