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Oak trees with brown/yellow leaves #873919

Asked June 20, 2024, 12:44 PM EDT

I planted 2 oak trees last fall. One is looking better than the other and both have yellow/brown leaves. The brown leaves are curling. What do i need to do to get this tree healthy?!

Livingston County Michigan

Expert Response

Hello,
I see more than one thing going on with this tree. I see a leaf with oak shothole leafminer damage. See the following article for pictures of what that looks like:  https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/oak-shothole-leafminer You do not need to do anything about this, as it will not impact the health of the tree. 
The other problem looks like possible heat/drought stress.  Though I do see a hose out there, it may be that the tree is not getting adequate moisture.  A newly transplanted tree is vulnerable to heat and dry conditions for several years, due to the huge percent of root mass lost in the transplanting process. If you stick your finger into the soil somewhere around the tree, you should feel moisture a few inches down.
 I am not sure, but it looks like the tree may be planted a bit deeply as well.  I would pull the mulch away from the trunk and see if you can find the flare of the trunk at ground level.  If you cannot, it may benefit from removing some of the dirt from over the root system.  Trees planted even a few inches too deeply struggle to thrive.  Here is more information about that: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/trees-planted-too-deeply/
I hope this is helpful.
Thank you for contacting Ask Extension.
Ruth
An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 20, 2024, 1:20 PM EDT

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