probably 30-35 feet tall

===>>> using the mailbox as a scale.. im thinking your estimate might be a bit high ... you can measure the box.. and apply it to the tree ...

anyway ... not unlike children .... i wouldnt expect uniformity .. but it is a bit startling.. isnt it ...

looking deeper into your pix.. i highly doubt.. anything is lacking from the soil ... so .. other than perhaps making yourself feel better.. i doubt any kind of fert or soil amendment would make any difference ...

if you fert the lawn.. the trees are getting more than they need of fert ...

i presume those are not mulch volcanoes .... and that they are properly planted in regard to the root flares???

i dont have time to look up and compare the 2 different types of oaks ... maybe someone else will opine if that is significant ...

ken

Thanks. Yes, root flares are good. I planted them up a little bit. The pine straw is a little deep, but I don't think that's a problem. Soil level is good.

I'm just guessing but did you cut the tap root at all before planting? Or plant the tap root very shallow or still somewhat coiled?

Otherwise, I hear Northern Red Oak can take a long time to establish.

Thanks for the question. I don't think I cut the tap root. I know I certainly tried not to. I'm certain that I didn't get it all the way straightened out. I did my best, but it was hard to get anything to keep it straight and I kind of hoped that nature would take it's course. I guess I expected it to languish for a couple of years, but then take off eventually. The top and tips of branches seem to be leafing out a bit more vigorously this year, so hopefully it will get there. Just want to get a couple of flushes per year. I was shocked at my water oak. That thing took off like a weed.

I have two 3-4 ft. Red (pin?) Oaks, for 5 years now, that have been taking their sweet time getting going. Just last year, for the first time, they had two flushes of growth and started growing in more the way I figured they should. Close to 6 ft. tall today.

I also have a Bur oak about the same size, maybe 5 ft., that I unintentionally chopped the tap root off when I dug it from the woods. That one didn't hardly miss a beat after I transplanted it, twice!

So go figure. :-) This might be your year your tree takes off and if it isn't, by end of summer, I might consider replacing the tree.

As an aside,

I have a Betula papyrifera, that's getting removed this year. It has been so slow and I have another that's done just super in the same amount of time. I think I'll plant something else there instead. ;o)

Hey John!

How did those red oaks do this season?

Any progress?

Mine finally got going, shot up with almost 3 feet of growth on the main leader. I splinted it bc it flopped over and with all the rain and wind we've had, didn't know if it would've straightened out by itself.

The other tree started out good but got hit by a borer and stopped extending the main leader but has put on good growth on the other branches.

I've got a NRO and it's beginning to put out a second flush (yay). It's the first time it's done this. We had hail that took about 40% of its leaves so I don't know if it's just very healthy or responding to damage by putting out a second flush. Whatever the case it's going to put on more than 18 inches this year. Not a slow-growing tree.

OTOH, bur oak. My bur oak, not exaggerating, grows like 1.5 inches per year. It's been five years now and it's still not growing worth a dang. Appears healthy, though. It's ridiculous.

FWIW: I removed the splints on my new leader the other day and it remains looking good and upright. :-)

Not sure what to say about your bur oak Lane. Mine tends to get at least a few inches of new growth each year with close to a foot last year. Most of the top leaves were eaten off by June bugs earlier but a second flush has restored the looks of the tree quite well. Have you tested your soil?

I've never had it tested, but I can tell you it's not great soil - certainly not like your beautiful soil that I've seen in pictures! The bur has leaves that are shockingly huge for the size of the tree (like in excess of 12 inches) and deep green so this leads me to think it's healthy, just... slow to get established and growing? who knows

12" leaves? Wow, that's amazing. If mine get to be 5" I'm doing good.

The advantage to the soil I have, is good drainage and acidic ph, which many kinds of trees prefer. It's not very fertile and requires water regularly so I wouldn't call it 'great' but with some effort I can grow things. :)

The only reason I asked about a soil test is that many soils tend to be low on nitrogen or lacking trace elements like sulfur and magnesium. A lack of these can cause reduce growth and are some of the easiest to remedy. So just a thought. Ph is more difficult so if that's the case, you may just have to enjoy that it grows and is healthy looking. :-)

Even my soil doesn't hold nitrogen very well, especially if it rains a lot, so a light application of slow release N product in early spring has proven to be advantageous to growing things here.