Hello. This is my first post here. I've been a gardener for almost 20 years, employ proper pruning techniques, etc. However, I'm stumped with a new red oak that we purchased 2-3 summers ago. It had sun scald from a sudden freeze in the early Spring of the year that I bought the tree (or so I thought). Many trees in this area were killed due to this sudden freeze in April of that year. Since this tree while in the nursery was obviously still alive and growing leaves, I had it transplanted into my yard, thinking the sun scald was from the recent freeze. I had them plant it at the proper depth.........made them come out and replant it when it was too deep. My problem is that although I pruned out the dead branches inherent with planting a new tree in order to encourage the lateral growth of the remaining branches, each year all I've had is bushy growth from the trunk of the tree. What little lateral growth that does occur is dead the next Spring, and then more bushy growth happens...........from the trunk. I prune it and the same thing the next Spring is evident. So, here I am in the 3rd year of this tree and I have little dead branches all over the tree and a new set of bushy growth coming out of the trunk. (Some of the bushy growth is on some of the branches.......don't want to think it's ONLY on the trunk.) However, no lateral growth is apparent after 3 seasons now. My research indicates this bushy growth is to protect the sun-sensitive bark of the red oak trunk from the sun, which causes internal leaf growth. (It had been dug from the banks of the stream and taken to the nursery. I guess it's possible that it was from a shaded area (these do happen in Texas, depending upon the area :) ), and then put into the full sun of the nursery, and now in my front yard.) Is my only choice to wait until enough coverage is made to the bark of the main trunk of the tree? It's a multi-trunk........... about 15ft tall. It will make for a very ugly tree for many years. Hopefully, someone will be able to see if I've diagnosed this problem correctly, or NOT! And give me a solution either way. ~Worried in Texas
Any tree dug from the wild will have major root loss and as you note will have to grow a new sun-toughened crown. Depending on the soil were you live it may never recover because they dislike heavy limy soils common in many parts of the state. You may want to cut your losses and replace it with a tree grown from seed in the nursery. Also verify it's a lime tolerant species/provenance unless you're on sandy soil.
Thanks for the info........yikes! I paid $750 for it. Hope not that I will have to start over. So...........it's probably in the process of growing a sun-toughened crown. That could take years. :( When I bought the tree, I thought it HAD been grown in its container. It wasn't until I made them come out and replant it that I found out it had been dug out of a sandbank on the side of a steam. Needless to say, I won't be doing busines with that company again here in Lubbock. it's a well-known tree place, but apparetly isn't the same as it used to be when the father owned/operated the business. I usually do buy younger trees, but I just wanted an immediate impact of a large tree to provide some balance to the HUGE! pine tree on the other side of my yard.......I bought this house in an established neighborhood about 5 years ago. And, yes, I've thought of doing a soil analysis here in my front yard. We have an excellent stand of St. Augustine grass which tolerates a pH of 5.0 to 8.5. Don't know if that is a clue at all to the acidity here. However, I've seen oaks around, especially many, many live oaks across the street and behind me, which grow in a range of pH from 3.7 to 7.0.....so it may be acceptable to this tree. At any rate, I will be applying some acid, and will mulch with grass clipping and leaves as I do all of my trees/plants. And, my front yard is littered with pine needles and cones every year......this house is 60 years old, perhaps that has helped make the soil more acid. Thank you so very much, Cedar, for your quick reply. Any more thoughts?
If you have pines your soil is most likely acidic enough for a Red Oak. I'd concentrate on slow release organic fertilizers and make sure you maintain a deep organic mulch out to the drip-line of the tree.
Exactly as I like to do! Glad to have someone else reinforce that idea. I have a hard time convincing my husband. :)
