Southern Red Oak Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on August 24, 2022

Planting instructions

Before you plant this tree, observe its root ball. If you find that the root ball has tangled masses of roots, use a hand rake or a garden knife to loosen those roots. Then, dig a hole that is as deep as the root ball is tall and at least twice as wide. The best soil for this plant is a sandy loam that is slightly moist with good drainage. However, the southern red oak can adapt to sandier soils too. Your planting location should also be one that receives full sunlight each day.

Watering and nutrients

After you plant your southern red oak tree, give it water about once per week to help the tree establish itself in its new growing location. After the tree is established, it will need far less water. Mature southern red oaks can withstand drought, but watering about once per month during the growing season typically leads to the best results. Fertilizing for this tree should take place once per year in early spring, and you should use a nitrogen-rich fertilizer mix.

Pollination

Like other oaks, the southern red oak tree is a wind-pollinated species. These trees also hold both male and female flowers, which typically means self-pollination is the default mode of reproduction. Despite this, many oak trees appear to be incapable of self-pollinating, with mature fruits appearing only on trees that grow near a pollinating pair. When pollination does occur, the southern red oak will produce round, dark brown acorns with shallow caps that appear in pairs on the branches.

Pruning

The best time of year to prune a southern red oak is during the colder months that span late fall, winter, and early spring. When pruning, you should remove any branches that are dead, damaged, diseased, or crossing. Typically, the southern red oak tree responds well to pruning, which means you can remove up to one-third of the canopy when you prune. However, it’s rare that you’ll need to prune this plant that much — it develops a neat, rounded shape naturally.

Pests, diseases, and animals

The unfortunate reality of growing oak trees is that these plants can be quite susceptible to pests and diseases. One of the main concerns for those who grow southern red oak is oak wilt, which can arise as the result of poorly timed pruning. Along with that threat, the southern red oak may also face complications including root rot, cankers, leaf spot, and powdery mildew. Insects such as scale, gypsy moths, and oak skeletonizers also pose a risk to the health of your southern red oak.

Achieving maximum results

One advantage of growing a southern red oak is that this plant can adapt fairly easily to dry soils in which other plants may struggle to grow. However, you should be careful when choosing a growing location for this species. On the one hand, it can be quite vulnerable to construction damage, which may lead to death in some cases. Also, like other oaks, the southern red oak has a deep taproot, which makes it difficult to transplant this tree once it has established itself.

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