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

"Duane" wrote in message
om...
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

Let it lean. Can you say "character" ?

A newly planted tree always deserves and needs support for several years.
Use a stake at about 4' away from the stem~~ Hammered in well at about 45
degrees. Fix with a good 'elastic' tie when upright. Inner tubes make the
best ties.
Best Wishes. Brian.
"Duane" wrote in message
om...
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 run into this a lot, especially with really big trees as the rootballs
weigh up to 500 tons!

The real answer is usually to gingerly dig it up, perhaps on only their
leaning side, and re-set it. If it just been a few months you won't be
molesting many new rootlets IMO.
--
Mike LaMana, MS
Heartwood Consulting Services, LLC
Toms River, NJ
www.HeartwoodConsulting.net



"Duane" wrote in message
om...
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

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/

On Sat, 8 May 2004 23:07:55 +0100, "Brian"
wrote:

A newly planted tree always deserves and needs support for several years.
Use a stake at about 4' away from the stem~~ Hammered in well at about 45
degrees. Fix with a good 'elastic' tie when upright. Inner tubes make the
best ties.
Best Wishes. Brian.
Never leave the stakes on more than a year or two. Beyond that and
the tree becomes dependent, or just gets injured by whatever is
holding it to the stakes. After 2 years, the tree should have rooted
into the native soil. If it hasn't, you have bigger problems than
staking.

Running wire through hose and around the tree is no better than just
the wire. Inner tube with no wire inside is not a bad choice (as was
mentioned above, elasticity is good). Just remember that anything
wrapped around a tree trunk or branch has the potential to act as a
noose and kill everything above it. If the tree grows to a point
where the guying material is tight against the trunk all around,
loosen or replace it with a longer loop.

If the tree in question is a tall whip with a little bit of leaf
growth on top, a stake may reduce its ability to develop a stronger
trunk. Stake it if need be, but go by every day and shake it to flex
the trunk. The movement will make the trunk stronger and eventually
you will be able to remove the stakes. If it can't make it after 2
years, remove the stakes anyway and deal with the results as you must.

If it is stouter and has branches distrubuted all along the trunk,
count yourself lucky, and leave the low branches on as long as you are
willing, as they will increase trunk taper and make a stronger tree.
Don't stake unless it had a very small root ball (if it was easy to
blow over on level ground while in the container or burlap, staking is
important--if not, don't bother), was a bare-root planting, or it will
be in strong winds. DO NOT try to compensate for a top-heavy form by
planting deeper. The root crown needs to breathe and it is better to
plant too high than too low. Most container-grown trees are potted
too deeply already, and you may need to remove some soil from the
tree's base if this was a container tree or if you planted deep.

good luck,

Keith Babberney
ISA Certified Arborist

For more info about the International Society of Arboriculture, please visit http://www.isa-arbor.com/home.asp.
For consumer info about tree care, visit http://www.treesaregood.com/

"Mike LaMana" fake@MikeatHeartwoodConsultingdotnet in
:

I run into this a lot, especially with really big trees as the rootballs
weigh up to 500 tons!

The real answer is usually to gingerly dig it up, perhaps on only their
leaning side, and re-set it. If it just been a few months you won't be
molesting many new rootlets IMO.

some trees look better with non vertical trunks. readily found pics:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
&q=leaning+palm&spell=1




http://www.aliseeiii.homestead.com/f...aning_on_Palm-
web.jpg
some 'swimtrunks' look better than any tree at any angle


also
http://images.google.com/images?
q=tbn:Pqr11bqPS3MJ:http://www.silba.org/slike_biljke/Al...520pine%2520-%
2520Pinus%2520halepensis_jpg.jpg
http://images.google.com/images?
q=tbn:vz_ezOzPNcYJ:http://www.science.siu.edu/landplant...ta/images/Cupr
essus.macrocarpa.JPEG
http://images.google.com/images?q=tbnh-
2SQyb4r4J:community.webshots.com/s/image2/8/91/42/82189142grAqPf_ph.jpg



maybe these aren't the best
http://images.google.com/images?
q=tbn:8VipvFmIxpsJ:http://www.lotusbonsai.com/tree%2520...g%2520pine.JPG
http://images.google.com/images?
q=tbn:m1Idc2VdFV0J:web.uct.ac.za/depts/geolsci/dlr/4day2001/dscn0590.jpg

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?

" 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/