"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:44:00 -0500, "Dioclese" NONE wrote:

Just to make it a bit clearer, I live southwest of Austin, TX in hill
country proper. The predominant, native tree here that grows naturally is
the live oak.

Weather conditions for the past 3 years has been one year of severe
drought,
one year of more than ample rain rivaling rain normally seen in much
wetter
areas of the country, this year in extreme drought with almost a month of
100F temps so far. Unusual for even this part of the country that early
in
the year. The TV weatherman, says on a regular basis, the culprit is
"blocking high" preventing the normal influx of Gulf moisture from
intruding
and creating the typical cloudcover, and potential for rain. The
cloudcover
allows slightly less temps, and moisture from the Gulf does similar and
slowsdown dryout of native surface vegetation. East Texas isn't suffering
though as the high has been primarily too far west.

Similarly, I may call the live oak an "evergreen" myself as it only lacks
leaves for a week or 2 in early spring. Guess I could call it an almost
always evergreen. I know its not a genuine evergreen in the strictest
sense
as I'm sure my neighbor does as well.

All my live oaks are native, no home growns/transplants from pots.

Clarifying what I was asking originally, will there be any apparent,
visible
signs of drought stress on these live oaks? Insects and fungi aren't a
problem now due to lack of water. I'm concerned about my only water
source,
a water well. So, I've stopped watering the lawn. Typically, a summer in
this region is totally lacking in any appreciable rain, if any. So, thus
my
question.

It depends on many things. I have very deep soil before you hit
caliche. Do you know how deep your soil is? I don't waste water on

Hill (HILL) country here, not in the bottom land near seasonal creek or
river. Soil, if you want to call it that, is from zero to maybe 2" in the
area around my home natively. I've added topsoil around the house. Caliche
is widely available at surface in many areas. More likely, here, will run
into fractured limestone. In fact, there is some surface limestone in the
yard.

turf, but i do water my Live Oaks about twice a month. I use one of
those really cheap yellow ring sprinklers and move it all around under
the trees out to the drip line and a bit beyond. I set the timer on
the stove to remind me to move it. This type of sprinkler has large
drops of water so it doesn't evaporate in the air before it hits the
ground. It' takes several hours to water three trees in the front. My
trees are numbered and registererd at historic and climax. They are
all many hundreds of years old.

A sign a Live Oak is in distress is a compensatory growth which looks
like the foliage is coming out all along the limbs and branches, not
in an arranged canopy. If I get a chance I will post a photo from a
neighbor who did damage to their trees and how the tree is holding on
for dear life.


Yes, I saw that 3 years ago on a group of live oaks that were in distress
for many reasons. Spent alot of time examining them as they serve as
western side shade for the house. Other than excessive carpenter ants, more
spanish moss than leaf cover, lots of dead small branches, I saw leaves
sprouting in the middle of branches that should not be leafing.

Since I finished the house shortly afterwards, found my well water was high
in hydrogen sulfide gas. (not sulfide solids). The fix was an aeration
bottle. The bottle flushes every night to a french drain not far and uphill
from this group of trees. About 30 gallons per flush. Apparently, the
group of oaks is getting some of this water by appearances.

I don't know what the vast majority of live oaks in the hill country use for
soil as its mostly fractured limestone and caliche at or near the surface.

So, the answer is yes, you should water your trees two inches a month
in summer, at least. These trees have been on this land for hundreds
of years and I'm certain the old homestead never watered them. East
Texas is considered part of the humid south. Austin is considered on
the dry line, thus the variation in climate county to county.


Climatology seems to be indicating the west Texas desert may be moving east.
I live in west Hays county.
--
Dave

We have a right to choose.
Choices have consequences,
for both self, and others.
You probably considered yourself.