Cbaker
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Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 8:28 am
Location: NKY

New Pin oak with no leaves this spring

I purchased a pin oak last fall that is about 18' tall and has a trunk diameter of about 6". It is a great looking tree and is straight as an arrow with lots of nice big branches. The tree is in perfect condition and came with a huge root ball about 3.5 feet in diameter. I am located in Northern KY about 30 miles south of Cincinnati.

The tree has been watered generously all winter and we have had lots of precipitation this year so far.

The problem is that there are no new signs of growth on the tree. I have checked multiple branches by scratching them with my fingernail and all are bright green under the bark. All the trees in our area have new growth including a 14' maple planted at the same time. The maple actually seems to be doing awesome and is really lush while the oak just sits there.

Does anyone have any advice on this situation as I am an avid gardener but my tree experience is limited.

Thanks,
Chris

bullthistle
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Location: North Carolina

If the cambium is still green I wouldn't worry but I hope you didn't water too much. You can drown trees as well. Oaks take a long time to lose their leaves in the fall and sometimes are late to leaf out. Just wait and by chance it doesn't leaf out I presume you have a guarantee because that had to sit you back a pretty penny.

Cbaker
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Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 8:28 am
Location: NKY

I haven't watered it a ton but just enough to keep things moist. Our soil drains pretty well here. Like I said the tree looks great and if it was not this late in spring I would not be worried whatsoever.

Thanks for the reply. The guy at the place where I purchased the tree has told me the same thing but I can't help but worry about it. :)

MaineDesigner
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Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:17 am
Location: Midcoast Maine, Zone 5b

I'm not liking the sound of this but all you can do is wait. Was there a warranty with this tree?
Green cambium is a hopeful but not definitive sign. I have seen numerous cases where an extremely severe winter, bad digging or poor planting technique left the tree too weak to push new growth. Some of these trees still showed green cambium as late as mid-July (zones 4 or 5) but never recovered. IMO a 3.5' rootball is much too small for 6" caliper specimen. I would have anticipated a rootball more on the order of 5' - 6' in diameter, something that would require a very large tree spade probably attached to a semitrailer.

I generally try my best to discourage my clients from aspirations of an instant shade tree. Here in Northern New England it is almost a given because of the rocky and often shallow soils which make tree spades a dubious proposition at best. In the Upper Midwest, where tree spades are usually a more viable option, I have seen some success with 6" - 8" caliper nursery stock but I don't generally regard such efforts as money well spent.

Cbaker
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Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 8:28 am
Location: NKY

So I just went and cut off a smaller bottom branch to check the inside of the wood and it all seems very moist. I then cut the branch at 6" intervals all the way up and all was green and white with no dry spots that I could tell. It seems that the tree is alive but I don't really know. I would assume that if it had died that the branches would have dried out by now. Especially over winter when the air was so dry.

If anyone else has any ideas, tips, ect I would appreciate hearing from you all.

Thanks,
Chris

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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

Agree with the just wait. I worried about my young oak tree last year (much smaller than yours) seemed like it took forever to leaf out, long after everything else was. But finally did and has been doing great since then.

I think younger trees and trees that are maybe still recovering from transplant shock are a bit slower to leaf out than they will be later.

Brian12345
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Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2018 2:18 am

I have a similar problem. I have to know did it ever leaf out in the end? Its the end of June and mine has not leafed out yet but branches are still green and there are leaf buds too.

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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

I doubt we will ever know. Those posts were from 2010 and CBaker has not been back here since the day those posts were made.



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