" wrote:

David Ross in :

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.

snip
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.

and all you had to do was dig a hole, refill, and let a squirrel plant
the acorn :-)

45' wide seems good growth for only 28 yo lobata. does it get some
irrigatoin or is there underground stream nearby?

I water it deeply 2-3 times each summer. I'm also sure its roots
have spread to reach under my roses, which I soak weekly. The
roots might even extend under my neighbor's front lawn, which is
also frequently watered.

Unlike naturally growing oaks, this one should not be damaged from
summer watering because I pruned away the tap root while it was
still a seedling. A replacement taproot grew, which I then removed
before planting the tree in the ground.

--
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/