I would really appreciate advice on planting oaks

[Native Hunter]

I think introducing the new oak species is a good idea as long as the soil conditions are correct for the species. It gives you a better chance of having at least some acorns in any given year. Acorn production is greatly influenced by weather conditions when pollination is occurring. Having more species ups your chances. Also, I have found that the SCOs that I introduced are more reliable acorn producers than any of the other oaks that are on my land.

 

[Teeder]

I like your plan and I'm a big fan of tree tubes for oaks. I actually enjoy the maintenance involved.
One comment: SCO has something in it's roots that suppresses/ kills off other competitors. I don't know if it will bother your Nuttalls if planted together or not. I have 2 that I planted 20 years ago ( up out of its native range) and there's nothing growing under them, other than moss.
You may want to keep the SCO's together.

What other oaks are on your place?

 

[Angus 1895]

What maintenance of tubes is required?

I am into my second year of them.

They were still dormant before I left for a road trip of work.

I will be getting home next week!

 

[Angus 1895]

I like your plan and I'm a big fan of tree tubes for oaks. I actually enjoy the maintenance involved.
One comment: SCO has something in it's roots that suppresses/ kills off other competitors. I don't know if it will bother your Nuttalls if planted together or not. I have 2 that I planted 20 years ago ( up out of its native range) and there's nothing growing under them, other than moss.
You may want to keep the SCO's together.

What other oaks are on your place?

Do regular chestnut oak have this propensity ?

I hopefully have some from Minnesota to plant when I get home.

 

[Teeder]

What maintenance of tubes is required?

I am into my second year of them.

They were still dormant before I left for a road trip of work.

I will be getting home next week!

Just keeping them cleaned out plus trimming any unwanted branches.

 

[KY wild]

This property has these oaks, white, chinquapin, black, northern red, southern red, shingle, scarlet and cherry bark.

The maintenance I find needed for tree tubes is pretty minimal. My tubes are transparent enough to tell If getting weedy inside, since tube is a greenhouse weeds will grow faster inside like the tree. So If I see weeds I remove them, probably once or twice a summer. Then in dormant season I like to pull up tube and cut off all limbs in tube leaving just a central leader, I only want branching above tube. I also spray around the tube 2 to 3 times a year with herbicide since I do not use weed mats. That is about it for maintenance. I like to use 1/2 pvc Schedule 40 for a stake, the reason being they allow the seedling to blow in the wind and stay tough. I don't know if trees necessarily grow faster but I do know my success rate is much higher.

I did not know this about SCO, thanks for info

 

[Teeder]

Do regular chestnut oak have this propensity ?

I hopefully have some from Minnesota to plant when I get home.

No.
It may only be understory that the SCO affects.

 

[Belo]

I would actually over plant the areas you are wanting to plant for food and cover. I'm not sure what other people are getting for their trees, but my bare root oaks are probably only at about 70% success until they are no longer needing a tube. I would also push for more diversity in the trees that you were planting. The woods will be better for it.

I think I would second this, while I'm not familiar with your your neck of the woods, why not sprinkle in some chestnuts, persimmons, maybe a cluster of apples and pears for shits and giggles. And even a few red oaks.

I think diversity is best.

 

[b116757]

SCO and Nuttall at least for me transplant well and thrive so I like those oak tree choices. I wouldn’t worry about stumps dibbling in a couple hundred seedling trees isn’t a big deal tubing them will take more time than planting. Personally I like 1/2” rebar for stakes the best but 3/8” will work get the pro tubes not the miracle tubes. Being able to open the tube after the tree over grows the tube top alone is worth the extra effort to assemble the tubes and shipping is cheaper. I would spray the spots where the trees are to be planted the fall before with round up not the entire 4 acres just where u intend to plant each tree.

 

[Tree Spud]

This property has these oaks, white, chinquapin, black, northern red, southern red, shingle, scarlet and cherry bark.

The maintenance I find needed for tree tubes is pretty minimal. My tubes are transparent enough to tell If getting weedy inside, since tube is a greenhouse weeds will grow faster inside like the tree. So If I see weeds I remove them, probably once or twice a summer. Then in dormant season I like to pull up tube and cut off all limbs in tube leaving just a central leader, I only want branching above tube. I also spray around the tube 2 to 3 times a year with herbicide since I do not use weed mats. That is about it for maintenance. I like to use 1/2 pvc Schedule 40 for a stake, the reason being they allow the seedling to blow in the wind and stay tough. I don't know if trees necessarily grow faster but I do know my success rate is much higher.

I did not know this about SCO, thanks for info

Tubes will accelerate vertical growth. In a tube, oaks will not develop the fibrous sturdy trunk they require. Even pvc piping will not allow for wind born resistance.

Remember the adage ... seep, creep, leap. Fast growing above ground can come at the expense of root development. Based on experience, tubes may be fine for 1st year, but you need to remove tube and cage them to allow for them to develop proper root structure and stem strength.

 

[Teeder]

Being able to open the tube after the tree over grows the tube top alone is worth the extra effort to assemble the tubes and shipping is cheaper.

Agree 100%

 

[rocksnstumps]

Tubes will accelerate vertical growth. In a tube, oaks will not develop the fibrous sturdy trunk they require. Even pvc piping will not allow for wind born resistance.

Remember the adage ... seep, creep, leap. Fast growing above ground can come at the expense of root development. Based on experience, tubes may be fine for 1st year, but you need to remove tube and cage them to allow for them to develop proper root structure and stem strength.

Or you need to restake them so tube is not rigidly held. Best with two stakes IMO with some line between like how I see trees planted on city streets. I never see cages in town on streets. Never.

But doing this for two decades I have plenty of spare stakes and tubes besides to add or replace as needed. YMMV

Edit: cages work, just not a requirement. And if I already have a tube and a stake, adding a second stake and a bit of cord is cheaper than removing tube and adding a big cage

 

[Tree Spud]

Or you need to restake them so tube is not rigidly held. Best with two stakes IMO with some line between like how I see trees planted on city streets. I never see cages in town on streets. Never.

But doing this for two decades I have plenty of spare stakes and tubes besides to add or replace as needed. YMMV

Edit: cages work, just not a requirement. And if I already have a tube and a stake, adding a second stake and a bit of cord is cheaper than removing tube and adding a big cage

Yes, there are many ways to do. Tubes will never allow for the full stem movement that allows the steam to develop that fibrous resistance structure. The tube will also keep the tree moist.

 

[Teeder]

I've been using tubes for close to 25 years or more. Early on, i also fertilized my oaks, but soon discovered they grew way too fast and became whippy and weak, especially red varieties and sawtooth. My white oak varieties haven't had this problem. Generally, they do "sleep, creep, leap". It's unusual for them to be out of the top of a 5' tube until the 3rd year. I keep them staked until they get to be about 1" to 1-1/4" in diameter, then I remove the stake and cut the tube down to about 4'. This gives them a little support, but plenty of movement. I started out caging trees, for oaks I'll take tubes any day. Here are a few with the stake removed and one that wasn't quite big enough at the time of the picture.

 

[Angus 1895]

Or you need to restake them so tube is not rigidly held. Best with two stakes IMO with some line between like how I see trees planted on city streets. I never see cages in town on streets. Never.

But doing this for two decades I have plenty of spare stakes and tubes besides to add or replace as needed. YMMV

Edit: cages work, just not a requirement. And if I already have a tube and a stake, adding a second stake and a bit of cord is cheaper than removing tube and adding a big cage

Cages are essential if u be grazing cattle !

Unless u electrify the tubes!

 

[Angus 1895]

I've been using tubes for close to 25 years or more. Early on, i also fertilized my oaks, but soon discovered they grew way too fast and became whippy and weak, especially red varieties and sawtooth. My white oak varieties haven't had this problem. Generally, they do "sleep, creep, leap". It's unusual for them to be out of the top of a 5' tube until the 3rd year. I keep them staked until they get to be about 1" to 1-1/4" in diameter, then I remove the stake and cut the tube down to about 4'. This gives them a little support, but plenty of movement. I started out caging trees, for oaks I'll take tubes any day. Here are a few with the stake removed and one that wasn't quite big enough at the time of the picture.

How old are these awesome looking trees?

 

[Angus 1895]

Yes, there are many ways to do. Tubes will never allow for the full stem movement that allows the steam to develop that fibrous resistance structure. The tube will also keep the tree moist.

U cannot believe the enormous growth benefit of tubes. Alfalfa or grass that erupts inside the tube will easily be twice as big as the plants next to it outside the tube.

 

[Ikeman]

I am going the route of a dibble bar and freshly harvested acorns spread over several years… it only costs me time, and if I end up with a 2-3% success rate, I reach my savannah density goals.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Teeder]

How old are these awesome looking trees?

5-10, depending which one you're looking at, but I haven't kept track.

 

[Tree Spud]

U cannot believe the enormous growth benefit of tubes. Alfalfa or grass that erupts inside the tube will easily be twice as big as the plants next to it outside the tube.

I fully understand it as I have planted over 1000 trees in tubes. I have planted over 25k-30k trees the last 25 years so I have seen & tried many different approaches. The growth in the tube comes at a cost, loss of proper stem fiber structure development. It's not about top growth that is important, it is about good root development the first couple years.

You could say I have been there and got that t-shirt

I will consider using tubes the first year to be able to spray and kill competing plants. I am not saying no to tubes, just making sure the OP understands the downside to them also.