I have 20+ Live Oaks (Quercus virginiana) available for trade. These are 2 year old whips, approximately 18" in height. They will be shipped bareroot with the roots wrapped in dampened material and encased in plastic to ensure save delivery. These plants have been developed in isolation to ensure that they are healthy and that they are true live oaks. I would like to trade for native species I do not have... particularly other Texas native trees and shrubs ...permaculture plants... and will consider suggestions for plants that I do not have... Thanks.

Unless you dug a 2-3' deep trench across the root area, I really don't think it will be a problem. The volume of the 4-8 post holes you dug really, as Ken said, is very little, comparatively speaking, with the greater root mass. I would also agree that mulching is always a good idea (as widely as possible, no deeper than 4", and no mulch in the 2-4" next to the trunk), and a really, slow, deep watering won't hurt either, unless you just GOT 4" of rain in the past week. If you did, I am very envious - we've had 4" in the last 4-6 months!

Hi Saintpfla Since you probably heard all the possible answers on your citrus problems, I am going to tell you what I know and saw at Echo last time that I was there in the tour for the fruit trees and people asked the same questions like you did. The expert planted the tree for demonstration in a mound, he said so the rains don't flood the tree. Made a hole without amending and put the tree in, situated so it looked the best and then added compost only on the sides. The older citrus trees had a big mulch on the sides but without touching the trunk (important) a lot of people asked about this and he said is okay. After that he went on to the bugs that affect the citrus like thrips and he said this year with the cold they had not much problem but otherwise they spray some sort of oil, somebody asked neem? and he said no, he did not give the name because I don't think is available for us. Now I have my private story to tell you, just remember I am no expert. I had wonderful citrus in Arizona, never had a problem or bugs or disease, did not even look at them and they had a crop that I had to give it away. They had small rocks underneath because I xeriscape in my yard. Now when I came to this house I bought some citrus, few of the same varieties like my neighbor, I only found that out when I went to visit her place because she asked for help with the citrus. I went again recently and 2 of her trees are dead and the same 2 of mine are still alive. I went over what they do and what I do, and this is what we did differently, she fertilize with some sort of spikes, I use the Sunniland brand for citrus. When we got hit with the winter, I cover just the trunks of the trees, she only covered the tops. Sometimes when I spray the tomatoes, I will use the leftover spray on the citrus, she does not use anything because she said some expert told her the damage of thrips is only cosmetic. If you try to foliar feed when is not hot just early morning or evening there is a chelated citrus nutritional spray by Southern Ag that you can get I think at HD. I hope that you get your citrus back to health and producing for you. Silvia

Q1) Should I water it now? I might have asked this question a week ago when I planted it. I cut all roots at the edge of the hole and just hope thats ok. I used 50L of "Triple Mix Plus", potting soil and black earth. It is a 20" high tree now and I used all the nice soil in the pot it came in which I cut through and slipped off when I centered the plant in the hole. Currently it is 2.2C; forcast is above freezing but it may vary and also may rain &/or snow 8 inches here in Toronto in a few days. I DID NOT water it at all yet (but we had a couple inches of snow that has melted): except for below the plant level which I did the night before transplanting to compact settle the deeper loosened soil. Q2) Were the missing wood plugs from the old trunk from these "bugs" and should I do anything about it, like use a insect killer? At the bottom of the hole ~22" below this lawn's soil line at the last moment I saw a bug at the bottom of the hole. About 3/8" long, like a wetted thinner red ant but It was dark in colour, like a deep brown, but not quite black iirc, and It looked like it might have had wings. Not white; so not a termite? (are all termites even white?). On the 50 yr. old ROS I removed all around the trunk at the bottom it was de-barked in area down to what looks like notches with distinct edges gouged out of the wood characteristically 1/4"w x 13/16"l x 1/8"d. Like a tiny OO shaped or gouged out oval swiming pool hole in the trunk wood. I do not know the name of these worm-hole-plugs or the bugs that I saw, or if they are related. I do have a pic of the holes, but not the bug(s) if necc.