Mighty Oaks

Oaks are one of our more stately native trees.  It's botanical name is Quercus.   
 Cultures that have come in contact with oaks have created many myths.  Here is just a sampling:

• It is said that if you can catch a falling Oak leaf you shall have no colds all winter. 
• Acorns carried in a pocket or bag protect you from storms, getting lost and old age.
• Acorns planted in the dark of the moon bring financial prosperity.  

Native oaks for northern Wisconsin include the red, white and northern pin oak.  Generally oaks grow best in fertile, acidic soil in full sun.   Their roots tend to go deep allowing them to tolerate sandy soil and dry conditions.
 
Oaks may not be readily available in nurseries or garden centers because of their long tap root.  Oaks don't like to be transplanted and they have a reputation for being very slow growing.  However seedlings grow fast, as those of us with a large oak and squirrels know from our own yards. 
 
So plant an acorn where you want an oak to grow.  Plant the acorn about twice as deep as its size.  I suggest putting some hardware cloth over the site or sprinkle some blood meal to discourage squirrels from digging it up.  
 
​Avoid changes in soil levels around sensitive Oak roots.  Even a small change can kill roots.   Also avoid trimming or cutting oaks during the active growing season to avoid spreading diseases.  The Spooner Advocate reported that it takes only 15 minutes for a beetle to carry oak wilt spores to another tree.  The Advocate cited Paul Cigan, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources forest health specialist in Hayward,  “who cautions people to avoid pruning oaks from April 15 to July 15 to help safeguard against oak wilt, a killer fungal disease spread by sap-feeding beetles.”  They went on to report that Oak wilt always kills the red oaks it infects, while white oaks are more resilient.
 
If you prefer to transplant, pick a strain from a northern nursery.   A great publication, Wisconsin Native Plant Resources, can help you find a local nursery: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/shorelandZoning/documents/nativeplants.pdf