Quercus garryana Oregon White Oak Seedlings
Have you ever gotten up close to a white oak? What a profusion of life! I'll bet that you can find a dozen other plants living on the quercus garryana (at a minimum) - the Oregon white oak seems to handle sharing well.
The Quercus garryana will make you one large, beautiful tree, although it will take its time getting up to size - they can grow to be 80 feet high and 60 feet wide, or bigger. Our acorns are collected in the fall and planted immediately. The tap root forms quickly - we air-prune ours for healthy roots.
These roots are needed to support the tree thru the long, hot summer it loves. Although the young trees need their water, don't overwater during the summer as this will cause disease. Grow your new tree in a rocky/clay soil in a moderate climate (zone 7-9) - around here we have few winter freezes.
Beware pests - deer, bears, squirrels, mice, rabbits, foxes, raccoons, turkeys, quail, blue jays and woodpeckers (did I miss any?) will eat your young oak all up. Protect your seedling and young trees with plastic or metal wire screen cages until the trees are four feet tall.
Be patient as your tree gets up to size. The oak can grow to be 600 years old - so, it thinks that it has plenty of time. See if you can take a woodland savanna walk thru a forest of ancient oak trees - it'll give you a preview.
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