Oak?

[wbrent]

Trying to identify whether i have some sort of oak tress growing. I am in Southern New Brunswick  Canada on a hundred acres or so of mixed wood. I mistakenly had a lot of the softwood taken out about four or five years ago. I still havent recovered from what the trauma of it all. But I digress. I am trying to make right by turning the lot back to what I think the Acadian forest should look like. I have a good mix of several different hard and soft wood trees. Very few oaks though.  A few red oaks that are doing well, but few and far between. When I see a little sprout growing up I try to mark it and go back keep stuff cleared around it. A few ive put some wire around to keep the deer away. This fall Ive found several trees and seedlings that look like oak to me but with bigger rounder leaves. Im gonna try my best to upload some pictures and see if you can help me identify them. If they are oak, what is the criteria for me digging them up to transplant them to better spots? Doable or better to try and clear trees around them to let some light in?

 

 

 

[Ljohnsaw]

I have little oaks sprouting from the tons of acorns dropped in my driveway every year.  The little 2-3" tall sprouts have an amazing tap root that is a foot long or more.  I don't think what you have would fair well with transplanting.  Any chance of gathering acorns and poking them in the ground where you want something to grow?  Stick a half dozen or so in each spot and cull after they germinate.  What are those other trees?  Aspen or poplar?

[wbrent]

Thanks. I have started plunking acorns in the ground as of last year and will continue to do so. The second picture shows an oak surrounded by a mixture of aspen and white ash. 

[kantuckid]

Me thinks you need a forester's knowledge. Combined with your willingness to improve your plot, it's win, win idea.

[Al_Smith]

Within the last several months I bought 5 acres of adjoining woods that probably looks much like Ohio  was in the war of 1812 .There must be 30 or 40 large mostly veneer  grade 100 foot  white oaks .However because the canopies are so full I think sunlight cannot get through to the ground .As such there are very few rising oak saplings .Having said that since the EAB killed all the ash there are many taking root from spaces opened up from the dead trees .Given enough time those most likely in100 years could recover .Until a few large oaks are on the ground it's not likely many acorns will produce oaks .Mother nature will take care of that as it always has .  

[Al_Smith]

I might add the squirrels are good tree planters .Every spring time I find oaks, hickory's and walnuts sprouting from my flower beds and raised  bed gardens .These are not like common weeds because you can hardly pull them out .

[Clark]

I'm not sure what volume of seedlings you are dealing with but there are options. Simply clearing any competing saplings (aspen and white ash in your picture) with 6' of the oak stems will help. As the tree grows up to 5" diameter you could clear out further. 

The other option, especially if you have reimbursement programs, and you are dealing with several hundred (and not thousand) seedlings is to put 4-6' tall tubes on each seedling. It's not cheap but the seedlings will respond with significant growth in the next 1-3 years. It can really give them the push they need to compete with other faster growing trees.

Clark

[Blue Noser]

Those are red oaks. 

I'd leave them where they sprouted and try to provide growing space for them.