Question
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Followup To
Question -
I live on the west coast of ireland 3 miles from the atlantic ocean.my canadian oak is not thriving as well as the native oaks.could this be due to increased salt levels in the soil? i also live on a farm aould the land be over fertile?
Answer -
Hi Pat,

A doubt soil soil salinty is the problem here being 3 miles from the coast. Canadian Oaks (Quercus alba) prefer deep fertile soils in sheltered aspects.  A very exposed planting position greatly stunts the growth of oaks.  If soil was over fertile summer growth would be very lush and soft and the tree would be more susceptible to pest and disease attack.

Could you please elaborate a little more on why you think the tree is not thriving compared to the native oaks?


Rgds,

Dean.


hello dean
my tree has not grown in height or diameter and also has no new branches since planting. leaves appear every spring but ther is no sign of actual growth. my other oaks are sat 10 yrs and are nearly 14ft high!
what do you think?do the oaks require acidic or alkaline soil also ?

pat

Answer
Oaks are not fussy about pH but will not grow in extremes of either acidity or alkalinty. The fact that the tree is not growing defintely suggests the tree is under stress and there is some as yet some unknown limiting factor be it from the environment or from within the plant itself.

I am afraid I cannot help you with this query with out seeing the plant itself, sorry.


Rgds,

Dr Dean Marston.