planted new red oaks; need info

[jdphilli]

I just planted 2 red oaks whose trunks are about 3 inches in diameter at the base. I want to go to Home Depot & buy something to stimulate faster growth. I want something that is low maintenance & easy to apply.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Any rooting hormone, I use products with cytokinin. Check out a nursery or pro lawn supply store. Here it would be ProGreen plus or Lesco.

A layer of mulch and ensring that the trees are not planted too deep is helpfull for loang life also.

Here is some light reading on girdling roots



On Stem Girdling Roots A word .doc file.

 

[jdphilli]

Thanks!

 

[M.D. Vaden]

If you just planted them, you may not want to do things that promote much top growth this year - some, but not much.

Sometimes letting them just get settled in the first warm season is good.

Its much easier the second and following years to boost the canopy volume.

About the only area they can get water from is the rootball - only the rootball. Its comparable to a wick of an oil lamp taking oil from the reservoir only.

Thats why I used an oil lamp in the photo for our new tree watering advice at our website.

Violation of that concept is the reason for loss in maybe 90% of the casualties we hear of.

 

[TREETX]

Suggestion # 1 if you live in Texas, don't plant trees in July.

.02

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

That is good advise anywhere Nate.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

I think that fall is one of the best seasons to plant.

But there is a very good reason to plant in spring and summer in many parts of the country - the selection of well branched stock can be much greater in the warm season.

Often, in fall, the supplies diminish to the remnants.

As long as a nursery tree planted in summer, is watered with the same diligence and frequency as a nursery, it not a big ordeal.

Its either in a black pot, or a black hole.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Originally posted by M.D. Vaden
As long as a nursery tree planted in summer, is watered with the same diligence and frequency as a nursery, it not a big ordeal.

And there in lies the rub. The PNW may be the exception to the recomendation, here and in most parts of the country establishment failure is significantly higher with summer plantings.

WHat is your definition of "well branched stock"?

 

[M.D. Vaden]

The failures in so many other parts of the country is due to the lack of:

"same diligence"

I did not say same frequency of water. It will take as much as in a nursery pot, and a bit more, but not less.

"Diligence", not frequency.

Well branched, is not the weak unioned leftovers in the fall. There are still a few good ones, but it takes more time to march up and down the rows.

Instead of 1 in 3 being a good tree, its more like 1 in 25 in the fall.

Oregon landscape degrees include tree care and arboriculture, so the reputable landscape guys here tend to pick the better formed trees in spring and summer when the customers are contracting the larger installations before it gets mucky and slick in the rainy season.

 

[TREETX]

This is a regional issue.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

So everything in Texas is big except the trees?

 

[jdphilli]

Originally posted by TREETX
Suggestion # 1 if you live in Texas, don't plant trees in July.

.02

We have had an inordinate amount of rain ever since the spring. Only last week did it start to get hot. And now we have a hurricane in the gulf headed toward Texas.....so more rain & cooler temps are probably on the way.

I planted the popular root stimulators around the drip line, and I have had hoses dripping / drizzling on them ever since I had them planted almost 5 days ago. They have not wilted. They look good. Hopefully all will be well!