2 thoughts on “Planting New Trees In Oak Wilt Sensitive Areas”
Don’t understand the 15-20 foot statement whenthe Monterrey Oak is not only advertised, but even documented to be 40 foot trees even in the Austin area.
I agree it would be a shame to aid in the disappearance of any native tree. However, planting a tree often requires a notable commitment from the homeowner- you don’t want to find your beautiful tree turning brown and dying, say 7 or 10 years down the road. So, oak wilt is something you have to consider, especially if the tree is in a prominent location. The good news is, as the story says, newly planted trees (knock on wood) aren’t necessarily destined to die from oak wilt. In Live Oak, the manifestations do not occur under the bark- the disease is spread through the roots. I have a 14 year old red oak in my back yard surrounded by and virtually growing in the shadows of huge Live Oaks that succumbed to wilt and it is doing fine. In my front yard I planted a Bur oak. Bur will grow almost anywhere, it doesn’t require the deep moist soil of river bottom, unless you’re wanting a record-book specimen. So to sum up, I am no expert but from my experience it seems safe to plant red oak varities in areas where Live Oaks have died, but maybe not in areas where other reds have died, again because of the way it is spread. Lacey oak is a good smaller native oak that can grow well in rocky, dry soils. Post oak is another selection that would also be worth considering
Don’t understand the 15-20 foot statement whenthe Monterrey Oak is not only advertised, but even documented to be 40 foot trees even in the Austin area.
I agree it would be a shame to aid in the disappearance of any native tree. However, planting a tree often requires a notable commitment from the homeowner- you don’t want to find your beautiful tree turning brown and dying, say 7 or 10 years down the road. So, oak wilt is something you have to consider, especially if the tree is in a prominent location. The good news is, as the story says, newly planted trees (knock on wood) aren’t necessarily destined to die from oak wilt. In Live Oak, the manifestations do not occur under the bark- the disease is spread through the roots. I have a 14 year old red oak in my back yard surrounded by and virtually growing in the shadows of huge Live Oaks that succumbed to wilt and it is doing fine. In my front yard I planted a Bur oak. Bur will grow almost anywhere, it doesn’t require the deep moist soil of river bottom, unless you’re wanting a record-book specimen. So to sum up, I am no expert but from my experience it seems safe to plant red oak varities in areas where Live Oaks have died, but maybe not in areas where other reds have died, again because of the way it is spread. Lacey oak is a good smaller native oak that can grow well in rocky, dry soils. Post oak is another selection that would also be worth considering