Old tree of life. (Oak)

Member Name: andycharger

Product:	Oak
Date:	29/03/01 (240 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lovely specimen trees

Disadvantages: slow growing

I did not even realise this section was here until stumbling across someone elses opinion (sorry Zebra).
This is great as it allows me to share my vast plant knowledge with you all.
I studied for an HND in Amenity horticulture between 1992 and 1995 at Writtle College in Chelmsford and the majority of the course comprised of plant idents and studies.
I can therefore share many of the things about plants that may interest you.

Firstly, I will discuss the oak.
The Oak tree comes in many varieties and types throughout the world and is not confined to the tree we all know in this country, the Common English Oak.
The Latin for Oak is Quercus. It is found on most continents and widely distributed throughout Europe.
They are extremely slow growing trees and take hundreds of years to reach full maturity.
Oak trees are famous for their lobed leaves, fruits of Acorns and their strong hardy woods. They have been used by carpenters and woodsmen the world over for centuries.
They tend to be very slow growing trees but can obtain a massive size. These provide excellent habitats for a variety of birds, insects and wildlife. It makes a great shelter with its huge canopy.
Being deciduous, it loses its leaves in Winter and has very twisted and deeply grooved bark.
A famous site on the landscapes of Britain for many years has been the large Common Oak.
Rumours surround some of the very anchient trees that lives stretch back for centuries. There are certain trees stretching back to the days of the alleged Robin Hood times.

Varieties
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The many varieties include:

Quercus Robur, Common English Oak.
(Already discussed)
Has very rounded ends to its lobed leaves and grows to a huge size.

Quercus Rubra, Scarlet Oak.
Not as big as the Common oak but grows quicker. The leaves are red in Autumn but a Green colour most of the year with very jagged lobed leaves.

Quercus Palustris

Even more defined and pointed lobes on the leaves and has an unusual layout of branches.
The bottom branches droop, the middles ones are horizontal and the top ones point straight up.

Quercus Alba
A smaller oak with very rounded leaves.
It is lighter in colour than most oaks and has smaller acorns. Used mainly as a specimen oak.


Diseases
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Diseases and pests are not normally a pest to these hardy trees but here are a couple ot be aware of.

Anthracnose
this is a fungal disease that can be treated in young trees.
It appears as brown patches on the leaves
giving them a burnt look.

Wetwood
Caused by bacteria it gives a slimy look to the wood. The back becomes discoloured and the tree can die.

Oak Pest or Wilt
Deadly to your trees if they get this. Its a fungal infection that destroys many of the specimen type oack such as the Scarlet oak.
Only cure is to remove the tree to prevent disease spreading.

I hope that has been an informative guide to oaks.
As I get time I will write more.

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