Oak

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 15:51

© Ilya Andriyanov / Rusmediabank.ru

Latin name: Quercus Family: Beech Categories: Ornamental trees and shrubs

Oak (Latin Quercus) - an ornamental plant; a genus of trees and shrubs of the Beech family. More than 600 species are currently known. Under natural conditions, oak grows in regions of the Northern Hemisphere with a temperate climate. Some species are also found in the tropical highlands, for example, in the Greater Sunda Islands and Bolivia.

Characteristics of culture

Oak is a tall, powerful deciduous, rarely evergreen tree or shrub with a lush crown. Leaves are leathery, lobed or whole, they are especially decorative. In evergreen species, the leaves persist for several years, in others, they fall off annually.

The flowers are small, simple, poorly developed, both female and male flowers are formed on the same plant. Female flowers are presented in the form of long dangling earrings or small bunches, male flowers are also in the form of erect or long earrings. At the base of the female flowers, scaly leaves are formed, located on a ringed roller, which is a kind of receptacle. The ovary of flowers is three-nested, however, during the ripening of the fruit, it grows together into one nest.

The fruit, an acorn, is a dry single-seeded fruit with a rigid pericarp, enclosed in a kind of cup - a plyus. A plyus is formed when the fruit ripens. In different types of oak, the shape of the scales and the size of the acorns are varied, there are varieties with acorns with turned-back scales.

Oak is a source of valuable wood, surprisingly, but plants live long enough - 300-400 years. By the way, there are known specimens up to 1, 5-2 thousand years old. Oak trees grow in height in the first 100 years, but growth in thickness does not stop throughout life.

Application

Most of the oak species are highly decorative plants. Oaks are used in single and group plantings, to decorate alleys, as well as green areas in combination with deciduous trees, including ash, chestnut, maple and sycamore. Small-leaved stone oaks are used to create hedges in regular gardens. Red oak in group plantings protects against noise and strong winds.

Growing conditions

Oak is a light-loving, frost-resistant and drought-resistant plant. The culture is not demanding to the soil composition, it can grow and develop well even on acidic, saline and dry soils. Waterlogging is negative, although it tolerates short flooding calmly. well-lit areas are preferred for growing oaks, some species are able to grow in areas with side or full shade.

Reproduction and planting

The culture is propagated by acorns. Sowing is carried out in the fall immediately after collecting the planting material. Important: acorns are poorly stored in artificial conditions and may not emerge when planted next year. Planting of young trees grown from acorns is carried out in the spring. Often oaks are propagated by coppice shoots, this method is effective, provided that the tree from which the planting material is taken is at least 20 years old. Ornamental varieties of crops are also propagated by grafts; as a rootstock, oak species that are resistant to unfavorable growing conditions are used.

Oak seedlings are planted in sunny areas. The pits are prepared in advance, a third of the pit is filled with a substrate consisting of turf, peat and sand, and a drainage layer is poured onto the bottom, which can be crushed stone or pebbles. The root collar of the seedling should be slightly above ground level. Immediately after planting, young plants are watered abundantly, and watering is also necessary for the next four days.

Care

Despite the fact that oaks are drought-resistant plants, they require regular watering, especially in the absence of natural precipitation for a long time. Young plants are more susceptible to drought. For the winter, oak tree trunks are mulched with peat or wood chips to warm the root system. The mulch layer should be about 10-15 cm.

In spring, plants need feeding with urea, mullein and ammonium nitrate. Also, periodically, pruning of frozen, dry and broken branches is carried out, and trunks are cleaned from top shoots.

Since oaks are susceptible to various diseases caused by fungi and bacteria, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatments in a timely manner. Powdery mildew is considered one of the most dangerous diseases for oak trees; when the first signs are found, the plants are sprayed with a 1% solution of copper sulfate. Oaks are also attacked by pests, for example, gall midge. These insects lay eggs inside the leaf, and the grown larvae form dense spherical growths of a yellowish color on its surface. In order to avoid the appearance of gall midges, it is necessary to regularly remove and burn the fallen leaves.