Planting rules of red oak

There are more than 600 species of oaks in the world - in this article we will get acquainted with such an exotic plant as red oak: or rather, with its description, the subtleties of planting seedlings and caring for this tree.

Red oak tree

In the wild, this representative kind of grows in the north of the United States and southern Canada. Such a tree grows to a height of 30 m, and its crown is tent-like and dense. The trunk is covered with smooth grayish bark; in old plants, the bark cracks.

The leaves, when bloomed, have a reddish tinge, and then become dark green. In autumn, the leaves turn red, for which this oak is called red or red-leaved. Fruits on the tree appear no earlier than 15 years. Acorns are brown-red, resemble a ball in shape, and their length is about 2 cm.

Features of growing

Red oak tree tolerates frosts, likes lightbut can also grow in partial shade. Due to its deep root system, it is windproof. The soil fertility is particularly undemanding, it does not tolerate excessively wet soil and land with a high content of limestone.

Location selection

When choosing a place for planting red oak, it is very important to consider its large size, which it will acquire in the future, so you need to leave enough space for the plant to develop fully. This plant prefers very bright places, but can easily grow in shingles.

Despite the splendor of the crown, the tree tolerates strong, heavy winds very well. Due to the deep root system, the oak is firmly fixed in the ground - this allows you to plant it in the open areas with confidence and not be afraid that the tree will be turned upside down during a hurricane.

Soil requirements

Regarding the soil, this variety is picky. It will grow well in any soil - even where acidity is elevated. The plant is detrimental to the overwetted and limestone soils. When landing the mixture for sleeping pits should be done in the following way:

• 2 parts of turf soil;
• 1 part sheet;
• 2 pieces of sand;
• 1 part peat.

Technology and scheme of planting seedlings

Planting oak seedlings is very simple, and even amateur gardener can handle it. Planting a tree is best in early spring, before the leaves appear. It will be useful to plant several shrubs around the seedling, which will protect it from the wind in the early stages of the life of the tree, and it also helps to accelerate growth.

Selection of seedlings

As a rule, oak from acorn propagates, but sapling can be obtained by cutting from young specimens. Yet the best option would be to purchase a sapling from the nursery.

When buying a sapling, pay attention to the fact that the roots were covered with earth: if you destroy the earthen room, it will be almost impossible to grow the plant. This is explained by the fact that there are special myceliums in the ground that interact with the roots and are vital for the plant, which is why it is necessary to preserve the earthen seedlings when transplanting to a new place.

Landing

A small hole is dug out for planting a seedling in the ground, and a drainage thickness of 10 to 20 cm is surely placed on its bottom, since the plant does not tolerate stagnant water. The red oak root is straight, resembles a rod, is placed in a hole so that the acorn, the remains of which are present at the root, are at a depth of 2 to 4 cm.

Gardeners do not recommend adding ash when planting. Watering the seedling after planting should be for a week, while not flooding it.

Oak care

Red oak is drought tolerant, but still needs some watering. Young trees during a drought need to be watered every three days. Loosening the soil around the plant should be done after each watering to a depth of a quarter of a meter so that the earth is saturated with oxygen and there are fewer weeds.

Mulch the soil should be sawdust or peat, the layer of mulch should be about 10 cm. The cutting of the tree is carried out in the spring, only dry damaged branches should be removed.

When preparing a young tree for winter, it is recommended to wrap it with a thick cloth to protect it from frost - adult trees do not need such a procedure.

Major plant diseases and pests

Red oak is considered pretty resistant to diseases and pests, but there may be problems with powdery mildew, oak leafworm, moth moth, branch and trunk death. On young trees often appear cracks from frostbite, such cracks should be immediately treated with antiseptic and garden pitch.

Prevention of powdery mildew can be spraying the plant tincture of Kombucha in the proportion of 0.5 liters of infusion per 10 liters of water. Also, to avoid this disease, the plant should be planted in a place with good lighting and ventilation.

Red oak has a very spectacular view, for which he received great love among gardeners. Growing such a plant is not at all a difficult process that everyone can do: special care for a tree is needed only when it is young and the adult tree needs almost no care.