Oak Tree (Alive or Dead?)

[Edward]

I transplanted an oak tree in April of 2002. It did well for about a month and then the leaves turned brown. I have continued to water it all summer. It appears that maybe some acorns are growing but I'm not sure. I think I have a dead tree in my yard...please help.

 

[TREETX]

break a twig and see if it is green. Doesn't sound good though. Some oaks are real good about going dormant when stressed. This does sound dead.

Good Luck

 

[Stumper]

Actually you don't have to break a twig (I'm not sure how big your tree is-you may not have many to spare.) Scrape the bark on an outer twig with your thumbnail or a knife. If there is a layer of green under the bark before you get into the wood it is still alive.
If the twig is dead you can perform this test on various places an ddetermine if part of the tree is still alive or if all is dead.

 

[greenloon]

Also, I "think" I am correct in stating this (I am not, not do I profess to being a tree expert) but I don't think oaks start to produce acorns till much later in life....like 40 - 50 years i "think". May be one of the gurus here can tell us ift hat is right or wrong.

 

[treeclimber165]

Many varieties will start acorn production at 15-20 years. The 'buds' Edward might be seeing could have been new sprouts starting, but it sounds like it might be dead. If it hasn't had a leaf since May, it's been dead a long time.

 

[John Paul McMillin]

If a tree dies while it is in leaf, then it will hold on to those leaves since the buds have died and wont be able to push off the old leaves. If your tree has dropped its leaves its a good sign that the tree has gone dormant and the leaf buds for next year have swollen and pushed off this seasons leaves. JPM

 

[treeclimber165]

Originally posted by TREETX
break a twig and see if it is green. Doesn't sound good though. Some oaks are real good about going dormant when stressed. This does sound dead.

Good Luck

Dead twigs will snap easily, they have lost all their elasticity. Green twigs will bend a little without breaking. If it snaps off easily and is brittle, it's dead.

 

[tshanefreeman]

Just a question..................

How large was the oak that you transplanted?

If the tree was balled & burlapped, approximately how large was you ball?

Typically, you will be looking at around 11" for every inch of diameter.........keeping in mind that this is horizontal distance. Therefore, I you have a 4" tree about 6-12" above the flare, then you should end up with approximately a 44" ball. (These are ideal conditions, but don't always work that way in real life!) The depth varies with the species, but most roots are in the top 6-12" of soil, therefore if you have 15-20" of depth you will usually be in great shape.

The reason that I asked the questions before, was if you lost too much of the root ball, the tree would have had limited absorbing roots left to sustain life and also, the tree would have been left with minimal carbohydrate reserves for regrowth of leaves!

 

[Edward]

I appreciate everyone's help with this. First Off, I tried the snapping of the twig thing. The twig did not snap. In fact, I had to work a little just to get a piece separated. Secondly, The tree is approx. 2" to 2 1/2" in diameter. The root ball wall approx 36"-42" in dia. Thirdly, The leaves are not pushed off...

 

[Stumper]

Hope springs eternal!