Can anybody help with what is wrong with this oak tree we planted 18 months or so ago? Is it just stressed due to her or is something wrong with it. It has really turned colors over past couple weeks.

Thanks!

We haven't had rain in two months so I would guess needs water bad. If you have been watering than no idea. Just sprinkler water on grass might not be enough. We planted a similar size tree 3 months ago and i have had to water it pretty good even beyond my soaker head through sprinkler system. It showed some stress a few times but watering really good seemed to help.

Mulch looks high to me. Leaves looks dead. I'd drag the mulch back and make a bowl, start slow running a hose on it for an hour or two at a time, couple or three days a week. Just don't saturate it.

I had a live oak tree last year that we planted the fall or later the year before lose its leaves like that in the drought and heat last summer. It came back, except the very top. We didn't trim it at all. The top has grown a few extra leaves this year, they've continued to add extra water this summer a couple times a week. Lawn sprinkling certainly isn't enough for newer trees in this heat and drought.

Thanks to you both. Appreciate the help. Definitely will work on getting it more water. Hopefully it will come back.

Scrape the bark on the upper limbs every now and then. If they're green underneath, it's still alive.

At least you're watering more than your neighbor, which is to say more than none. I can't imagine how crunchy his yard must be.

Ha! Actually somebody just bought the house and took out all the grass and landscaping to start with fresh grass and fresh landscaping. That is just dirt right now.

I mean based on your grass color you're watering. But the tree looks dead.

It COULD be covered in fine dirt and dust from the neighboring lot… but could also be very dead.

OnlyForNow said:

---

I mean based on your grass color you're watering. But the tree looks dead.

It COULD be covered in fine dirt and dust from the neighboring lot… but could also be very dead.

---

aggiedata said:

---

---

Never new this .. thanks

Looks dead to me. I'm seeing a LOT of trees planted in the last 2 years that are going tits up. Hasn't rained in months. A tree in the ground for the first few years isn't established enough for this kind of heat and drought.

^ unless supplemental watering

Especially if it was root bound.

As a follow-up - can confirm that tree is dead. Feel like a bit of a moron for not watering it enough but guess lesson learned. Planted it in a fairly dumb location anyways. Guess I'll plant two new live oaks in fall and will probably put a Natchez crepe myrtle where this tree was.

Thanks for the help.

Keep watering it if you want to keep it. It might surprise you.

We planted some trees in the pasture last year and a couple of them got down to pretty much no leaves. A few buckets of water on them and they're coming back to life.

Thanks - my yard guy said to do the same. I'm not going to plant the new trees until mid October so I'll see what it looks like then.

On a different note - would a Live Oak and Red Oak in the same front yard look good? Or should I go with the same type of tree.

Wait until mid-dec.

Piggyback, is this oak dead or dying? It is literally on the bank of a pond so I didn't think it would need extra water.

Is that a squirrel nest up in the crook of those branches?

If not, it might have some kind of disease/virus that causes the clumping of smaller branches.

I don't think it's dead, but likely stressed.

You have live leaves and dead/dying leaves on the same branch so it could just be transitioning.

Trees will allocate resources appropriately in order to save itself, so in hard times, leaves may be sacrificed.

Which makes me feel good because sooooo many of my trees are dropping leaves right now. Just noticed one if my magnolias has a bunch of brown leaves.

Alta said:

---

On a different note - would a Live Oak and Red Oak in the same front yard look good? Or should I go with the same type of tree.

---

Red Oak is going to grow a lot faster. I like them and don't mind the mix. I have one giant in my backyard among two live oaks and a monterrey oak.

OnlyForNow said:

---

Is that a squirrel nest up in the crook of those branches?

If not, it might have some kind of disease/virus that causes the clumping of smaller branches.

I don't think it's dead, but likely stressed.

You have live leaves and dead/dying leaves on the same branch so it could just be transitioning.

Trees will allocate resources appropriately in order to save itself, so in hard times, leaves may be sacrificed.

---

I have a young Shumard Red Oak that is doing that currently. Bottom few branches have brown leaves. Top 3 quarters of branches are healthy and live. Just trying to get it through this super dry season alive.

Alta said:

---

On a different note - would a Live Oak and Red Oak in the same front yard look good? Or should I go with the same type of tree.

---

How big is your lot? What's the layout?

I like Live Oaks but they are horrible choices for suburbia. The typical homeowner and every HOA doesn't appreciate the natural beauty and shape of tree. Thus, they hire some hack to continuously raise the branch clearance and thin out the canopy to save their overwatered grass in an attempt to meet some random code set by an HOA Karen that knows nothing about landscaping. Live Oaks trimmed to look liked broccoli should be a crime.

http://texastreeid.tamu.edu/content/TreeDetails/?id=109

"A large, stately tree, commonly to 50 feet tall with a short, stout trunk of 4 feet or more in diameter, dividing into several large, twisting limbs that form a low, dense crown that can spread more than 100 feet, the limbs often touching the ground in open-grown settings."

Lots of magnolias that are stressed right now are curling their leaves and the tips (50%) are browning.

Quote:

---

On a different note - would a Live Oak and Red Oak in the same front yard look good? Or should I go with the same type of tree.

---

As Texker said, both of those trees will get VERY big over time. Cedar Elms & Monterrey Oaks tend to have a more narrow crown and are excellent for smaller lots. The closest I recommend planting large trees is 30' on center (unless there is a desire to screen off a view).

Speaking of large trees, Mexican Sycamores are great... however I have to laugh when I see HOA's use them as the required street tree and they get planted 30' apart south of houses with lots of solar panels.
Mexican Sycamores will grow to double the height of a 2 story house (or more) and will cast heavy shade over the solar panels in short order. D'oh!

Alta said:

---

Thanks - my yard guy said to do the same. I'm not going to plant the new trees until mid October so I'll see what it looks like then.

---

And pull the mulch back as previously suggested. The root flare needs to be exposed.

OnlyForNow said:

---

Lots of magnolias that are stressed right now are curling their leaves and the tips (50%) are browning.

---

Thanks. I'm going to try and pump pond water to several of my trees and hope for the best. I was going to plant some live oaks this year but I'm glad I didn't.

Everywhere you drive in my subdivision, you see dead Magnolias. They're all completely brown. Pretty sad to see.

We inherited a magnolia at our current home. Not a fan.

A lot of people assume tree's next to water sources get enough water but that really only applies to natural water features. Your pond has some sort of barrier that was put in to prevent it from draining into the soil below, likely clay. The clay prevents your pond from going dry as fast, but also prevents tree roots around it from getting the water.