Sawtooth Oak Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on October 20, 2022

Planting instructions

The Sawtooth Oak Tree shows admirable adaptability to soils overall but prefers to grow in soils that are acidic with great drainage. When planting this tree, begin by digging a hole that is as deep as the root ball is tall and about twice as wide. Loosen the root ball itself to help the roots spread once planted. You should also ensure your Sawtooth Oak Tree has plenty of lateral and overhead space as it will become very tall and wide at maturity.

Watering and nutrients

After planting a Sawtooth Oak Tree, monitor its soil and water often enough to keep the soil consistently moist which could amount to watering daily in some cases. After a Sawtooth Oak Tree has established itself, it can survive on natural rainfall. However, in the case that there has been a lack of rainfall or consistent temperatures in the 90s, you should water this plant about once per week. It’s also best to feed a Sawtooth Oak Tree with a balanced fertilizer once each spring. You may repeat feedings throughout the growing season, but it’s not necessary.

Pollination

The long dangling gold-tinted flowers of a Sawtooth Oak Tree are similar to the flowers of other oaks but often prove to be more ornamentally valuable. Regarding their function, these flowers release pollen into the air where it travels via wind currents. Since the Sawtooth Oak Tree carries both male and female flowers on a single plant, it can conduct self-pollination. When pollination occurs, the Sawtooth Oak Tree will grow large round acorns with frilly caps, which can be quite numerous during some years.

Pruning

You should prune your Sawtooth Oak Tree as needed during the late winter as the tree is exiting dormancy. As is common for most trees, you should remove any branch that is dead or diseased. Without any shaping, a Sawtooth Oak Tree can develop a spreading pyramidal form with branches that emerge somewhat low on the trunk. As such, it’s often best to remove some of the lower limbs of this tree to allow people to walk below the canopy and enjoy the shade there.

Pests, diseases and animals

Overall, the Sawtooth Oak Tree has excellent pest and disease resistance which means keeping this plant healthy should be easy in most cases. With that said, some pest and disease issues are possible. Oak wilt, rot, leaf blisters and powdery mildew can all affect this tree. Sawtooth Oak trees may also experience infestations of oak lace bugs, oak skeletonizers and borers. On the positive side, your Sawtooth Oak Tree will also attract different forms of wildlife as it is a great food source for squirrels, deer and other animals.

Achieving maximum results

If the leaves of your Sawtooth Oak Tree are turning yellow during a time of year when they should be green, then your tree likely has chlorosis. Chlorosis occurs when the soil becomes too alkaline. To resolve this issue, you can amend the soil to make it more acidic or transplant your tree to a different location. Those who grow Sawtooth Oak trees should also know that, during some years, this tree will produce a moderate amount of acorns while in others, it may produce copious amounts—at times enough to coat the ground below the canopy entirely.

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