Red Oak Tree- Not all branches leafed out - Ask Extension
Hello,
I have a question about a red oak in my front yard.
I planted it in the fall of 2014. It is about 12' tall right now.
The tree has full lig...
Knowledgebase
Red Oak Tree- Not all branches leafed out #400289
Asked May 16, 2017, 12:12 PM EDT
Hello,
I have a question about a red oak in my front yard.
I planted it in the fall of 2014. It is about 12' tall right now.
The tree has full light most of the day.
I made sure to keep it watered in the summers of 2015 and 2016.
This spring, it only got leaves on the branches on the top half of the tree, and one at the very bottom of the branches. I also now see a sucker popping up at the base of the tree.
The last two years it had leaves on the majority of the branches.
The leaves that are on it now are full and seem to be in good shape.
Is this something that I need to be concerned about?
Thank you,
Peter
Anoka County Minnesota
Expert Response
There appear to be enough healthy branches and leaves to sustain the tree. It's too late to prune red oaks without risking wilt now but it's advisable to remove the sucker and any branches that have not produced leaves late this fall or next winter.