Doodlebug, I can't tell you how big my tree is in feet. All I can tell you is that it's way over my rooftop--guessing--probably about 20-25 feet. The first 10 years or so I tried to keep track. My dh and I used to sit out in the front, and it got to be a joke that every year we'd say, "It's starting to look like a real tree now." But then the year came that I wasn't able to get my arms around the trunk So I figured it was going to make it, and stopped trying to measure.
I'm sorry that you can't save yours. They do cross, so much that I hear it's now very hard to tell the difference between Shumard and Texas red oaks, not to mention other species. I just wanted to point out that sometimes nature has its own mind, and even the extension office can't always predict what will happen. But it sounds like you've given it every shot. If you have two others, then you'll still see the benefits of the stately red oak.
We have not ever had any problems with ours. Well, we do have a boatload of leaves to rake up every year, which we always think is a pain, but then they make GREAT compost, so we get over it. And then we have tons of large acorns. I like to go barefooted in my lawn, so I could live without those. But the squirrels sure don't think they're a problem. :)
This message was edited Jul 18, 2008 10:23 PM
Need help choosing a new tree and source?
Excellent thread, I've enjoyed reading your comments and observations.
It's interesting how several like trees planted and treated the same have different outcomes.
I've had several examples of that over time and finally don't spend much time with an underperformer.
If I don't have the heart to cut it down I'll plant another nearby (without crowding) and the pressure's off to make a decision.
One thing I worry about is a tree with trunk problem that apparently heals but has a growing rot problem on the inside. I've cut down some trees that've had hollow interiors of varying degrees. But that's not always been the case.
In general, I try and have stellar trees around the house and have a short wait and see attitude about those further away.
The trees that have been volunteers or planted as seedlings have never been anything but healthy, fast growers and blow past those I've planted that were larger, never mind the common experience of buying trees root bound, planted incorrectly in the pot or handicapped by improper trimming (including topping off) from the nursery.
Happy Gardening! Ain't it great!
Chinese Proverb;
Best time to plant a tree - 20 years ago,
Next best time - TODAY!
Bwahaha!
perhaps it would also be useful to ask people about trees to avoid.
I hate my Bald Cypress trees. They send 'knees' up into my and my neighbor's yards and the 'balls/cones' whatever they drop are as bad or worse than acorns.
Carl
Good suggestion 1 lucky.
Yeah, don't care for the bald cypress here either, common in Houston or maybe that's just Texas?
We have a house with sweetgums. People tell me they have gorgeous fall color---and of course we appreciate the shade, but they drop hard pokey balls the whole time they are green and then in the fall they drop the balls with the leaves then to. Being one who likes to be barefoot I go around picking up all their droppings weekly lol.
Considered the fast growing and very hyped Empress Tree but Davers advised me to avoid that one----very wimpy in strength.
Put in 4 Bradford Pears then was advised by Davers to take them out while young (we'd still bought the biggest ones the store had)....they get fireblight and as they grow they shoot out their new branches from the main trunk branch and thus it's hard on the crotch of the tree to support it's weight. I've seen whole trees of these fall over in storms.
The following two pics are bay leaf trees grown in 4" pots, planted a few feet apart Nov. '07 and treated equally.
This message was edited Jul 20, 2008 6:34 AM
2nd Bay
Weeping Bald Cypress. I just couldn' resist!
Okay it has been a couple of months since I started the thread and I have made some decisions. For starters both Red Oaks in the back are gonners, kaput. The worst one pictured in the first post is really and truly dead. The second one is showing the same horrible signs as the other one did last year. Therefore, I am going to replace both trees this fall. I am having a really hard time taking out the second one but I know it will fall in the same path as the first, and have decided to get another tree started this fall.
So the big news is I bought a Chinquapin Oak (pictured with the pink arrow pointing to my tree) and a Monterrey (Mexican White) Oak. I bought them from a different source, a local organic nursery. All of their stock comes from local growers and are said to be true to plant name. (We suspect now that the Red Oaks came from East Texas seed and were first grown in acidic soil; hence they can't handle the alkaline soil in my back yard). I do still have one Red Oak in the Front Yard that so far (fingers crossed) is doing well. I haven't tested the soil out front so maybe it is less alkaline.
I am meeting with an organic landscaper this week who is going to help plant the trees. I am so excited to be making some progress on this, finally! Then I will need to start laying my stone borders again. Now I would rather do that in fall/winter than in the heat of the summer any day!
Great choices.