Beacon Swamp White Oak Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on October 26, 2022

Planting instructions

Site your tree in acidic soil with good drainage and in a spot that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. Unpot your sapling and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the tree and slowly kill it. Dig a hole that’s as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Place the tree in the hole, spreading out the roots. While holding it upright and steady, fill in around the roots with topsoil, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a two to three-inch layer of organic mulch such as bark chips around the root zone to conserve moisture and hinder weed growth but keep it from touching the trunk to avoid problems with rot.

Watering and nutrients

Water young trees once a week, giving them about an inch of water each time. After the first year or so, you should only need to water during very dry or hot weather. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced, slow-release product designed for landscape trees and shrubs.

Pollination

White oaks are monoecious, meaning that a single tree has both male and female reproductive organs. The trees produce more acorns, however, when there is another tree planted nearby. Pollination happens through the action of wind, and pollinated flowers produce small acorns, which are the seeds of the white oak.

Pruning

When your tree is young, you can prune it lightly in spring to shape it. Cut out any dead, diseased or damaged branches whenever you see them, as well as any branches that are rubbing against each other. A mature Beacon Swamp White Oak shouldn’t need any significant pruning.

Pests, diseases and animals

Pests that may appear on your white oak include gypsy moths, white oak borers and oak leaf aphids. A healthy tree can fend off mild infestations, but if insect pressure is severe, consider releasing beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to fight the pests. Use insecticides as a last resort. Beacon Swamp White Oak is rarely bothered by disease. Infrequently, it may have issues with anthracnose or armillaria root rot. These are both fungal diseases and are more common in very wet weather. Animals that may appear on your oak include squirrels and other small mammals that are drawn to the acorns.

Achieving maximum results

Knowing how to best use these native North American trees in your landscape is one way to achieve maximum results. With their tall, thin shape, Beacon Swamp White Oak trees are suited to adding vertical space to a garden or landscape area. Because of their shape, they are good for smaller urban lots, since their narrow footprint takes up less room than other shade trees. Consider planting one or more in the corner of a garden, with smaller perennial shrubs and other plantings in front. Keep in mind that your white oak will cast a shadow and choose shade-loving smaller plantings as needed. Avoid planting it under overhead utility cables, as well, to avoid conflicts. In larger spaces, this white oak would look at home in gardens that are Mediterranean-themed or influenced by Asian gardens.

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