Live Oak pruning

[u/Time_Traveler_10]

I planted this Live Oak last year and waited to do any pruning until it was established, but now I think it's time to remove the two lower branches that are growing at a sharp angle. The problem is they make up like half of the tree's canopy, especially the big one on the left. Should I just remove one and then wait until next year? Or is there a better approach to removing them?

[u/ohshannoneileen]

I'd start removing the lowest one gradually, reduce it a bit over the next couple of years. Look up to see if any of the oak blights are in your area, and follow local regulations for pruning windows.

Immediately though, it's planted too deep. Pull back the mulch & expose the !Rootflare

[u/AutoModerator → u/ohshannoneileen]

Hi /u/ohshannoneileen, AutoModerator has been summoned to provide some guidance on root flare exposure.

To understand what it means to expose a tree's root flare, do a subreddit search in r/arborists, r/tree, r/sfwtrees or r/marijuanaenthusiasts using the term root flare; there will be a lot of posts where this has been done on young and old trees. You'll know you've found it when you see outward taper at the base of the tree from vertical to the horizontal, and the tops of large, structural roots. Here's what it looks like when you have to dig into the root ball of a B&B to find the root flare. Here's a post from further back; note that this poster found bundles of adventitious roots before they got to the flare, those small fibrous roots floating around (theirs was an apple tree), and a clear structural root which is visible in the last pic in the gallery. See the top section of this 'Happy Trees' wiki page for more collected examples of this work.

Root flares on a cutting grown tree may or may not be entirely present, especially in the first few years. Here's an example.

See also the r/tree wiki 'Happy Trees' root flare excavations section for more excellent and inspirational work, and the main wiki for a fuller explanation on planting depth/root flare exposure, proper mulching, watering, pruning and more.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Time_Traveler_10 → u/ohshannoneileen]

I planted it so the potting soil was level with the ground, and then removed a layer of dirt before adding mulch because I know the dangers of mulch volcanoes. Did the nursery really have it growing too deep in its pot for all those years?

[u/ohshannoneileen → u/Time_Traveler_10]

Oh god yes, it's incredibly common for trees to come from nurseries sitting too deep in the pot. I'd say about 99% of the time & if you get lucky enough for it to be situated correctly it's likely because it's been in the pot long enough that the soil has started to erode. I'd definitely dig back a bit more until you can see the trunk actually start to widen out & find the thick, lateral roots. You're likely going to find some thin, fibrous roots before you get there so you'll want to just leave those exposed to the air & they'll die off.

You are on the right track with no mulch volcano, but after you've found the flare make sure you keep the mulch pushed back away & don't let it come in to contact with the trunk.

[u/Time_Traveler_10]

To clarify, this is what the base looks like up close. Does the presence of a root not indicate a root flare? Should I remove that root and excavate further down?