uh... sounds like over watering to me, spotty leaves is an indication of too much water. I thought that sharp shooters weren't dangerous in themselves, but that they carry diseases. I'd deep water maybe once a week.... and when it gets bigger it won't even need that.

I planted the tree last year and thought that I was overwatering. I cut back on the watering, and eventually all the leaves fell off. I live in Houston, Texas and this year already we are into the 90's and are well behind the year in rain. So this year, I have been watering more frequently. Luckily this spring new leaves emerged. I even did Garett's sick tree method, and the tree seems to be holding in there (not thriving), so I would like to still get rid of those pesky sharpshooters. I hear they suck nutrients out of the leaves as well as transmit diseases, which could be the cause of the spots on the leave.

Perhaps look into neem oil and it's extracts as a tool to use against this bug. Neem disrupts the mouth parts of bugs which feed on the plant tissue. It also prevents them from reproducing.

May be effective for you. I haven't dealt with this bug, so I don't know, but it is probably worth looking into.

Thanks, I'll give the neem oil a try. I suppose you apply it like the orange oil. Do you know how often and what time of day to apply? I'm thinking at sunset is best.

http://www.neemfoundation.org/organic%20farming.htm

Among other things it says:

Spraying should be undertaken in the morning or late in the evening. During hot conditions the frequency of spraying should be more. In winter spraying once in 10 days and in rainy season, every day spraying is recommended.

BTW, if you use neem oil or an extract please post back later in the season to indicate how it worked for you. I am using it on some fruit trees for various reasons as well as testing it's effects on hostas that would otherwise be slug eaten.

So far I am finding it is controlling a fungal problem on pear trees and the slugs haven't touched my hostas (which is a surprise to me, actually).

My desire is to build a list of actual 'trials' to determine what it does and doesn't work well for.

does anyono know for a fact if the sharpshooter bug will
kill citrus trees? i have lime trees,lemon trees,navel orange trees,valencia orange trees,avocado,peach,apricot
plum,fig,loquot,and mango trees.some of these trees are not doing to well.
this morning i discovered sharpshooters on the orange and peach trees.
in the past 5 years i have taken many of these insects to
the local agricultural commissioners office.they keep telling me that they are not a threat.in the meantime i lost all my grapevines and one lime tree.some of my orange trees are also slowly dying.could it be the sharpshooter?
art

The "Sharpshooter bug" is one of the Leaf Hopper family of insects and it does have many predators that can aid in control if those predators are not killed off by overuse of pesticides. While members of the Leaf Hopper famly can, and do spread various plant disease pathogens, the problem you are seeing with your oak may not be related to these insects. I would look for a different reason for the apparent problem.