Rewilding My Lot

When this new house was constructed, the builder planted two Live Oak trees of unknown variety in the front yard, probably at the end of 2022.

For two years they have seemed healthy enough, producing acorns in the fall and new leaves in the spring. Now that I would consider them established, they get no supplemental water from me except for maybe once or twice during a drought summer (deeply watering on those occasions). They have not been chemically fertilized, but they have been given good mulch and compost around their trunks, and they are surrounded by Bluebonnets, which fix nitrogen into the soil.

In their first two years, neither of these trees grew in stature (see 2025 annual tree report). They have been 8ft tall and 4ft wide for the entire time we’ve been here.

However, in this third year in the ground, I am now seeing new growth that is extending branches up and out. I’ve seen this often when plants establish themselves — most of the work in the first couple of years is spent creating a solid underground foundation, and once that is strong enough then new growth can occur above ground.