Hey Cindy,
For starters, let me thank you for all the great advice you've given me thus far. I'm thankful for you sharing your wisdom. It helps me make up for my lack of knowlege in this subject area and I feel as if I'm gaining some of your wisdom each time I pose a question. Now, to my questions. A few years ago some english ivy started growing up the side of my oak tree. It was very attractive and I decided to let it grow. Now it's about 30ft up into the tree. I think it adds character to the tree and I like it, however, a friend has told me that the ivy will eventually kill the tree. Is this true? This tree shades my deck and I really love it. I have actually potted several small seedlings which have come up in my yard in hopes of growing new oak trees. Is this possible?

Ivy can also cause damage when it starts to grow up a tree. The Ivy will compete with the tree for water, nutrients, and sunlight. Another danger is that the tree’s trunk or branches may have damage that the ivy would hide if it gets thick. Don’t worry about pulling the ivy out of the tree, just cut the stems off at the ground level and then cut the stem again as high up as you can reach. The idea is to take out a section of the stem that cuts off nutrient and water flow. The Ivy will brown out and die and will eventually decompose.

and, yes, you will grow trees from those oak seedlings.

Yes you can grow an oak from a seedling. I found my oak growing under a cherry tree,I guess it was a seed from the mulch. I pulled it up let it soak in a wet paper towle and planted it. It has been run over and mowed down, but it came back and is now taller than I am.The tree is around 12 years old now. I have found seven small oak trees scattered around my yard and I am going to let them grow.

Thanks Cindi and Angel.