I was listening to the radio KLBJ this morning and the garden show said that all the rain had caused many trees to put on a lot of foliage. Then when we hit this hot weather they dropped them because they couldn't support them.So it may not be cause for oak wilt alarm.But an arborsit could tell for sure.

That is what is happening to some of our trees, they got use to all of the water and now it is an oven out there.
Burr Oaks from what I understand are less susceptible to Oak Wilt.
Living through Oak Wilt in Oak Hill that doesn't sound like the way it works, it never started with just the bottom leaves.
Is this your neighbor that doesn't take care of his yard, lol
There are probaly lots of pics of trees with Oak Wilt online but it would probaly put your mind at ease to ask an extension agent
Is there Oak Wilt in your area?

Post some new pics of your new *laptop* hehehe

Not likely oak wilt. Look for the tell tale sign of necrosis (dead brown) of the veins of the leaf but still green throughout the rest of the leaf. Google oakwilt for pix if you are not sure. Then if not sure yet get with ag. ext. Lot of plants and trees are adjusting to this most bizarre 'summer' Burr Oak a part of the white oak group are much less likely to contract oak wilt but there are some cases but rare. Big leaved plants like Burr are going to stress more easily now that the heat is on. You may want to water deeply once a week around the drip line area to help lessen the heat and water stress.
Happy Growing David

Root water like David said. I'd do it twice a week. A tree will drop it's leaves if it's not being watered enough in this extreme heat. Even established trees can die if not watered often enough this time of year.

Here is a good website to check out for tree damage. Also you might to contact your County Extension Agent and ask to speak to a Master Gardener about the tree.

Thanks you guys! I'm gonna try to call the extension agent and see what they say. I still think this might be due to a bug...seems like this happened last summer, but I don't think quite as many leaves fell. My new *laptop* is keeping me pretty busy inside, so I haven't been able to get out there for a closer look. But I can see some of the leaves are curled up on the tree.

My bubba neighbor keeps his grass perfect, but since he doesn't grow anything else I doubt he knows much about trees! haha! There is one old dead branch on the tree w/ some fungus growing on it...that's why he thinks we have oak wilt. I think it's just one dead branch....

I am having the same problem with my Bur Oak, Chinquapin, and Live Oaks. I called Davey Tree in Austin, who we use for tree trimming, and who I highly recommend. They said it is all of the rain, and then the sudden stop to the rain. There are also lots of fungal diseases on the trees right now due to the moisture. If the leaves are reddish brown, it may be rust. If they are uniformly brown, it is just the leaf drop. Bur Oaks do not get oak wilt.

I'm in cedar park and we're loosing leaves on our oaks like crazy, which is in turn making me crazy since the leaves are terrible on sidewalks, and don't break down when they blow under other plants, so you have to go in after them. No large growth spurts, just lots and lots of rain, and a location that doesn't get as much sun as it could. (4-5 hours a day, if we ever get a day with some sun.

I'm thinking it's a leaf spot/ rust of some description, because when I sprayed it with ortho, it cleared up briefly, but then with the additional rain it's come back with a vengeance.

When we get paid on monday I'm picking up some more Ortho and dousing the heck out of the tree. I've had enough with ugly leaves.

Can anyone on this thread comment to how their Bur Oaks turned out now that it has been 12 years? I am having very similar issues with my Bur Oak in ATX. Everything was fine and then in a matter of a few days about half the leaves turned brown and then fell off the tree. It also seems like similar conditions to 2007. We had a ton of rain earlier in the season and now extreme heat and dryness. I had an arborist come who diagnosed and treated for bacterial scorch. However, I'm really hoping this was a mis-diagnosis since there is no cure and I will eventually lose my oak.

Tim, this is a very old thread. Most of these people are no longer frequenting this forum. The last entry is 12 years ago.

It would be interesting to hear how their trees are doing from some of the original posters above, but if they don't respond maybe some of the folks active on the forum these days will chime in with their experiences in growing Bur oaks. Tim keep us posted on how yours fares. I hope it recovers.

Oh yeah, I remember '07 -- the summer it rained. My roses did the best ever!

My Bur is looking a lot better already after some deep watering and the bacterial scorch treatment. There are many leaves budding which I think is not usual for a Bur Oak in the middle of summer?

One more follow up. I had my Bur Oak tested for bacterial scorch and it came back negative. I think it came down to the extreme amount of water in the spring followed by a very dry and hot summer. The tree looks great now and I'm just going to keep an eye on it next year.