Question

oak tree trouble   Hi Melissa,
I've included a picture of branches from our oak tree.  It is not producing leaves as it should and some of the branches like these are dying.  Last year we were concerned that it might be oak wilt and had an tree arborist come out and he confirmed that it wasn't oak wilt. What is your opinion and how do we treat this?  Thank you.
Sincerely,
Donna

Answer
Dear Donna, You have several things going on here.  The branch to the lower left has Spanish moss growing from it.  Spanish moss is a bromeliad that attaches to the branch but gets most of its nutrients from the air and rainfall.  It won't harm your tree and for the most part it will usually attach to the living branches of the tree.  The branches to the right have a lichen growing on them, one which is usually found on dead branches.  Now the habit of an oak tree allows for a lot of dieback in the branches, but if it seems to be growing slower this year, then I would suspect that the most likely culprit is the drought from last year.  Last year was a record breaker in Texas, and I believe it was supposed to be hotter and drier than even during the dust bowl.  The trees are very stressed this year and will need a lot more water.  A large tree could need hours of water to irrigate, although many of the very large ones have much deeper roots and tap into underground water supplies.  Even a tree that is relatively young could need water on it for an hour or more.  So you may have trouble with this tree because of last years drought, but keeping it on a regular watering, though expensive and sometimes very hard to do especially if we need water rationing again this year, should help you keep your tree.  Unless the limb loss is severe, the tree will probably recover on its own.  I hope this information helps.  Melissa