Dear Neil: We have two red oak trees. One has lost quite a few branches, especially in the center. Are they just planted too closely together? What should I do?
A: In landscapes, red oaks should be 35 or 40 feet apart. Therefore, these trees are too close together. Hire a consulting arborist to do the necessary thinning and pruning of limbs so that the trees can co-exist. Oaks grow in forests in situations worse than this and get along just fine. Your arborist will know how to protect the trees against oak wilt.
Dear Neil: I planted a water oak 100 yards from our house, and it’s doing great. Recently I read an article that made it sound like a weed — that its acorns are poisonous and that its trunks are hollow. Should I cut it down?
A: Water oaks require acidic soils, so they are adapted primarily to the eastern third of Texas. I grew up where water oaks thrive, and I love the tree. You need to know that all oak acorns are poisonous, so it’s not just water oak acorns. Also, any species of tree can have a hollow trunk, so you certainly can’t hold that against water oaks. So, the only limiting factor I can think of would be the soil pH. If it’s thriving for you, definitely leave it. Oh, and by the way, some of our other popular plants are also poisonous. Consider the list: daffodils, tulips, tomato leaves, castor beans, oleanders, Carolina jessamine and azaleas, among others (but not poinsettias). We really need to learn not to eat indiscriminately out of our landscapes.
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