Auburn University officials and a lead horticulture expert have begun discussing options to replace the Magnolia Avenue oak should it fail to make progress and leaf out soon.
Tim Thoms, owner of Thoms Trees and Plants in Atlanta and the subcontractor hired to locate and install the oaks on Toomer's Corner, said he and AU project head Ben Burmester discussed three options for replacing the Magnolia Avenue oak last week.
The first would be to replace it this summer with a pre-dug live oak from the tree stock on Thoms' farms located along the Alabama-Florida line/I-10 corridor.
"Moving the tree in the summer is not impossible," Thoms said. "You just have to baby the tree some more."
The second option discussed would be to continue to try and stimulate root growth and leaf-out over the summer, and not turn toward replacing the oak, if need be, until the dormant season this winter.
The third option would be to remove the Magnolia Avenue oak this summer and replace it later during the dormant season, which Thoms said wouldn't be done unless it showed signs of being dead. Please click here to read the rest of the story.
Auburn oaks
Left: The Magnolia Avenue live oak has not leafed out since being planted in February. Right: The backup live oak has responded well after being planted in front of the 3-D Arts Studio Building on West Samford Avenue.
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