We just bought a bur oak tree, and of course noticed after taking it home that it had been topped. Sure looks like it’s trying to put up two lead branches. Would love advice on which to trim and if we should be worried about the wound from the original cut.
by Wandering_Momo
2 Comments
That was just to remove a co-dominant branch. Nothing to be worried about. It’s actually good that the nursery did that! The tree will seal up that wound once the roots are established in the ground. I would however remove that green tape that’s being used to keep the tree staked. It looks very tight and it will cause damage to the tree. If it needs to be staked that’s fine, just remove that stake and use a loose strap to gently secure it to a stake a few feet from the trunk. Don’t leave it staked for more than a growing season or two. Trees only really need to be staked if they’re really loose in the soil or are super wonky and need help growing straight.
That poor guy really wishes it had its tap root still. Try to dig your hole extra deep and get the tap root free to shoot down.