Duane wrote:

And if so, how? I planted a 12' live oak a few months ago and it has
become obvious it is kind of off kilter. Maybe it was straight while
still strapped to the pole it came from the nursery with, or maybe I
was crosseyed that day. The tree appears to have settled in nicely and
has sprouted lots of nice new leaves. Anyway, my options a dig up
the root ball again and try to shift the whole thing, strap it back to
a pole (came with a length of stout bamboo) for a while, or let it go.
Will it tend to grow straight over time, I wonder?

- Duane with a leaning oak

I have a valley white oak (Quercus lobata) that I started from an
acorn. When I planted it into the ground (having kept it in
containers for 3-4 years, ending with a 5 gallon can), I wanted it
to look like a tree. It was already a sapling about 6 ft tall (no
longer merely a seedling). So I trimmed it to a single leader.

The tree, however, was quite limber, too much for using guy wires
to keep it straight. It would bend in the middle, allowing the guy
wires to become loose. Yet it was taller than any stake. Once, I
found it lying like a vine across my driveway.

I was advised to cut it off about 1 ft above ground and then let it
resprout and grow like a bush for a few years, until the wood
became firm. I did so. After the new growth became hard, I
gradually pruned away all shoots except one. Now the tree is 28
years old, about 30 ft high, with a trunk 17 inches in diameter and
a branch spread of 45 feet. It leans slightly to the south-east,
away from prevailing breezes.

The conclusion is that you need a great amount of patience with
oaks. You also need to remember that they tend NOT to have a
single tall trunk (as do liquidambars and many pines) but instead
have multiple spreading limbs. In the end, the branch spread may
far exceed the height. This will obscure any leaning.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 19 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/