usually when this type of tree starts suckering from way down below.. its basically dead above ...

but i cant tell much on this pic ....

dead is dead.. anything that hasnt leafed this year.. should be removed.. i cant tell what you will be left with ...

if its been in the ground for over two years.. there should be no reason for the stakes ...

might help to know where you are..

seems like you have enough property ... to just let it be and see what happens ... if you were space limited i would suggest you get rid of it ...

but really... i dont hold out much hope ...

why is it staked anyway ... can you give us more of the backstory??? ... large transplant.. when.. how.. by who.. soil.. how planted.. etc ...

ken

Yes, dead is dead but I think this tree is only MOSTLY dead. (TY Miracle Max)

We're in central TX, near Smithville. It was planted 4 years ago, did great the first 2 years. Yes, I bought it large, lesson learned. Our yard is on a hill that gets lots of wind; the tree is staked because the other live oak I planted at the same time blew over, wasn't even a storm, just high winds. Yes, we have enough room to just leave it, and I will do that, but I just wondered if it would have a better chance with the dead top still in place or removed. Maybe you can see better on these pictures, only the bottom-most branches have leaves.

Below is a blackjack oak whose top half died in the drought; we removed the top and now it's a big blackjack shrub. I still appreciate having it for the screening it provides. I keep wondering whether trees can survive long when they are not in the classic tree shape.

Yes, dead is dead but I think this tree is only MOSTLY dead.

==>>> i meant.. you prune out all the dead stuff ...

then i said.. you decide whether you mind whats left.. giving it some time to see if it can get its act back together ... into an acceptable form ...

i also said.. i think.. i would be done with it ...

any magic goo you added...did nothing in regard to this tree ... all voodoo as far as i am concerned ...

ken

Hmm. I'd be inclined to replace it... or, just chainsaw it at ground level and select the strongest of the stump sprouts to grow into a 'new' tree. With an extensive, established root system underneath them, you might be surprised how quickly it attains the size of your current 'dead' tree.

Had an 8-10 ft grafted pecan that woke up dead this spring. Sawed it off at ground level. Shoot arising from the root collar is now 5 ft tall. Fully anticipate being able to re-graft it next spring.

My burning question is: how did you deal with the gophers?

We tried everything short of poison. Flooding, grits, owl-nesting box, got a garage/outdoor cat, ultrasonic vibrators (I think they actually liked those....), we finally got serious when we discovered they were killing the trees. We set Macabee traps and caught 16 gophers in our 1-acre yard in the first 24 hours. Sorry little fellas.....