Rosemary McCreary: Plant acorns to save the oaks

<p>If you are one of the many faced with cleaning up piles of acorns this year, have you harbored the wish that oak trees would take a rest and just drop leaves? I’ll confess I have, but at the same time am grateful for seedlings and young trees that acorns from past seasons have produced.</p><p>Our family is treasuring these young trees now more than ever after having lost a half dozen mature ones — two could be called heritage — to SOD, Sudden Oak Death, the relatively new disease that has been killing oaks (Quercus) and tanoaks (Lithocarpus) in startling numbers up and down the coast from Monterey to Humboldt County.</p><p>Whether or not young trees will survive for future generations can’t be answered yet, but we can certainly try to preserve them by helping acorns get started on their way to becoming mighty oaks.</p><p>The California Oak Foundation, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the state’s oak forests, has an excellent 4-page guide, “How to Collect, Plant, and Store Acorns,” that encourages us to become proactive in increasing the population of these majestic trees native to hills and valleys throughout the state. </p><p>Some oaks are dropping countless acorns this year, not an unusual occurrence among various species. According to the excellent Oak Foundation book, “Oaks of California” (Cachuma Press, 1991), different species produce bumper crops during different years so that in diverse oak woodlands acorns abound.</p><p>But it would be short-sighted to trust that enough of these tough looking seeds will replace trees lost in recent months and years. They face too many obstacles both in the wild and in populated areas.</p><p>The Oak Foundation guide points out that dropped acorns are not always healthy. To collect any for planting, it is wise to pick firm, ripe ones whose caps are easy to remove.</p><p>Nature’s way does rely on dropped acorns though many are “planted” by birds and other animals that store them underground. But many simply dry out or lose their potency when damaged by birds, insects and mammals feeding on them.</p><p>There is a tremendous competition, in fact, for acorns as food in the wild. They are extremely nutritious, packed with high energy fats and carbohydrates needed for germination and for generating the extraordinarily long root that anchors a new seedling even before the first leaves emerge.</p><p>If squirrels, deer, jays, woodpeckers, gophers, turkeys and other critters roam your neighborhood, you may see them squabbling over acorns. In more remote regions, competition expands to bears, feral pigs and wood rats who also feast on them.</p><h3>The human factor</h3> <p>The Oak Foundation cites the human factor as most significant in the decline of oak regeneration, beginning with the Europeans who introduced weeds, grazing animals, fire suppression and settlements.</p><p>Throughout human history in California and continuing into the present, humans have altered the ecological niche that’s supported oaks and, worse yet, have removed entire woodlands in favor of livestock grazing and suburbanization. It’s past time to correct our errors.</p><p>To ensure that future generations of oaks continue as a vital part of California’s ecosystems and landscapes, it behooves us to step into the competitive picture. We need to reserve some of these seeds and follow their development into saplings and maturity.</p><h3>Getting going</h3> <p>Whether we plant oaks in our own gardens, as street trees, in parks, or on public lands, it pays to follow guidelines to ensure their success. The Oak Foundation Guide can be downloaded using the link in the sidebar, above. </p><p>It provides valuable information on a planting project, beginning with selecting acorns from species growing in areas where you want to plant, then storing seeds if planting is delayed. There are also specifics on spacing, frequency of watering, protecting young trees, and survival rates.</p><p>We’re entering the ideal time period for seeding acorns — November to March, when rains naturally prompt germination and root expansion.</p><h3>SOD workshop</h3> <p>Mark your calendars for Dec. 5 if you have questions and concerns about Sudden Oak Death or would like to learn about prevention techniques. These issues will be addressed at a free workshop presented by specially trained Master Gardeners from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the UC Extension office, 133 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa. To register, visit www.sonomamastergardeners.org or phone 565-2608.</p>