Oak is a massive, strong tree; along with other wild trees, it is particularly majestic due to its spreading bushes.
The oak is considered the king of the forest; the tree grows for quite a long time; it will take more than 70 years to see a thick trunk. The peculiarity of such a tree is that for the first few decades it grows in length, after which it grows in thickness.
The roots of the tree grow deep into the ground, and young shoots always grow from the main trunk.
The oak loves sunlight; you can see how on the most illuminated edges of the pine forest an oak tree grows and stretches into the heights. Oak tolerates drought well, tolerates frosty winters, and also grows in any soil.
Acorns can be collected 14 years after planting the tree, but if the oak tree grows in an open, sunny place, the fruits ripen much earlier. To get a tree, you need to plant an acorn in the ground.
In Russia, certain varieties of oak trees are planted, namely pedunculate or summer oak. The wood of such a tree is considered strong and is suitable for building houses and furniture.
Oak panels are often used in the construction of ships and yachts, as they are resistant to pests. Bottle stoppers are made from oak bark; cork oak is specially grown for this purpose.
Acorns are fed to pigs, and certain varieties are planted in parks as ornamental plants.Oak bark is widely used in medicine to treat diseases of the oral cavity, throat, and is included in herbal collections that help with inflammation, some skin diseases, and burns.
Chestnut-leaved oak has unusually beautifully shaped leaves; they are collected for the herbarium in September.
How to grow oak?
To plant an oak tree, the acorn must be fresh; from this harvest, dry fruits most likely will not sprout. Acorns are planted in the ground at the end of September before frost or in the spring after it.
It is recommended to add special fertilizers to the soil to prevent pests from appearing in the soil. When planted, oak fruits are often eaten by rodents underground, as a result of which the seed is lost.
To plant acorns in the ground in the spring, they must be stored properly throughout the winter. The temperature should be 0 degrees or slightly higher. The room should be humid, not stuffy. Most often, acorns are stored in the cellar.
In the fall, it is necessary to plant healthy fruits, which should be collected in dry weather and then dried in the window for five days. Before sowing, it is necessary to check the acorns for the presence of pests, worms or insects; it is enough to open several healthy fruits from the general collected heap.
The seeds suitable for planting have yellow seeds inside, the missing fruits inside are usually gray or brown.
You can check the suitability of the seeds for planting by soaking them in water; dead acorns will float to the top.
To plant an oak tree on your site, you need to mark the planting site before planting, namely, make long grooves 30 cm apart. The acorns are laid out in furrows at a distance of 10 cm from each other, after which they are covered with earth.
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The tree takes quite a long time to sprout; it will take time to see the first shoots, about two months. First, the root grows into the ground, strengthens, and then growth occurs on the stem itself.
It is recommended to plant the tree in the spring, since in the autumn the tree may sprout in unfavorable weather. Don’t be upset if after three weeks you don’t see shoots, give the seeds time; the rate of germination largely depends on the variety, the time of planting, and also on the soil.
You can dig up the ground a little, if the seeds sprout, then everything is in order.
Planting an oak tree, as you can see, is not a complicated process; the main rule for a good harvest is to find healthy, full-fledged fruits.
What happens to the oak tree in the fall? 2 Determine the type of oak by its foliage
- 1
Learn to identify oak leaves. Look at the pattern of oak leaves - it has blades and indentations between them.
- The leaf blades are rounded with pointed projections that give the leaf its shape. These blades can be compared to fingers. Different types of oak may have either pointed or rounded lobes. Red oaks tend to have sharp lobes. And white oaks have rounded ones.
- Between each blade there are indentations that highlight these blades. The recesses can be wide and narrow, deep and shallow.
2
Look at the sheet carefully. The shape of leaves from one oak tree to another may differ. You may need to look at several leaves from different oak trees to make your classification.
- If you cannot determine the species by the leaves, pay attention to the acorns, bark, and geographic location of the tree.
- Oak leaves grow in a spiral along the branch, meaning it is rare to see a "flat" branch or branch with parallel leaves, like a palm tree.
- Oak branches usually do not grow in a straight line, and leaves do not grow in the opposite direction from the branch. Imagine looking at a fork with all the tines coming from the same point.
3
Green leaves should be looked for in the summer, red leaves in the fall, and brown leaves in the winter. Most oak leaves remain green throughout the summer, but turn red and brown before they fall.
- Oak is one of the most colorful autumn trees. And this is another reason why oak is so popular. Some oak leaves turn red and pink in early spring, but by summer they turn green again.
- Generally, oak trees shed their leaves late in the season, and young trees retain their brown leaves until spring. They will shed them as soon as new leaves begin to grow.
- Therefore, a tree with dead brown leaves in winter is likely to be an oak. Oak leaves quickly age and turn brown, but they stay on the branch much longer than other leaves. Most often, such leaves can be seen at the base of the oak tree. But on a windy day, leaves can fall off the branch.
4
To distinguish between white and red oak, watch the fall leaves.
- The leaves of white oaks turn reddish-brown as fall approaches, while the leaves of red oaks are characterized by sudden leaf drop. The leaves of red oak are a rich red color, they are very visible against the background of the autumn forest.
- Red oaks are often mistakenly confused with maples. Typically maple leaves change color in early fall, but red oak leaves are still green at this time. You can recognize a maple tree by its large, distinctive leaves.
Pests of oak trees
In the summer, powdery mildew often attacks the tree; the seedlings will not die from this, but will grow slowly. Fungal disease is treated with sulfur.
The tree can dry out due to insects that eat the bark from the inside, as well as the leaves. There are more than 180 species of oak pests, including caterpillars, butterflies, and mice.
What color are oak leaves in autumn? Unpretentious trees and shrubs with beautiful autumn foliage
After the first frost, many trees and shrubs are painted in stunning bright colors! We study the top most beautiful autumn trees and shrubs
See our TOP for 17 of the most beautiful autumn shrubs.
Euonymus winged
A deciduous shrub or small tree, the leaves of which in autumn acquire all shades of red: from carmine red to lilac red, almost purple.
The shrub is winter-hardy and can be planted in single or group plantings. The varieties Compactus and Chicago Fire are especially popular. In addition, European and sacred euonymuses are also prized for their red autumn foliage.
In the photo: 1 Winged euonymus; 2 Euonymus winged Compactus; 3 European euonymus
Red oak
The leaves of the red oak already have a reddish tint when they bloom in the spring, after which they turn green and become bright red in the fall.
Red maple
Several types of maple can boast a beautiful autumn outfit: palm or fan maples, Japanese red and Manchurian maples.
Modern varieties of palmate maple are already covered with dark red leaves in the spring (in the summer, some varieties have green leaves), and in the fall with an orange-reddish tint. In addition, their openwork crown is very beautiful, which acquires a special charm in the rays of the soft autumn sun.
Varieties of palm and Japanese maples are the most whimsical of all the plants presented in this review. For planting, select places protected from the wind, preferably near a pond.
One of the best red maple varieties is the Red Sunset red maple. It turns red earlier than the popular October Glory maple, but is more frost-resistant.
In the photo: 1. Red oak; 2. Fan maple
Large hazel or hazel
The leaves of the Purpurea variety are dark red with a metallic tint when blooming, turn green in the shade in summer, and acquire a rich burgundy hue in the fall.
Mackerel leather
The common mackerel has light green foliage in the summer and yellow-orange or scarlet color in the fall. The popular variety Purpurea has dark red foliage throughout the season, while the red foliage of the Royal Purple variety acquires orange hues in the fall.
Cotoneaster brilliant
The small leaves are pale green in spring, dark green in summer, and purple in autumn. The shrub is also very attractive to designers due to its resistance to pruning and ease of care.
In the photo: 1. Large hazel; 2. Mackerel leather; 3. Cotoneaster brilliant
Spiraea japonica
We can say that spirea is a “bridge” between red and orange autumn flowers. Macrophylla is especially beautiful in autumn. Its large oblong leaves are red when blooming, then yellowish-green, and in the fall - crimson, bright red, pink and orange.
Spiraea japonica Goldflame is a bronze hue in the spring, which gradually turns into a rich yellow, and in the fall turns into the color of pure gold.
Various autumn color options for spirea
Deciduous rhododendrons
Japanese rhododendron and other deciduous species turn bright orange-red in autumn.
Chokeberry or Chokeberry
The leaves of chokeberry are shiny, bright green in summer, and in autumn they acquire different shades - orange, red and purple. In addition, it can greatly extend the overall decorative period of the garden if you leave berries on the bush that do not fall off for a long time.
Common pear
Perhaps in the fall, the pear is one of the most beautiful fruit trees. Its red and orange foliage greatly enhances the fall garden.
Kalina
The three-lobed viburnum variety Spring Red Compact has very beautiful orange-red foliage. Its inner part of the leaf is yellow and the outer part is red, although there are leaves with a uniform red color.
How is oak useful?
Since ancient times, oak has been known for its medicinal properties. Bark, leaves, and fruits are used.
The bark has an astringent effect and is used to treat stomach ulcers, gastritis, and liver disease. Decoctions of oak bark are used in the treatment of gums, namely to reduce their bleeding. Oak is included in various useful ointments and dry preparations.
An infusion of oak acorns helps with skin diseases, burns, bleeding from the stomach, and food poisoning.
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For diarrhea in children, a decoction of oak bark is used, and oak decoction is also used for tonsillitis, uterine tone, and pharyngitis.
If you have allergies, it is recommended to take baths with oak extract. For excessive sweating of the feet, foot baths are also performed.
A cooled decoction of oak bark helps to effectively eliminate burns, frostbite, and relieves pain locally.
