Swamp Hybrid Bur Oaks

[wiscwhip]

My father sold his place a few years back, so no pics of the 6 we planted there. They were thriving in Zone 4b when we left the place, so I can only assume they are doing well for the new owner. I have also helped planted them on a few buddies properties after I convinced them they would produce in about half the time it takes a white oak. I actively seek them out on the public ground I frequent, so I can mark them and possibly get acorns to get more going some day. I know of one tree that was planted 3 years ago in a county park as a large rootball tree, it was already about 15'+ tall when planted and it threw a small crop of acorns the second fall it was in the ground! I think it would have produced the first year if it were not for the transplant shock that first year. Damn tree rats(or another habitat junkie maybe) beat me to them last year or I would have collected acorns and either gave them away or tried to start a few trees to give away to some of the more local forum guys near me, but the tree was picked clean when I checked it. I have found a new "grove" of regular SWO's that are literally growing with roots in the water that are looking like they will produce a nice crop this year as well, I might try to gather some of those acorns this fall. I should be safe there, they are off the beaten path and not in the open picnic area of the park.

 

[nrthwi]

I got a couple 5 footers from johnsons nursery and they had a few acorns growing already the next sping.

 

[bwoods11]

Maya--nice looking hybrids. I would say they are currently my favorite tree. I've planted the swamp bur hybrid from Kelly Tree farm with good success.

Minnesota primarily, I'm going to plant 50 in Iowa next spring. The grow fast and fill out.

I have a picture somewhere of one in MN with a few acorns, I'm guessing 6-7 years old.

 

[Maya]

Maya--nice looking hybrids. I would say they are currently my favorite tree. I've planted the swamp bur hybrid from Kelly Tree farm with good success.

Minnesota primarily, I'm going to plant 50 in Iowa next spring. The grow fast and fill out.

I have a picture somewhere of one in MN with a few acorns, I'm guessing 6-7 years old.

Good, post them bwood, I'd like to see them. Sounds like they are doing the same as mine.

 

[bwoods11]

The hybrids don't look as big as yours in the picture, I'll run down to my farm and get an updated picture. I am thinking they will do great in Southern Iowa.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Do any of the places you guys have bought these oaks from ship trees? Burr oak are the only native oaks where I live, I have heard that the swamp might grow here if planted so the hybrid sounds like a viable option to try.

 

[bwoods11]

I've bought and had them shipped from Kelly Tree Farm in Iowa.

 

[nrthwi]

Kelly Tree Farm is the only place ive had them shipped from.

 

[bwoods11]

I'm going to do a little experiment on my Iowa farm. Plant 25-50 Swamp White Oak and Swamp Bur Oak Hybrids in the same area....

Cage/protect with mat. Then watch the progress to see if the hybrids grow any faster or produce quicker. Either way, it will draw deer to the area when they start producing acorns.

*I should get almost twice the growth on my good soils in Iowa as I do on the good soils on my farm in MN.

 

[Spiider]

Good thread, I love the hybrids! I planted 7 of the Schuettes, Burgambel and Burenglish. They were around 6" and now are around 6' tall in 5' tree tubes. This is their 3rd year, planted in Spring of 2013.

 

[Eggman]

Has anyone planted these in the southeast? North Carolina?

 

[Maya]

I'm going to do a little experiment on my Iowa farm. Plant 25-50 Swamp White Oak and Swamp Bur Oak Hybrids in the same area....

Cage/protect with mat. Then watch the progress to see if the hybrids grow any faster or produce quicker. Either way, it will draw deer to the area when they start producing acorns.

*I should get almost twice the growth on my good soils in Iowa as I do on the good soils on my farm in MN.

I bought a bunch of SWO's at the same time bwood, they have not done near as well, but they are not planted in a mowed area, like these hybrids. They are on field edges in tall grass.

 

[bwoods11]

Here is a swamp bur oak hybrid that is 4 or 5 years old.

The cage is temporary

 

[bwoods11]

Acorns off a swamp bur oak I planted in 2010, or 2011?

Very controlled setting where I can mow and water. Still very impressive

 

[OakSeeds]

Tree in first photo (one with truck w door open) has an excellent shape; really like line of trees on right side of photo (the ones with what appears to be little "dots" on them - nice apples!)

 

[scott44]

Maybe this is a swamp bur that I found on our north fenceline.

 

[wiscwhip]

I'm guessing you might be correct, the acorns look correct and leaves are very close as well. It is not uncommon at all to expect to see slight variances in leaf shape and bark form among any of the oak hybrids.

 

[rocksnstumps]

I don't have any hybrids, but have had several bur oaks start to bear acorns at a young age after 6 years. Based on that would think that bur hybrids would be a really good tree for early production chances. I thought they might be hybrids but foresters on another forum looking at pics said no, just some burs do acorns early compared to white or northern red oak. I have one that is a very slow grower but started having acorns when the trunk was about the size of my thumb.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Took a pic of the little burr oak with acorns today. Not sure why this one is so short but would guess the roots might be hitting a big rock not far below the surface. This tree is about 10 yrs old and was pleased to note that 7 out of 8 burrs from this planting had acorns now. Not hybrids but these trees were tubed and babied from the start, with tubes pulled every spring to remove old leaves and trim to central leader under 6 ft or so. I also noted 1 out of 10 white oaks had acorns for the first time this year (also 10th summer). Just goes to show that even without hybrids, you can get some early production started if you stack the odds in your favor, full sun, soil well suited for the type of trees (sandy loam in this case), and lavish some attention on them for at least the first 5 yrs or so.


In the background you can see some red oaks, they have been growing nice and tall but no production out of those yet.

These trees were all bareroots from a local chapter of the NWTF so not sure what source they used back than. For the southern guys this is probably nothing too unusual but I'll take it for up here in WI.

 

[Lee Haakenson]

Planted 110 swamp bur oaks from Kelly Tree Farm this spring in a low moist area. I used blue-x tubes leftover from a vineyard establishment. I tested a few in very wet muddy soil but no standing water. I did a count this fall and about 95 had signs if life. The ones that died were likely from the wet ground, tipped over tubes, or poor stock. Year one is of course root establishment and it will be interesting to see what next year brings.

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