Live Oak care guide
By Ron Geltman
Owner & resident yard expert
The live oak is the backbone of San Antonio's tree canopy, and it's where Ron's Live Oak Standard gets its name. Treat it right and it outlives all of us.
The single most important rule: don't prune February through June. That's when the beetles that spread oak wilt are active. Prune in the dead of winter or the heat of late summer, and paint every cut immediately.
Water deeply but infrequently at the drip line, not the trunk. Keep mulch a few inches off the bark. Watch for thinning canopy or a browning vein pattern in the leaves — early oak wilt signs worth a fast call.
A healthy live oak is a decades-long relationship. That's how we think about your whole property, too.
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