Southern live oaks (Quercus virginiana) are different from their acorn-baring relatives in the Quercus genus, and they take a special touch. Connor Tree Service is a full-service tree company specializing in Southern live oak tree care, and we are happy to share our knowledge on what we consider some of the South’s most beautiful flora.
Southern live oak trees are often used as street trees, are planted in parks or on golf courses, and grace college campuses across the region. They are called live oaks because they keep green leaves all year, always appearing alive and lush, unlike other oaks, which lose their leaves in colder months and look bare and lifeless. These qualities make them great residential trees, too.
Let Connor Tree Service care for your live oaks.
Young Oak Care
If you are planting a new live oak tree, keep in mind it will eventually become massive: 40′ to 80′ tall and 60′ to 100′ wide. The oak growth habit is massive, wide-spreading, and evergreen, with large horizontal branches that form a broad-rounded canopy. The growth rate is quite fast once the young tree roots are established but will slow as the tree matures.
It is important to structurally prune the oak when it is young to select proper, healthy branches and eliminate those that are weak and those that cross.
The area around the trunk should be free from grass, as the live oak surface roots will compete with grass roots for oxygen and nutrients. To help ensure this set-up, we recommend that owners lightly spread the area with mulch; the mulched area may continue to grow as the tree canopy matures with time.
Every three to five years, depending on how fast the tree grows, structural pruning should take place to ensure healthy, long-lasting tree. With correct pruning and care from Connor Tree Service, oak trees will continually enhance the overall landscape and add value to property.
Mature oak care
Mature oaks need routine maintenance to keep them strong and beautiful. Thankfully, Connor Tree Service is there to help!
Mature oaks will often develop deadwood as a natural process, and since the wood is strong, deadwood will often hang in tree for some time. It is important to remove deadwood that is large over areas frequented by pedestrians, bicyclists, or cars to ensure safety. Even when branches are dead and rotting, they can cause pretty serious damage when they fall. It’s always best to catch the deadwood early and cut it before it poses a threat.
Also, it is important to have canopy cleaned and strategically thinned to ensure tree can sustain strong winds prone to our area.
Our professional team, under guidance of certified arborists, understand these needs and are equipped to handle these tasks efficiently and safely.
A note on timing
In many areas around the country, live oak maintenance must be timed just right. Some climate zones limit when pruning and trimming can happen because of the delicate nature of the interior of live oaks.
Fortunately for Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and nearby areas, live oaks can be pruned and trimmed any day of the year, thanks to our weather patterns.
Get a free estimate for residential tree care.
Connor Tree Service cares for your trees
As with all tree maintenance, a certified arborist should be consulted when performing important procedures on live oaks. At Connor Tree Service, all tree work is performed under direct guidance from an ISA certified arborist in compliance with ISA guidelines.
In addition to pruning and thinning, we also offer crown raising, removal of dead and dying branches, and other complex yet essential processes to keep your live oaks healthy for as long as possible.
When it’s time to have your trees serviced, be sure to call on the certified and highly trained experts at Connor Tree Service. We will care for your trees with the upmost attention to detail to ensure you are thoroughly satisfied with our service.
We offer free estimates for all work, and we look forward to building a strong relationship with each of our customers.