Sampson
Active Member
I am supposed to be working but I am having a hard time focusing this morning as I keep thinking of ways to improve the habitat on my farm. So, here's a recap of the work we did at my farm last weekend. This habitat work maybe turning into a sickness. 
I have been struggling over the years to find a way to plant some trees on my western Oklahoma farm and have them survive the first year.
When I first bought the farm in 2007, I ordered three hundred seedlings and stupidly put them in the ground with no additional effort to protect them or even really gave them a fighting chance.
Needless to say, no seedlings survived that first year and we began one of the worst droughts in Oklahoma history.
So, I began to research and read the old (nameless) forum dedicated to habitat work. I learned a great deal and continue to do so. Because of all of your input and free knowledge, I have been able to plant a few seedlings and keep them alive for the last couple of years. The information on tree tubes and correct planting have increased the survival rate to around 80-90 percent with a bit of supplemental watering on my end.
I suffer from the typical instant need for gratification and the thought of waiting ten or more years for acorn production was more then I could take. So I talked to my friend who owns a landscaping business and he got me a couple of large trees last year and two more this year. They range in size from 12-15 feet each and he brought his equipment to help me get them planted. Last year we plant two Chinkapin Oaks, which by the way both produce acorns for me, and this year another Chinkapin and a new to me Oak, the Sawtooth. I have read a great deal on Sawtooth Oaks but had never seen one or planted one, I'm anxious to see how it does over the next couple of years. I did plant some Sawtooth seedlings, at the same time. But I am unsure if I will get any acorns with out another mature Sawtooth to pollinate it. Any thoughts on this? I think the Sawtooth is mature enough to produce acorns as it's a three or so inch cal tree and about 12 foot tall.
All of the larger trees were grown locally and dug up one day and planted the next.
I needed shade around camp so I planted all of the larger trees close to camp.
I also planted another 22 seedlings this past weekend, which were planted with a two by two foot weed barrier cloth and half a bag of cedar mulch and finally tubed. Now if I can just sprout the chestnuts, I ordered from Wayne and direct seed some of the DCO I got, I'll consider it a success.
Here's a couple of pics after we got them planted.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have been struggling over the years to find a way to plant some trees on my western Oklahoma farm and have them survive the first year.
When I first bought the farm in 2007, I ordered three hundred seedlings and stupidly put them in the ground with no additional effort to protect them or even really gave them a fighting chance.
Needless to say, no seedlings survived that first year and we began one of the worst droughts in Oklahoma history.
So, I began to research and read the old (nameless) forum dedicated to habitat work. I learned a great deal and continue to do so. Because of all of your input and free knowledge, I have been able to plant a few seedlings and keep them alive for the last couple of years. The information on tree tubes and correct planting have increased the survival rate to around 80-90 percent with a bit of supplemental watering on my end.
I suffer from the typical instant need for gratification and the thought of waiting ten or more years for acorn production was more then I could take. So I talked to my friend who owns a landscaping business and he got me a couple of large trees last year and two more this year. They range in size from 12-15 feet each and he brought his equipment to help me get them planted. Last year we plant two Chinkapin Oaks, which by the way both produce acorns for me, and this year another Chinkapin and a new to me Oak, the Sawtooth. I have read a great deal on Sawtooth Oaks but had never seen one or planted one, I'm anxious to see how it does over the next couple of years. I did plant some Sawtooth seedlings, at the same time. But I am unsure if I will get any acorns with out another mature Sawtooth to pollinate it. Any thoughts on this? I think the Sawtooth is mature enough to produce acorns as it's a three or so inch cal tree and about 12 foot tall.
All of the larger trees were grown locally and dug up one day and planted the next.
I needed shade around camp so I planted all of the larger trees close to camp.
I also planted another 22 seedlings this past weekend, which were planted with a two by two foot weed barrier cloth and half a bag of cedar mulch and finally tubed. Now if I can just sprout the chestnuts, I ordered from Wayne and direct seed some of the DCO I got, I'll consider it a success.
Here's a couple of pics after we got them planted.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
