Re: those darn acorns!
- To: m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Re: those darn acorns!
- From: d* f*
- Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 10:23:57 -0800 (PST)
This same principle is now the method of choice for
regenerating oak woodlands here in California,
especially where they have been lost to construction
and planning approval of construction mandates
mitigation. It has been proven that facilitating
natural self seeding is actually more successful long
term than planting out nursery grown specimens. This
method works especially well for Quercus agrifolia, Q.
douglasii and Q. lobata. Mulch utilizes any healthy
trees which might have been removed or trimmed as part
of construction, and all debris is shredded by a
chipper, and then applied as a 6 to 12" depth all
around the perimeter of the existing tree canopy. The
soil around these oaks is usually also fenced off
during construction, to minimize root compaction. It
has been found that allowing direct self seeding will
get more, healthier and quicker growth than planting
out 5 or 15 gallon size nursery grown trees. There is
also an incredible mortality rate to young seedling
oaks, as they are very attractive to rodents in
particular.
Richard's suggestion for sorting seeds from leaf with
a power mower is a good one. It is also somewhat
reassuring that at the same time we are having
problems with Sudden Oak death in Marin County and
elsewhere, the trees abilities to propagate seem to
indicate this year as being a good one, at least in a
well mulched Fairfax garden! I have a similar
nuisance with squirrels and walnut trees appearing all
over the garden. If people aren't vigilant, they show
up all over the neighborhood here in Berkeley.
--- "Richard F. Dufresne" <salvia@infi.net> wrote:
> At 09:23 PM 2/21/2001 +0000, you wrote:
> > Is anyone else going crazy with this problem?
> All of
> >the hundreds of Oak acorns, if that's what they're
> >called, that made into my nice piles of aging oak
> >leaves, AKA compost pile, are sprouting like crazy.
> I've
> >spent hours sitting out there in the yard, hand
> sifting,
> >and trying to pull them out, and it's phenomenal. I
> mean
> >nature kinda went overboard on this one, IMHO. I
> mean,
> >how many Oak trees does one need? What is the
> point?
> >Something is wrong with this picture. I'm afraid
> I'm
> >going to just have to go through all the flower
> beds
> >where I carefully laid in a nice 6 inch layer of
> Oak
> >leaves, which are now rotting beautifully, crawling
> with
> >worms, and strip it out to get rid of these
> infernal
> >sprouting oaks. (!!)
> >Any ideas, oh brilliant ones?
>
> None. I have the same problem, having laid in a
> raised bed of sandy loam
> under some oaks.
>
> You will be able to avoid the problem by shredding
> the leaves with a lawn
> mower and using the air discharge to blow away the
> much lighter leaf shreds
> from the acorns. Do the rest of the sorting with a
> lawn rake, and you will
> get rid of most of the acorns or damage them enough
> to turn them into
> compost. And the shredded leaves are easier to
> carry and break down a lot
> faster.
>
> It's more work, but a lot easier than hand pulling
> all the oak seedlings.
> Don't let them get too big, because they quickly put
> out tap roots.
>
>
> Richard F. Dufresne
> 313 Spur Road
> Greensboro, North Carolina 27406 USA
> 336-674-3105
> World of Salvias:
>
http://www.eclectasy.com/gallery_of_salvias/index.htm
> Salvia email list:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Salvia
>
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! http://auctions.yahoo.com/
