Proper Care of Live Oak Trees

Below is an excerpt of an article by Jeff Ball. http://www.americanforests.org/productsandpubs/magazine/archives/2003fall/inprofile.php

*The live oak is a very low maintenance tree. The only task is some periodic pruning, which should be handled by a professional arborist. Because the live oak can live for such a long time, it is very important that it develops a proper trunk and branch structure early on. During the first three or four years, make sure the tree has a single stem and branches that don’t point vertically.
To keep your live oak in tiptop shape, have the tree checked and, if necessary, pruned by a pro every five years or so. Dormant or summer pruning is best; avoid pruning in mid-spring to early summer in areas where oak wilt is present.
Live oaks will tolerate some shade, but appreciate sun. It is at home in sandy soil and even in very compacted soil so long as it is moist. Ideally, the soil should be on the acidic side (pH 4.0 to 6.5) unlike soil here in the Hill Country.
A live oak is remarkably free of insect and disease problems if healthy and relatively stress-free. In Central Texas, however, oak wilt is a major disease problem and some worry that it might somehow move east. Oak wilt is a systemic fungal disease that is spread mostly by insects such as beetles or borers, by man, or even by squirrels. It enters the tree through wounds in the bark, causing the leaves to turn a sickly bronze, wilt, and fall off. There is, as yet, no reliable treatment, and the tree soon dies. The best control is prompt diagnosis and removal of sick trees. Trees are vulnerable during their spring growth spurt, so as a precaution don’t prune healthy trees until after that.*
Soil compaction at the root zone of native trees, particularly live oaks that increases the value of our land and homes is a major problem. Simple observation of the trees around my home and other buildings in the Wimberley area quickly shows that compaction creates problems with trees near driveways, streets and homes. Compact soil can be remediated with Effective Microorganisms, a new environmental service.