!! OAK TREE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS AND SOLUTION !!

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Hi there,

I have an oak tree at my house that's ~50 years old. Every summer, for 10 years now since we have lived here, its leaves (~40% of the tree) turn full brown, not spots of brown or partial brown. For the rest of the year, it's fine and its leaves are fully green. There are 3 other oak trees nearby this one, that are fine and healthy all year round. There's a hill-y patch of soil where this tree is and may be a possible cause (see photos attached)? I've had an arborist come twice and sprayed something, but did absolutely nothing. Would appreciate any advise on this matter. Thank you. See photos on my profile to see pictures of the tree, for some reason, the photos wouldn't load on this post.

Lorenzo

Featured Answer

Smivies (Ontario - 5b)

7 years ago

I'm guessing you water your lawn? Is it in-ground sprinklers? What's the duration and frequency? Do your other oaks receive the same irrigation over the majority of their root areas? Do you know when irrigation was installed?

California oaks don't like change so a tree that grew up without a lawn or lawn irrigation would prefer the status quo. Ditto for the other way around.

If a tree requires irrigation it is best to go with infrequent deep irrigation which is usually the opposite of turf irrigation.

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Comments (6)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
try putting pix in a reply ...

you have already had a local on site inspection ... and recommended treatment .. what more is there to do .. or what do you expect us to tell you???

imo ... get rid of it.. life is too short to be irritated by a tree ... btw .. its doesnt even look like an oak to me.. but i dont know evergreen oaks ....

why is there a wire running up the side of it????

ken
HU-891571020
Original Author
7 years ago
Hi ken,

thank you for your reply! I tried to put the pics in the comment section since it wouldn't upload on my post, but it still failed. So, I just resorted to posting it the way I did.

well, just wanted to get a second opinion to see if someone has similar experiences or any idea to my problem. The arborist could've overlooked something.

Apparently, we can't get rid of it as California law states that we can't cut down oak trees which are native trees in this state. It's not irritating us, just want to save this tree if it's dying because it looks really nice around the house.

the wiring is for a spotlight.

Thanks,

Lorenzo
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User
7 years ago
To me it appears to be a gravel/sandy side hill it's planted in and could be starved for water part of the summer. Early leaf browning is a sign of that and a tree will keep as many leaves as it has moisture for, when under stress. That rock border probably isn't helping things, rocks will hold/store heat into the evening after the sun and daytime temps raise their temperatures.

And that spotlight, they can get extremely hot, even on the backsides, could it be heating up a section of the trunk?

Just because a tree is 'native' doesn't mean it gets enough water. Certain locations and other factors can put more stress on them than you think.
User
7 years ago
That's what I meant, it looks like it needs more water! lol
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
7 years ago
When was that nearby pavement installed?