Have a place in Stonewall, open grassland, and need to grow some trees....There is oak decline or oak wilt, whatever out there....so asking what kind to buy...maybe Monterrey Oak? anybody know where I can buy them wholesale? maybe get them 12 feet tall? have skid steer with backhoe attachment, so I think I can dig a hole and plant them....have a water well....any help is appreciated...

bur & chinquapin oaks are bigger trees, but need a lot more water. Monterrey and lacey oaks are smaller, but better for drier climates.

I know a whole sale tree broker.
dvm1997@gmail.com

DVM

I have a contact similar to what DVM is describing and he is an Aggie.

Email me and I will get you in contact with him.

jmprewitt@prewittcpa.com

Planting 60 12ft tall oak trees sounds like a lot of work.

Shoot me a email trsaggie01@yahoo.com
I work in that industry.

http://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/CustomSelector.aspx

FYI, if you plant bigger trees, they will grow more slowly for several years as the tree tries to re-grow a root network.

Better to plant smaller trees that have fuller root systems.

Oak Wilt hammers the crap out of black oak species for the most part. White oak species are less susceptible.

Why just oaks?

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Buying 60 12ft tall oak trees sounds like a lot of $$$$$$.

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Fify

Another good thing about Monterrey (aka Mexican White Oak) is deer don't care for them. I've been planting various species replacing oak wilt killed trees and it seems that deer will take a bite or two from the leaves then leave them alone. Twenty feet away, they browse chinquapin or bur oak as high as they can reach. No tree is deer proof but the Monterrey seems to at least be highly deer resistant. As stated above, don't limit yourself to oaks. There are many more good trees out there.

I planted about 60 live oaks at my place. They were in 30 gallon pots. I payed $125 per tree planted in the ground. That was 4 years ago. You'll probably lose about 10% within the first year if you're lucky.

http://tamutimes.tamu.edu/2012/01/10/aggie-grad-turns-century-tree-acorns-into-funding-source-for-aggie-scholarships-2/

I would recommend you look into doing some root trenches around whatever you plant if it is wilt.

I have spent a good deal of time looking at drought damage in the sandy loam area around my residence and the one stand out survivor has been the water oak, above various elms, even. I am frankly surprised. I have had good luck with willow, shumard and red oaks too, and they are fast growing and have nice shapes. Most of my oaks were grown from bare root saplings planted 30 years ago with proper spacing and I think that helped obtain the classic shapes I was looking for. Avoid crowding. I have had good luck with trees I have purchased subsequently from the nursery south of Wellborn....I have bought over 100 30 gallons, rented a skid steer from Redtail with a proper auger, and knocked out plantings with one helper in one day.

[This message has been edited by Yuccadoo (edited 1/23/2013 5:22a).]

Thanks to all. Can u recommend another kind of good tree that is not an oak?

Auger attachment is the way to go, just get a bit that is 50% larger diameter then your root ball. You can get them in the ground faster than you would think.

"FYI, if you plant bigger trees, they will grow more slowly for several years as the tree tries to re-grow a root network.

Better to plant smaller trees that have fuller root systems."

I'd agree with this.

You can probably find info about this on www.dirtdoctor.com

I'd probably work on the quality of the grassland.

I will plant the oaks about how many feet apart? 40? That's a line of oaks about 2400 feet long. Have well nearby. Do I need to water them? I assume I do. How? With polyethylene pipe laying on the ground and a hole in pipe at every tree?

DVM-
Are you referring to the tree farm north of Columbia Lakes?

40' apart is a good spacing, no closer than 30.
If you have a well you should irrigate them. Hunter & Rainbird both make bubbler nozzles that will put out 1/4 gallon per minute. Your losses will be cut down to 2 or 3 if you do so.

Check the flow on your well to make it will work, you may need to divide the trees up into two "zones". I'd run the largest size pipe you can, probably 1-1/4" poly to reduce friction loss. PVC may be easier to work with fittings-wise though - just realize that it will be temporary as the pipe is not UV rated & will deteriorate in the sun. I'd go with schedule 40 or even 80 if you want it to last longer.

If you go with 30 gallon trees, they should be in the ballpark of 2-2.5" caliper. (diameter)
In order to ensure survival, those trees will need about 40-45 gallons of water per week the first summer. Water every other day if possible. You can taper off once things cool down in October. DO NOT run continue to run the bubblers as the root systems will not develop properly.

I'd mix in some Cedar Elms, Burr Oaks... they are pretty bullet proof for much of the state.

You asked what trees other than oak to plant. Too many questions to ask/answer here. A lot of trees will survive in a given location. In my opinion, it's just as better to select a tree that will thrive in that same place. Fit the species to the location. You will have fewer problems in the long run. Consider water needs/availability, soil type & pH, insect/disease/deer susceptibility, desired size/shape, cost, plant availability, etc.

Don't be scared to plant a 5 - 10 gallon tree & let it grow. They don't give the immediate visual impact as a larger plant but with care early on, it will catch up & pass a 2-4 inch caliper tree in no time. They cost a lot less to start with & are easier to replace if one dies.

This is a place to start http://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/ but a web search will direct you to very informative sites. Area native plant society chapters usually have an area "expert" or two that can give their two-cents worth if you ask.

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Are you referring to the tree farm north of Columbia Lakes?

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I'll be buying 3-4 3" oaks from this guy in the fall.

I'm assuming you live at the Bar X?

We buy Mexican White Oaks from Blanket Creek Tree Farm in Utopia, TX. They sell all their trees at wholesale prices. We got some 100 Gallon Mexican White Oaks for $375 and some 45 Gallon at $175. If you buy more than 20 trees cost is $150 for 45 Gallon and $350 for 100 Gallon. If you don't want to go get the trees they will send them to you at $3.50 per loaded mile from Utopia.