the Greenleif Stark Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 I planted 3 acorns on my property hoping one would germinate and turn into a big beautiful oak tree. Turns out all 3 are flourishing, however my problem is I planted them all right next to each other in the spot I wanted the tree to grow. I now have 3 oak saplings growing with only about 6 inches separating them. I only wanted one and don't want the 3 of them killing themselves and I'm not quite sure what to do. I think they are too close and the roots must be interconnected to dig out 2 of the 3 saplings. Should I just cut the smallest 2? or just leave them? Can anyone offer advice???? As an aside, the acorns are from the oak trees at the 9/11 memorial in NYC from when I visited a few years ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrum Aeternum Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 If I were you I'd cut the two smaller saplings down at my earliest convenience. Keep an eye on the one that remains too, particularly if it's within 20-30 feet of your residence. Oak trees can grow to be beautiful and majestic. After a while they can also split off huge, heavy limbs into unwanted places (like, directly over a roof). Squirrels love to use them to more easily hop onto rooftops as well. A professional trimming every 3-5 years is highly recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alarich II Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 If they are only a year old, its easy to dig them out and plant them further apart. Oaks have deep roots, keep that in mind. Plant them about 10 metres apart, that leaves enough light for each. Maybe get a sapling tube to protect them against game bite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry of the Lawn Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 Start braiding them together asap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Queen Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 Plant them at least 40 feet apart. Not only do they grow about 80 feet tall, but their root systems extend at least that far underground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the Greenleif Stark Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 thank you all for the advice........they just enjoyed their 2nd summer, so the biggest is up the my chest, the other 2 are a little shorter. I worry about digging out 2 of the oaks because they're so close together and am thinking their roots must be entangled under ground (that's just a guess though, I have no idea). Also thought about braiding them like Larry said but wasn't sure if you could do that with an oak tree. I guess I'm gonna stew over it some more, for now, but chopping the 2 smaller ones seems like the route I'll take and try to come up with something cool to use the small amount of wood on/for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercenaryChef Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 all you need to know about trees... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Queen Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 14 hours ago, the Greenleif Stark said: thank you all for the advice........they just enjoyed their 2nd summer, so the biggest is up the my chest, the other 2 are a little shorter. I worry about digging out 2 of the oaks because they're so close together and am thinking their roots must be entangled under ground (that's just a guess though, I have no idea). Also thought about braiding them like Larry said but wasn't sure if you could do that with an oak tree. I guess I'm gonna stew over it some more, for now, but chopping the 2 smaller ones seems like the route I'll take and try to come up with something cool to use the small amount of wood on/for If you live in the US, contact your local Cooperative Extension or arbor foundation. They can advise you on that and it's usually free of charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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