Sawtooth oak dying back

[Angus 1895]

My sawtooth oaks seem to not keep the above ground part of them alive over winter?

They are either dying or sending up suckers every year. Some are three winters into this deal.

Will this improve?

As a side note no Dunstan Chestnut trees appear alive this year.

I have a healthy set of “ rookies “ to replace these duds!

 

[The Fishman]

Do you have any planted in the ground? If so, how are they doing? If this is all you have to show for three years of growth, I would cut my losses and try to find a species better suited to your environment. Not all species are going to grow in all places. With that being said, I have found sawtooths almost indestructible. as long as they have plenty of sunlight. I have been unable to over or under water them. There is something about your soil they are not liking. Some of your pots look too small, but even the ones in the larger pots aren't doing much.

 

[b116757]

My sawtooth oaks seem to not keep the above ground part of them alive over winter?

They are either dying or sending up suckers every year. Some are three winters into this deal.

Will this improve?

As a side note no Dunstan Chestnut trees appear alive this year.

I have a healthy set of “ rookies “ to replace these duds!

Same issue I’ve had with sawtooth oaks they do not care for my site that’s for sure. Thankfully I never was super heavily invested in them.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Are they dieing back in the pots over winter or in the ground?

 

[b116757]

For me it’s after they are in the ground sometimes for several years before it happens the ones in my yard don’t even have tubes so that’s not the issue. Now I will say I’m in Kansas and our weather is all over the place so trees/plants need to be pretty tough to make it and it only gets worse the farther west from me you go.

 

[Angus 1895]

The sawtooth oaks are all planted in the ground.

The ones in pots I started this winter.

There are no sawtooth oaks in pots.

The sawtooths are in tubes and cages. In the few years I have had them, I don’t recall any having viable woody tissue from the year before. They just send new tissue up from the ground each spring/ summer.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I have almost zero knowledge about growing them. My only observation thus far is that they seem to be hard to kill. I had some that I double seeded in tall tree tubes just to get them started. I snipped off the extras to 1 good one per tube. The ones that I have cut off keep growing back.

 

[Native Hunter]

What state and zone?

 

[Teeder]

Voles? Sawtooth are the only oaks I've had trouble with voles chewing them. All that were chewed off over winter have sent a new shoot up this year.
This is 1-2 year olds.

 

[bigbendmarine]

I've grown probably 100 or so from acorns in pots, and never had them take off while in pots... but I also see you shared you have them now in the ground.

Once in ground,I haven't found a tree that grows faster and that's with them experiencing late spring dry spells and brutal summer Florida temperatures. Did find early on my survival rate was near 100% if planted few weeks before bud break versus having more like 50% survival rate if planted after leafing out. Also should add I protected with tree tubes until branches grew high enough to ensure survival against rubbing, browsing, etc.

Pictures shows one of the trees I grew from an acorn starting in 2016 with one pic showing trunk mass, and other giving view of height with 5' PVC stake propped against tree and best estimate of height somewhere between 25 and 30 feet. Vast majority of trees I've planted have the same central leader Christmas tree shape look.

 

[Angus 1895]

Here is my best sawtooth oak, yes it’s snowing today!

Idaho, 5000 feet elevation. Zone 5 A but it’s freezing so hard today I’m going to drain my 7 horse irrigation pump.

I stand corrected, the last years wood stalk has some leaves even though the top of it is dead.