3 Reasons to Carefully Manage Your Live Oak Trees

The twisted, interesting trunks and massive spreading canopies of Southern live oak trees ( Quercus virginiana ) are the trees' most outstanding legacies. Due to their iconic looks and long lifespans, numerous live oaks grow in the warmer coastal areas of the U.S. states including along the sandy plains of southern Mississippi. Here are three reasons to pay attention to your live oak trees in the Ocean Springs region.

Whether you plant a young live oak sapling, or you own property that's home to one or more mature live oaks, you're responsible for a tree that can live for hundreds of years. The oldest known Southern live oak grows near Charleston, South Carolina. Known as the Angel Oak, the tree is likely between 400 and 500 years old.

Despite surviving many natural disasters, the Angel Oak measures 66 feet in height, which is rare for live oaks. The species tend to grow wider than tall. Angel Oakoffers a grand total of 17,200 square feet of shade, with one single branch extending 187 feet in length.

If you want your live oak to reach a grand old age, you must provide proper care for the tree. When you make that commitment to care for your tree and follow through, you give your live oak tree the best chances of surviving and thriving for many generations.

Live oak trees are resistant to many of the issues and conditions that plague other shade trees and oaks. However, a few bugs and diseases can adversely impact the live oak tree. As with all plants, live oak trees that are sick, suffering from drought, or otherwise unhealthy are more prone to pest and disease problems.

Two common insect pests that infest live oaks are gall wasps and black twig borers. Gall wasps sometimes lay their eggs inside the leaves and stems of live oak branches. Galls (swollen round growths) form at the site where the eggs are. Branch and foliage death may occur where the galls are.

Black twig borers lay their eggs inside holes that they drill into live oak twigs. After laying their eggs, the female twig borers insert ambrosia fungus in the egg cavities to feed herself, other adult borers, and their larvae. Infected twigs turn brown and die on the tree.

Other potential problems with live oak trees include:

• Oak wilt from beetles or root grafts
• Canker in various forms
• Chestnut blight
• Leaf blight from bacteria
• Fungi infection of inner and outer bark
• Live oak root borers

When twig borers, gall wasps, or other conditions affect branches of the live oak, removing all dead and diseased parts of the tree is vital. Schedule routine inspections and trimming of your live oak tree by a certified arborist to stay ahead of any potential pest or disease issues.

The gnarled, random shapes of a live oak tree's limbs and trunk can be the tree's undoing. If left to grow without human intervention, a young tree may send limbs and branches in many directions. Limbs may cross each other in dangerous ways, or the limbs may reach straight down instead of upright or horizontally.

Proper trimming of live oak trees begins when the trees are young. The trees should be pruned at least once a year when they're newly planted but can be pruned less often when the trees are mature.

Consult tree care experts when you need to prune your live oak trees. Many tree owners wait until July to trim their live oak trees for the summer, since the insect that causes oak wilt is less active in mid-summer. Your arborist can advise you on the best pruning times for your area of Mississippi and your specific tree types.

Schedule professional pruning of your beloved live oak trees in the Ocean City, Mississippi, region by contacting McClain's Tree Expertstoday.