Willow Oak Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on October 20, 2022

Planting instructions

Site your tree in soil that drains well and receives at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. Note that a mature Willow Oak is a large tree, so allow plenty of room around it and avoid planting it under overhead utility wires. 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. 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 to 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 newly-planted and young trees once a week for the first year. Once the tree is established and growing strongly, you can cut back on watering. A mature tree only needs supplemental watering if you receive less than an inch of rain a month. Fertilize in spring with a balanced, slow-release product designed for landscape trees and shrubs, such as a 10-10-10 formula.

Pollination

Willow Oak has small yellow flowers that appear on catkins in spring. These, when pollinated by insects, lead to rounded acorns, which are a good food source for small mammals and birds.

Pruning

Prune in spring when young to shape the tree. Cut out any dead, diseased or damaged limbs whenever you see them. A mature tree shouldn’t need any significant pruning.

Pests, diseases and animals

Pests that may occur on oak trees include scale insects, leaf miners and oak lace bugs. However, oaks are generally pest-resistant, and a minor infestation shouldn’t bother your tree. If insect pressure is severe, consider releasing beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings. Diseases of the oak include oak wilt, anthracnose and powdery mildew. These are most likely to attack trees that are already in poor health and can be largely avoided by proper care. Animals that are attracted to your Willow Oak include squirrels and other small mammals and birds, which thrive on the acorns in fall and winter.

Achieving maximum results

You can achieve maximum results with the Willow Oak by using it appropriately in your garden or landscape. It is best suited to be used as a stately specimen tree, standing in splendor in a front yard or on a rolling hillside. It can be very effective when a line of these trees are planted alongside a long, winding driveway or in a row near a road or paved area. Because of its size, it is best suited to large expanses of land and might not work as well in a smaller urban lot. One feature of this tree that can be exploited is its affinity for marshy or swampy ground. If you have a pond or stream on your property, Willow Oak should grow well near it, unlike many other trees.

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