Tree growth rate - Ask Extension
I am considering planting a red sunset maple, red oak, pin oak or sugar maple tree. Can you tell me the expected annual growth rate of each tree, i.e...
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Tree growth rate #277149
Asked September 10, 2015, 1:17 PM EDT
I am considering planting a red sunset maple, red oak, pin oak or sugar maple tree. Can you tell me the expected annual growth rate of each tree, i.e., how much growth in inches is common for each type of tree? Thank you.
Jefferson County Kentucky
Expert Response
The rate of growth for any tree depends on the age and the cultural conditions. Young trees have longer shoot growth each year than mature trees. Red maple (Acer rubrum) and pin oak (Quercus palustris) are both floodplane species. These typically grow faster than upland species like red oak (Quercus rubra) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum). Under ideal conditions young (sapling) red maples and pin oaks can grow 2, sometimes 3 feet per year. Red oak and sugar maple will be half this. It is also important to remember that faster growth is correlated with weaker wood.
Excellent. Thank you. I am imagining at least a 2.5" cal. tree. Does this make a different for growth rate for the several options?
Yes, a 2.5 inch caliper tree is a young tree. If it is the red maple or pin oak it should be watered once or twice per week through the growing season. All young, recently transplanted trees need 1 inch of water in spring and summer, 1.5 inches in summer. This is the amount that actually gets into the ground. Water before this if you find the soil ball is dry.
