Red Oak care

Joey Meister

so i had been looking for a small red oak for a year. i finally found one, on sale even, but it was tipped over on the ground half dry. the greenhouse said i had a year to bring it back if it died (lets hope it doesn't). I brought it home and watered it and it has recovered as the leaves were wilted yesterday.but i would like to know what are the chances of the leaves filling out and looking better after planting into the ground, also I know some trees have a second flush of growth later in the summer, do red oaks do so? and what is the care needed for it as someone seemed to have cut off the leader making three of them now. will it still make a decent tree? and what should the care be besides trimming off the dead branches, should i fertilize it after planting?

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Brent Ferris

The tree is young enough -- as long as the leaves stay on the tree for the growing season, there is a reasonable chance the tree will live. If you feel you have to fertilize, wait until the tree is strong and established and then add bonemeal, bloodmeal, potash, some liquid seaweed and about a tablespoon of Epsom salts and borax (for magnesium, and boron) in a gallon of water. And wait and see As long as it survives, the tree should do just fine.

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My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports
If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too !
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Eric Frei

Brent,

I've seen you recommend a few times Borax and Epsom salts .... is it a Canadian thing or something? Just curious, please explain so the layman understands why.

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Brent Ferris

Epsom salts (diluted) provide a source of Magnesium - the central atom of the chlorophyll molecule - necessary for photosynthesis (just as iron is for hemoglobin) and Borax (diluted) gives the lay person access to boron - which is necessary to ensure better uptake of various minerals and dispersion to as many cells of the plant as possible. Not so much a Canadian thing -- just things that make a difference, and are (relatively) available.

Additionally, when Boron levels are low, plant cell walls tend to swell and split, and to result in weakened intercellular space, weakening the physical barrier to initial infection. This also results in sugars being released from the cells and thrown out as waste from the tree. And higher levels of sugars tend to promote the growth of fungal infections.


Thanks for asking.

__________________
My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports
If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too !
We do great jobs, even in small yards.

Free Estimates Oakville to Oshawa - North to Bradford (Will travel further if cost of travelling covered)

Bowani Siam

Is Borax sold in garden centres in Canada?

Borax is not commonly advertised as a horticultural product in Australia. It is usually found in the cleaning or hardware departments. You will more often than not just come across soluble Boron at a nursery.

Speaking of which, when I was working at a nursery it was hilarious at the end of winter when the old ladies would come in, frothing at the mouth, to get Epsom Salts for their Gardenias. Very old-fashioned and effective remedy.!!

Brent Ferris

You are quite right Very sarcastic. Borax is sold in hardware stores -- even more available to most people -- and not in nurseries. It is one of those products -- like Epsom salts -- that can be beneficial to plants, but is normally not thought of for them.

And actually, I haven't yet seen soluble boron in the nurseries yet -- perhaps it doesn't sell like NPK, or creates too many questions or nursery people are afraid of laypeople overdosing. Heck, it is often hard to find liquid seaweed or kelp. But if you keep telling people the products should be there, and they keep asking, sometimes the nurseries will bring in "stuff" they don't normally carry.

__________________
My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports
If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too !
We do great jobs, even in small yards.

Free Estimates Oakville to Oshawa - North to Bradford (Will travel further if cost of travelling covered)