SGlenny
New Member
We recently planted a large oak tree in our yard and it seems to be dying. The leaves are turning brown. Is the tree going in shock and is there anything we can do?
Dying Oak Tree
- Thread starter SGlenny
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treeclimber165
Member A.K.A Skwerl
Sounds like transplant shock. Larger trees are difficult to transplant, and you need lots of water and a little luck to be successful. I assume you have a 'bowl' or 'water ring' built around the tree (a ring of dirt built up to make a 3"-4" dam). Fill the water ring 2x per day for a few weeks. Then as the tree starts taking hold you can cut back to 1x per day for a while. When I worked for a local municipality, we planted 250 trees per year and lost about 25%.
Ray Morneau
ArboristSite Lurker
SGlenny -
TreeClimber is on track - water is the biggest factor.
I used to worry about overwatering -- but experience has shown that on transplants it is impossible IF (BIG IF) drainage is good. (If your planting hole does not drain, but holds water like a flower pot without a hole, then you need to take remedial steps like punching a hole through the hardpan -- or get the drainage solved somehow -- French drain, or some positive-proactive creative solution.)
The books say you leave 90% to 98% of the roots behind when you move a tree!! Gotta have h2o available and get new roots started to take it up.
Mulch is the second beneficial action you can take. (4" deep, not against the trunk) (wood chips -- NO GORILLA HAIR!! (makes hydrophobic mat).
Also, books/nurseries sometimes still advise people to "prune the top to compensate for root loss" -- NEVER DO THAT -- prune only to remove/repair damage -- studies show that root initiation is suppressed when branch tips are removed (one of those auxin related growth responses). Of course, the dye is probably cast for this specimen.
Good luck.
TreeClimber is on track - water is the biggest factor.
I used to worry about overwatering -- but experience has shown that on transplants it is impossible IF (BIG IF) drainage is good. (If your planting hole does not drain, but holds water like a flower pot without a hole, then you need to take remedial steps like punching a hole through the hardpan -- or get the drainage solved somehow -- French drain, or some positive-proactive creative solution.)
The books say you leave 90% to 98% of the roots behind when you move a tree!! Gotta have h2o available and get new roots started to take it up.
Mulch is the second beneficial action you can take. (4" deep, not against the trunk) (wood chips -- NO GORILLA HAIR!! (makes hydrophobic mat).
Also, books/nurseries sometimes still advise people to "prune the top to compensate for root loss" -- NEVER DO THAT -- prune only to remove/repair damage -- studies show that root initiation is suppressed when branch tips are removed (one of those auxin related growth responses). Of course, the dye is probably cast for this specimen.
Good luck.
didgeridoo
ArboristSite Lurker
dying oak tree.
Your tree could be in need of water, or the soil is too wet for it. But there are other possibilities. A quick treatment I could recommend for you known as "tree saver" or any mychorrizae root treatment. This will enable your tree to extract nutrients from the soil more efficiently, and encourage fibrous root growth. Mychorrizae are naturally present in forest soils, and several varieties act on the roots of most plants. Get a consultant arborist to have a look at the tree for you.
Your tree could be in need of water, or the soil is too wet for it. But there are other possibilities. A quick treatment I could recommend for you known as "tree saver" or any mychorrizae root treatment. This will enable your tree to extract nutrients from the soil more efficiently, and encourage fibrous root growth. Mychorrizae are naturally present in forest soils, and several varieties act on the roots of most plants. Get a consultant arborist to have a look at the tree for you.
