I’ve had this little oak for about three or four years…can’t remember exactly. It’s an island scrub oak, native only to the Catalina Islands of California. I bought it from an arboretum sale in a gallon can. I made one courage chop to remove all of the existing foliage which was above the present height of the tree; it budded out all over the trunk and has been growing well for the last few years.

It had been potted in this little training pot for two years and needed to be repotted badly so in January I took it out and pruned the roots including a large root that I hadn’t had the courage to cut off the previous repotting. I tied it back down into the same pot, not having a better suited one and thought that everything would be fine. Then we got two weeks of unseasonably hot weather and I noticed that the tree had some leaves that were starting to brown. I placed it in the shade immediately but about 2/3 of the foliage browned and fell off. I was sure I had killed it but happily it has budded out and seems to be fine.

Some California native oaks such as Blue oaks and Engelman oaks are drought-deciduous but according to “Oaks of California” scrub oaks are not. This tree is about 8″ high; scrub oaks have small leaves, most on this tree are about 1/2-3/4 inch long. It only sends out one flush of growth per year so it will be a couple years yet before I give it a definite style and make it look more like a mature oak tree.

Repotting can be a dangerous time for many trees, it is important to realize that one of the reasons we repot trees in the rainy season and before they start growing is that it is cooler, with more moisture in the air, and that the tree needs less water uptake when it is not actively growing. However, a hot spell, such as the one that this tree suffered because of, can erase all of those advantages. Keep a close eye on newly repotted trees and place them in shade and out of the wind at least temporarily if you see signs of wilting or leaves browning.

Tags: oak, Repotting