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Trees - baby live oak
Expert: Jim Hyland - 8/9/2008
Question
My mom has a huge live oak in her yard that drops a ton of acorns, the ones that don't get mowed over, sprout. She had one that was about 5 ft. tall/6-8 inches around that was growing too close to the house so I uprooted it and took it to my house (a new subdivision with hardly any trees) I think I made a mistake because I added some of the growth hormone to the roots. I put it in a sunny spot with some black cow manure and soil. I have watered it everyday and it has rained, but the leaves on the top are turning brown. (It is August in Florida- so it is 90 degree or higher) I just want to know what to do right if this one doesn't make it, I'll go get another one. Thanks!
Answer
The biggest mistake is moving the tree in the summer. This the worst time to try and transplant a tree. Uprooting it with out a rootball and soil attached gives the tree less of a chance to survive. The cow manure may also have burned the remaining roots.
I would suggest you start over by waiting until the hardwood trees have dropped their leaves and then transplant another tree.
You can try to save this one by mulching around the tree with not more than 3 inches of organic mulch not piled up on the trunk and water with 1 inch of water every fourth day--place a pan under the tree and turn the water on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop. New planted tree that roots have been cut will drop foliage to compensate for the root loss.
Here is the proper method of transplanting a hardwood tree.
Deciduous may be planted either in the spring or the fall. Deciduous plants may be moved in the spring as soon as the frost is out of the ground, up until the time when new foliage is partly unfurled. In the fall, they may be planted once the leaves start to turn color up until the ground freezes.
When you want to dig up a tree or shrub for transplanting, retain as much of the root system as possible.
Deciduous trees can be successfully moved only if a ball of soil is left around the roots. The exposed roots should be protected with moist burlap or newspaper or with polyethylene sheeting. Every effort should be made to reduce root exposure to wind and sun, keeping the ball as moist as possible. It's best to prepare the hole before digging up the tree you wish to move.
Size of the root ball and size of the hole:
For deciduous trees and shrubs the soil ball should be:
Width = 9-12 in. in diameter/every 1 in. of tree diameter
Depth = 6 in./every 1 in. of tree diameter
For example: A tree trunk 2 inches wide would need a soil ball of 18-24 inches wide and 12 inches deep.
Dig the new hole twice the size of the rootball and as deep and fill with good top soil and mulch around the tree with 3 inches deep of organic mulch not piled up on the trunk.
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