Oaks and tubes

[SoDakarcher]

My burr oaks have just come out the top of my 5 ft tubes...have you ever sliced the tube to prune the branches off on the inside of the tube..Seems like wasted energy to make lower branches..Should I wait untlil fall or are these trees still too young.
Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[maintain]

Those lower branches won't be a problem. I would wait till the oak are dormant, to trim or prune any branches, as to prevent oak wilt. And never remove more than a third of the branches when you do. I'm more focused on the top of the tree, as long as I can still reach it. Wanting a strong central leader, rather than a crotch at breast height.

 

[Snail3496]

Not worth the effort or weakening the tube IMO. Just let it ride and be patient, that 5ft tube will train it enough

 

[Hardwood11]

If I have issues with a tube on a very nice oak I have cut the tube back a foot …then I cage that tube & oak.

Seems to really pop after that . Case by case situation.

 

[sep0667]

Sidenote: i planted a bunch of bare root seedlings swap white oaks spring 25 on my old farm and was impressed how much growth they put in on just that spring/summer, all were tubed. Ive had a couple small seedling oaks in my back yard for I think year 3 right now, but they were not tubed, just a small wire cage to stop rabbits. Not much growth and ive planted other seedling oaks before with no tube. Well i took two tubes this spring and put them over the two in back yard and I am shocked at how much growth in height they have put on this spring. One of them is nearly to the top of the 5 foot tube. These things were only like 12-20 inches tall. In three months of having a tube they have tripled in height. Ive read plenty before on if you are going to do a tree planting to spend the money and tube them. I had never seen it in person before, but I am 100% sold on tubing anything I plant from here on. So fun to check on them and seem them grow!