Want Advice on pruning my White Oak trees (pics)

[pharmvet]

Getting ready to prune 36 White Oak trees that I planted up my drive. This will be their 4th summer. Regarding the tops, should I remove all but 1 branch to force a central leader?

 

[sixdogs]

You will also need the advice of others in your area but for my Bur oak in Ohio I make a central leader and clear all side branches up to about seven feet or so. I prune in stages because you need the top growth for good root growth to get the tree started. After that I leave it alone-maybe clear a bottom branch or two.

As well, I broadcast some dry fertilizer around the drip line of the tree for the first 5 or 8 years and it really helps the tree recover from pruning and get a real jump start on growth. I use 19-19-19 the first year and then drop the middle number (phosphorous) to near zero in later years.

EDIT--In your photo above, the second from the right is what I would pick for a leader. It's the one the tree has chosen because it is stronger and taller.

 

[oosik]

I have two oak trees and I prune them just like my hawthorne and locust. I do basically as sixdogs says. Check the internet for local advice. My biggest problem for young trees is pocket gophers.

 

[GPintheMitten]

I don't know when to prune the top for the leader but I would prune the bottom branches where the leaves are now.

I did this with pin Oaks and the subsequent growth was impressive to me.

Mine were about that size when I started pruning. I didn't do it all in one year. That was 20 years ago now they are nice specimens.

No pics because I sold the property about 10 years ago. But I drive by once in awhile.