Not leafing out evenly

[capetrees]

Whats happening here? These two oak trees have fully leafed branches and then some that are looking like they're dead. They're not injured in any way, no landscaping has happened in the past 10 years and the watering for them is natural, no irrigation. It's been dry but the other trees are in full bloom.

What gives?

 

[lone wolf]

@ATH

 

[Bango Skank]

How old are those pruning wounds and what time of year did they occur?

 

[ATH]

That is strange that they are still putting on buds, but so far behind. Did you get a late frost when the buds started to break?
How did it look last fall?

 

[Del_]

Reminds me of trees I've seen that supposedly were damaged by chemicals put in septic tanks.

 

[capetrees]

How old are those pruning wounds and what time of year did they occur?

From What I know, Those are at least 4 years old and the tree always has leafed out all the other years. When were they cut? Don't know.

 

[capetrees]

That is strange that they are still putting on buds, but so far behind. Did you get a late frost when the buds started to break?
How did it look last fall?

Tree looked fine last fall and we didn't have a lot of snow here last year or a late frost. All of the other trees in the area are looking very healthy.

 

[ATH]

Reminds me of trees I've seen that supposedly were damaged by chemicals put in septic tanks.

Something chemical isn't out of the question...

Can you get close-ups of the delayed twigs? Wondering if there is scale on those?

Cut a twig that is partially "normal" and partially not. Shave the bark off of that where it is making the transition. Any color change right under the bark?

 

[cookies]

do you use weed and feed or other chemicals on the yard? If it has tapped into a septic line or drain field things that go down the drain can cause stunted growth. Try flushing the area with a water sprinkler every evening at sunset when the sun drops intensity for a week. It could even have center rot in the main trunk.

 

[ATH]

morning watering is better than evening...evening means things sit moist all night encouraging fungal growth. Probably wouldn't be a problem for the tree, but can cause problems on turf and surrounding plants.

 

[billyboy]

Could it be oak blight? In my neighborhood they say not to prune oaks past March because of blight. What do you folks think of the way that tree was trimmed? Cutting that close to the main trunk is an invitation to rot in the main trunk IMHO. Over the last few years I leave at least a couple feet of limb on those big branches hoping to keep rot away from the main trunk as long as possible.

 

[Piotr Pakula]

Donald ?

 

[capetrees]

These are pics of a couple of branches from the red oak. The first pic shows the fact that the tree is alive and wet, the others showing the buds.

I asked some more questions of the owner and he said the cuts in the first post, second pic, were at different times. The upper tan looking one was last year and the lower darker one was a few years ago. The upper cut tan one was made on the part of the tree that has leafed out so I don't know if or how that cut would possibly affect the other part of the tree that isn't leafing out.

 

[ATH]

nobody applied cambistat/shortstop or trimtect in the area did they?

 

[capetrees]

nobody applied cambistat/shortstop or trimtect in the area did they?

definitely not on any of those. this place is very eco friendly and want as much to grow as possible

 

[capetrees]

and the neighbor isn't some crazy guy that wants the tree gone either. Both properties like the trees and are a little bummed about the possible death of the trees.

 

[ATH]

Cambistat can be used to enhance tree health...but too much will over-regulate the growth. So it is not contrary to wanting healthy trees. But it was just a thought...doesn't sound like they have had it applied...but you might ask just to be sure.

 

[capetrees]

Cambistat can be used to enhance tree health...but too much will over-regulate the growth. So it is not contrary to wanting healthy trees. But it was just a thought...doesn't sound like they have had it applied...but you might ask just to be sure.

definitely not, no applications or fertilizers of any sort on either property

 

[capetrees]

Local extension went by to diagnose the oak. Came up with shothole leafminer.

 

[ATH]

I'm not saying there isn't shothole leafminer on the tree...but that isn't what caused the uneven leaf formation. That sounds more like somebody afraid to say "I don't know" so they found something.

Did the tree ever develop full leaves?