Same tree from a different angle. Note the healthy oak in the background.

Second unhealthy looking tree. This one doesn't have dead limbs, but the leaves are brown. These pictures are all from today.

Last picture. Close up of the leaves.

Hello and welcome aboard. Sometimes the Gallery section of the tree forum is less traveled so I will hazard my guess until the oak experts come along. I dunno why GW has to divide up the forums soooo much and hide posts.

First, I assume Pin Oaks do well in your area. In most of St Louis they do great but there are patches where the soil is too alkaline or something and many there have yellow leaves and some defoliation. I would not want to fight nature for a hundred years like some of them folks are.

The tree with the bare leaves in the first picture worries me. Rough winter after transplant stress maybe? My general advice in May is to give it a month to see if the tree rebuds. If not replace in the fall during prime planting season.

The last picture to me looks to have a red tinge. Is it that or the small brown spots that have your attention?

I don't know what part of the country you are in but we have had an odd week. 30's one night, 90's the next two days. I was amazed I did not see some foliage damage while I was mowing but sometimes it seems to take a few days. How has your weather been?

Far as what to do to help them? Probably not much. Every few days stick a finger six inches or so into the soil and check on the moisture level down by the roots then do the right thing. Trees in general like deep watering while shallow rooted lawns like a bit at a time frequently.

Good luck.

toronado,
Thanks for the feedback. I am just up I-70 from you right outside Kansas City so we've had a similarly odd spring. Of course this follows an extremely hot and dry summer.

I do not think the tree was recently transplanted, although I can't say anything for sure since I've only been here a year. I can tell it has been the victim of poor pruning and wonder if it just never really took off. There are numerous 3" stubs where limbs were trimmed off.

As for the other tree, it is the brown leaves that worry me. The other two oaks in the front yard are completely green and healthy looking.

To tell you the truth, I'm not crazy about the location of any of these. You can't tell in the picture, but the sickly looking tree in my first picture is only 25' from the larger healthy tree. That tree is probably only 20' from the street.

The other two are on the opposite side of the driveway and only 20' apart. They are also much closer to the driveway than I would have liked to see.

The real kicker is that I have 4 beautiful red maples in the back. I would have really preferred those be in the front yard where you see them in the fall and the oaks be in the back for more shade - but it has become apparent that the previous owners that would have planted all of these did not have much of a knack for landscaping or yard maintenance.