14 inch oak in 15 years

[Native Hunter]

Saw has a 16 inch bar

 

[scott44]

What type of oak?

 

[Native Hunter]

What type of oak?

It's an Overcup and in the White Oak family. The red oaks are growing taller, but the Overcups are putting on more at the ground.

Here is a red oak. This one is close to the size of the Overcup at ground line:

 

[scott44]

If I remember right I planted 25 Overcups from MDC last year, hoprfully in 15yrs mine look that good.

 

[Native Hunter]

If I remember right I planted 25 Overcups from MDC last year, hoprfully in 15yrs mine look that good.

My ground there is on the damp side but never floods. They sure like the good soil moisture.

 

[Rubee]

Native- are those 25 year old trees producing acorns yet?

 

[Rubee]

I mean 15 year

 

[Native Hunter]

I mean 15 year

Yes, many of them are producing acorns. I don't go out in that jungle once the leaves come out, but I have seen lots of acorns on some of the trees around the edges.

 

[Bill]

Yes, many of them are producing acorns. I don't go out in that jungle once the leaves come out, but I have seen lots of acorns on some of the trees around the edges.

I like the hidden message I have no clue what my place looks like after leaf out...

 

[bwoods11]

That’s very interesting. Great to see the oak growth. I’ve been pounding this online (some oaks do grow fast)

 

[Apple Junkie]

Looks like they have full sun too... just what oaks love. Nice to see 'em growin' like weeds!

 

[bwoods11]

Have you tried a Swamp White Oak/Bur Oak hybrid?

 

[Native Hunter]

Have you tried a Swamp White Oak/Bur Oak hybrid?

There are a few Swamp White Oaks scattered here and there. I've not done Bur Hybrids, but I do have several Burs in the 12 acre planting. Below is a recent picture of a Bur. This tree is probably more like 12 or 13 years old. I didn't have Burs in the original planting, but I added a few when we did replacements where trees had died.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Timely topic, had a question.

What spacing due you typically like to leave between new Oak plantings?

Example
North to South row
With no East an West growth restrictions.
Was thinking 25, but could go to 30 if I end up with a better long term result.

 

[Native Hunter]

Timely topic, had a question.

What spacing due you typically like to leave between new Oak plantings?

Example
North to South row
With no East an West growth restrictions.
Was thinking 25, but could go to 30 if I end up with a better long term result.

I went with less than 20 myself, but feel like 25 would have been better. I could have mowed the rows a few more years. If you don't have many unwanted volunteer trees coming up, the mowing isn't all that necessary, but I have had to fight the sweet gums in my planting.

I think 25 - 30 is reasonable, because when the trees mature, they will take up a lot of canopy space. But I do like to crowd them a little within the rows when planting so that it forces them to grow up tall and straight. Over the years, they will thin themselves as the larger, more robust trees shades out the shorter ones.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I went with less than 20 myself, but feel like 25 would have been better. I could have mowed the rows a few more years. If you don't have many unwanted volunteer trees coming up, the mowing isn't all that necessary, but I have had to fight the sweet gums in my planting.

I think 25 - 30 is reasonable, because when the trees mature, they will take up a lot of canopy space. But I do like to crowd them a little within the rows when planting so that it forces them to grow up tall and straight. Over the years, they will thin themselves as the larger, more robust trees shades out the shorter ones.

I guess it depends on your goals but more spacing will produce more acorns. Less spacing in the distant future leads to a canopied woods with no vegetative growth underneath.

I just love the looks of an open growth oak tree though so .....

 

[Native Hunter]

I guess it depends on your goals but more spacing will produce more acorns. Less spacing in the distant future leads to a canopied woods with no vegetative growth underneath.

I just love the looks of an open growth oak tree though so .....

That's true. I love the looks of some of the big native oaks at the edges of the woods - how they spread out and make lots of mast. I've notice that the Overcups really like to spread if given room - much more so than a regular White Oak. Most of the red oaks grow like rockets shooting for the moon.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Closer spacing works if you want tall, straighter tree trunks as Native said. But like S.T.Fanatic said, I too love the looks of an old, weathered, massive oak tree. Very picture-worthy in winter when all leaves are down. We have a couple old monsters at camp and they RAIN acorns.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

On my families homestead farm there are a couple of open grown bur oaks in the yard. By far the biggest oak trees I have ever seen. They span as wide as they are tall and like mentioned above they rain acorns.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

The biggest, most massive tree I've ever laid eyes on was an ancient bur oak in the back yard of a city home. It was taken down a few years ago. That tree was about 5 ft. across at waist level and had limbs that would make many other trees' trunks. I could kick myself for not taking a few pix of it. Too late now. It was a massive, spooky, Halloween-looking tree.

If you have some bur oaks growing, they'll become landmarks for years in the future, and the source of tons of acorns.