Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Yes, I had already read about Schuette's oak and was suspecting that's what it could be. When the leaves come on out and mature, we will revisit this. I may have to put up "no sex" signs.
The Year of The Oaks
- Thread starter Native Hunter
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Yes, I had already read about Schuette's oak and was suspecting that's what it could be. When the leaves come on out and mature, we will revisit this. I may have to put up "no sex" signs.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Chinkapin Oak - Quercus muehlenbergii
I’m finding a lot of Chinkapin Oaks in my planting. This is a species that typically grows in dryer soils with limestone bedrock. The ones in the drier areas on my property are really doing great. The ones in the wetter spots have not grown as large as the ones in the better ground, but they still look very healthy.
The best ones are around 35 feet tall after 15-17 years and around 9 or 10 inches in diameter at the ground line. Below are some facts about the Chinkapin Oak:
· The acorns are at the top of the food preference list for many wildlife species. They ripen early and are very low in tannin. Some sources say that many trees will have acorns that humans can eat without leaching.
· I love this species and have noticed a few acorns in past years on some that I’ve passed by at the edge of the planting. Note – in the past I have not ventured out into the planting in the fall, because it is a sanctuary area.
· Does best in well-drained soil and adapts to many different soil types. Will grow well in higher PH soils than most other oaks.
· The chinkapin oak is also commonly referred to as a yellow chestnut oak, rock oak or yellow oak.
· The bark is very distinctive and has a yellow cast.
· Many leaves hang on through the winter, but not like Sawtooths.
· Hardiness Zones 4–7
· This is a very easy tree for me to ID – even in the winter. The bark and leaves are very distinct. The leaves resemble Swamp Chestnut Oak but they are much smaller.
· Starts greening up very quickly in spring.
Here is the USDA link:
Quercus muehlenbergii Engelm (usda.gov)
This is a nice one at the edge of the planting at a dry location. As you can see, it has outgrown the white pine next to it that was planted about the same time.
Here is another nice one near the one above. This tree is large and beautiful. This may be the one I remember seeing acorns on.
This picture shows the new emerging leaves and the bark. These leaves will look very similar when mature, just larger.
This is about average for the better trees:
This is a Chinkapin Oak surrounded by 6 Pin Oaks. One of the Pin Oaks is smaller than the CO, but another one is exceptionally larger. The other 4 are only slightly larger than the CO. You can see two of the Pin Oaks in the background and the CO in the foreground.
That’s about it guys except for one more thing – pretty sure that I’ve found some Dwarf Chinkapin Oaks (Quercus prinoides). I’ve been researching how to distinguish them from Q muehlenbergii, and when the leaves mature, I will report back on this - but let me know if you have any special keys on telling them apart other than size.
I’m finding a lot of Chinkapin Oaks in my planting. This is a species that typically grows in dryer soils with limestone bedrock. The ones in the drier areas on my property are really doing great. The ones in the wetter spots have not grown as large as the ones in the better ground, but they still look very healthy.
The best ones are around 35 feet tall after 15-17 years and around 9 or 10 inches in diameter at the ground line. Below are some facts about the Chinkapin Oak:
· The acorns are at the top of the food preference list for many wildlife species. They ripen early and are very low in tannin. Some sources say that many trees will have acorns that humans can eat without leaching.
· I love this species and have noticed a few acorns in past years on some that I’ve passed by at the edge of the planting. Note – in the past I have not ventured out into the planting in the fall, because it is a sanctuary area.
· Does best in well-drained soil and adapts to many different soil types. Will grow well in higher PH soils than most other oaks.
· The chinkapin oak is also commonly referred to as a yellow chestnut oak, rock oak or yellow oak.
· The bark is very distinctive and has a yellow cast.
· Many leaves hang on through the winter, but not like Sawtooths.
· Hardiness Zones 4–7
· This is a very easy tree for me to ID – even in the winter. The bark and leaves are very distinct. The leaves resemble Swamp Chestnut Oak but they are much smaller.
· Starts greening up very quickly in spring.
Here is the USDA link:
Quercus muehlenbergii Engelm (usda.gov)
This is a nice one at the edge of the planting at a dry location. As you can see, it has outgrown the white pine next to it that was planted about the same time.
Here is another nice one near the one above. This tree is large and beautiful. This may be the one I remember seeing acorns on.
This picture shows the new emerging leaves and the bark. These leaves will look very similar when mature, just larger.
This is about average for the better trees:
This is a Chinkapin Oak surrounded by 6 Pin Oaks. One of the Pin Oaks is smaller than the CO, but another one is exceptionally larger. The other 4 are only slightly larger than the CO. You can see two of the Pin Oaks in the background and the CO in the foreground.
That’s about it guys except for one more thing – pretty sure that I’ve found some Dwarf Chinkapin Oaks (Quercus prinoides). I’ve been researching how to distinguish them from Q muehlenbergii, and when the leaves mature, I will report back on this - but let me know if you have any special keys on telling them apart other than size.
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Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
In a few weeks when the leaves fully mature, we will get some new pictures of all the species covered to date.
weekender21
Well-Known Member
Did you cage these trees initially? I want to plant some oaks this fall that the kids helped grow but I’m not optimistic they’ll make it without a cage or tube.
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Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
I didn’t but in high deer density areas you would likely have too. When I started my habitat work we had very few deer. That has now changed. Cages are now required.
Kurt
Active Member
NH, is there any ground prep necessary leading up to planting? These seem to have had great success for you and if you have any type of directions for leading up to and then planting I would love to hear about it. Never planted little trees like this. I'll plan on tree tubes, stakes, and wire cages around them though to try and keep the deer and rabbits away. Enjoying the thread and thank you.
George
Well-Known Member
In Michigan I was successful growing a woods of pine, spruce, aspen, and oaks from bare root stock from Coldstream Farm. I basically had to stand there with a back pack sprayer of repellant. I used hinder.
I then went to Iowa and figured with so fewer deer I would have great success and the first two years I planted 3000 bare roots from Coldstream Farm and the deer mowed everything to ground level. A complete failure so I started running fire over my fields. Turns out after being browsed to nothing and followed up with burns my oak plantation kept sprouting back up so I caged them. In about 4 years time I now had 7-8 foot oaks growing many of them bur oaks with big ass acorns. They had spent 2-3 years growing root systems so I had bur oak acorns in 7-8 years.
I plant my bare roots with an 18" metal spade shovel carefully feeding the root system down in with a wood stick with a Y shaped end. That's it.
I never had deer bother spruce much in Michigan other than rubbing them to pieces but not eating them. In Michigan I was able to keep deer from rubbing all trees by smearing some Irish Spring soap on the trunk at rub level. But in Iowa that did not work the deer ate and rubbed everything so anything that I wanted to grow had to be surrounded by a fortress.
G
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Kurt, it was a fescue field and we sprayed the rows where the trees would be planted. I mowed between rows for as many years as possible and hand cut competition within rows. Not much done initially but I have lots of sweat equity in over the years. I’ve killed a blue million sweet gums and other junk trees.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Consider the following:
1. My trees came from a nursery that mass produces seedlings. When you get trees from a place like that, anything is possible. The fact that I have already found other species that I didn't order leads me to believe that they could also have mixed in a few DCOs.
2. The preferred soil characteristics versus the tolerated soil characteristics for many oaks are very different. Both CO and DCO would certainly grow in my ground.
3. I have only found a very few trees that I suspect could be DCO. All of them are in places where they would not be shaded out by taller species and they are very small for their age. One is a 2 inch DBH tree that is 29 feet from an 8 inch DBH CO - and the smaller tree actually get more sunlight than the taller one. It may not be a DCO, but I "suspect" it could be. I've been researching and feel the once the leaves come out I will be able to tell...........
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Well, the freeze burned the leaves on a bunch of the oaks, so I'm going to wait a few weeks before moving on to looking at more of them. Most of the ones left are in the Red Oak Family, and those are a little tougher to ID without mature leaves.
Stay tuned and we will be back to looking at more species before too long.
Stay tuned and we will be back to looking at more species before too long.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Here’s a seven year old, fifteen foot DCO for comparison purposes. Notice the bushy nature of the tree. I was reading through the thread and thought I’d post a pic of one.
Thanks for posting that picture. The ones I suspect of being DCO are not as bushy and taking on more of a central leader form. They are more like a Chinkapin Oak except much smaller. When the leaves mature on my trees I think we can figure it out.
mattpatt
Well-Known Member
No idea how tall DCO are supposed to be when they mature. Obviously that one is still growing as it’s still a young tree. I have two more planted close by but not near that big. As posted previously, you’ll be able to tell for certain this fall when the acorns fall as they are a very distinct dark brown color almost black. There’s no mistaking a DCO acorn. That is if you can beat all the varmints to them. I usually have to hand pick mine before they turn or they start disappearing and I won’t get any to grow for the following year. I think I got five last year.
Matt
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Matt
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Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
That's good info on the acorns. I hope our recent freeze didn't hurt the acorn crop this year.
shedder
Active Member
What is your soil ph there?
You likely said before but I forget.
Is the soil for it in KS and MO acid where it grows? I don't think of those states as being acidic.
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shedder
Active Member
Yes, Haig Brown was and is considered a great nature author. He is most famous for his fishing books.
mattpatt
Well-Known Member
I’m in NE Texas. No acidic soil here. They should grow fine in KS and MO.
Matt
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