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Potted Oak trees problem with leaves dying

veehveeh Posts: 9
edited October 2021 in Problem solving
Hi
Can anyone tell me what is wrong with my oak tree please? Last year the leaves withered like this before falling off at the end of the season, so I thought it must have died. But I watered it anyway and this Spring it produced lovely green leaves again just like the other tree in the pic attached. However, after about 5 weeks the leaves went like this again. But the other tree is still fine.  What has caused this? The tree is obviously not dead so is it possible to save it? Thanks to anyone who can help!  :) 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Unless you're very experienced, growing oak trees in pots isn't viable. 
    You could try potting it on into a bigger pot, with suitable soil and drainage for it, but they aren't pot specimens on the whole without proper care and root pruning etc.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385

    Looking at the total lack of chlorophyll, unless it completely dried-out at some point and those white leaves are crispy, I suspect what you have there is a genetic mutant which is incapable of producing chlorophyll after a certain point in its growth cycle.  Assuming they were grown from acorns, this is quite likely, and such saplings would not survive long 'in the wild'.
    As @Fairygirl says, Oaks in general don't do very well at all in pots (unless Bonsai'd or given similar amounts of tlc and root pruning etc.) and need to be in the ground (if you have space for a tree which will eventually reach 100ft.)  I don't think the white one would do much better though, even if you did that.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • veehveeh Posts: 9
    Hi Bob and Fairygirl
    Thanks so much for your replies. Yes I have always known I can't keep them in pots but as I love trees I tried to grow them from acorns in 2017 (in an apartment!) and succeeded. I am a tenant and have held on to 5 of them as I can't give them up! But I know I will have to soon. I have already given the 4 biggest ones away.

    Bob, the leaves are dried out and crispy.  One day I suddenly noticed them looking withered and brownish (it happened very quickly) and that was about 10 days ago. So it used to look like all the others.  Do you have any ideas about why it could have happened?  Thanks again!
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    There aren't many things which can kill a tree that rapidly - is there any chance it could have been watered or sprayed with something nasty, or allowed to dry out completely?  When leaves die like that so quickly and don't fall, it's something serious, so I would tip it out of the pot and check for root damage - some possibilities are root rots and vine weevil grubs.  Mysterious!

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • veehveeh Posts: 9
    Thanks Bob! I will check the roots. No it has not been sprayed with anything and also it gets watered at the same time as all the others and as you can see from that pic, they are still fine! Agree, very mysterious.  
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