Sawtooth Oaks
02-09-2004, 02:39 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Shreveport, LA
Posts: 305
Sawtooth Oaks
A friend gave me a few Sawtooth Oaks to plant as a deer attraction. I looked it up and it looks good. Grows fast and Produces large, tasty acorns in as little as 3 years. You can order bare root plants for as little as three bucks each. For those who have looking for a tree variaty to plant, this may be one to consider. It says that they are early producers and deer love the acorns. I'm going to give them a try.
News Release
SAWTOOTH OAK IS BEAUTIFUL AND TASTY
CAMP HILL, Ala.__--The onset of cold weather inaugurates the season when wildlife must scrounge for their winter food. Some may find the selection slim while others will find their winter reserves have been made in the shade.
That's literally the case for wildlife living near the Piedmont Substation in Camp Hill, an outlying research unit of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station at Auburn University.
The Substation is a primary research site for both wildlife and horticultural studies in Alabama. These two research priorities are not always compatible, especially when wildlife species begin to harvest fruit produced in the Substation orchards. But a shade tree study has proven to be beneficial for horticultural and wildlife research alike.
Nine years ago a shade tree variety test was planted at the Substation to evaluate a wide variety of trees for southeastern production. The test contains evergreens, maples, magnolias, and many other trees, including the sawtooth oak.
Sawtooth oaks, named for their serrated leaves, have become popular for use in open landscapes and wooded areas. "They look good on a countryside type lawn," said Donna Fare, a horticulture researcher working on the shade tree project.
The trees, which are native to the Mediterranean, are easy to transplant and are widely adapted, added Fare. They don't typically produce brilliant fall color but their leaves stay on the tree until February, which cuts down on fall lawn clutter.
"They've done very well in the test," said John Owen, Substation superintendent. "They're large, fast-growing, aesthetically pleasing, and they're heavily loaded with large acorns."
Though acorn quality is not very important to horticulturists and homeowners, it's a real attraction for wildlife. "Acorns can be extremely important to wildlife," said Lee Stribling, a wildlife researcher working on Experiment Station projects. "They can be important to deer, turkey, squirrels, and lots of other wildlife from blue jays to bobwhite quail."
"Acorns provide a high carbohydrate source in the fall, the same kind of nutrition as corn, that animals use to put on fat in the winter," he added. Good acorn years normally are good years for wildlife, but prolific acorn crops are hard to maintain year in and year out.
One acorn management problem is the length of time it takes a tree to come into production. "The native oaks take a long time to reach maturity and to produce acorns," Owen explained. "Under ideal conditions, we're looking at 25 to 40 years."
One big advantage of the sawtooth oak is that it tends to mature earlier than most native species. "By the time it's nine years old it is usually in full production," said Owen. He noted these trees have even been known to produce acorns by the time they are three years old.
Stribling noted that the sawtooth acorn is also highly preferred by wildlife. Owen noted that its popularity among wildlife species is evident at the Substation. "It's extremely hard to find any acorns under the sawtooth trees when they start falling," he said.
All of these characteristics make the sawtooth oak a natural for use in wildlife management. Therefore researchers at the Substation have taken a special interest in the tree's growth and production habits in relation to wildlife management systems.
Stribling noted that annual wildlife food plots require yearly inputs of money and labor. But, once sawtooth oaks are planted, there is very little annual cost associated with them.
Studies at the Substation and elsewhere have shown that "babying" sawtooth oaks after they are planted in the winter will bring them into production sooner. Researchers are now attempting to define the optimum weed control and fertility requirements for these trees in wildlife settings to possibly improve the feed selection for wildlife throughout Alabama.
-30-
Katie Smith
Dec. 12/90
News Release
SAWTOOTH OAK IS BEAUTIFUL AND TASTY
CAMP HILL, Ala.__--The onset of cold weather inaugurates the season when wildlife must scrounge for their winter food. Some may find the selection slim while others will find their winter reserves have been made in the shade.
That's literally the case for wildlife living near the Piedmont Substation in Camp Hill, an outlying research unit of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station at Auburn University.
The Substation is a primary research site for both wildlife and horticultural studies in Alabama. These two research priorities are not always compatible, especially when wildlife species begin to harvest fruit produced in the Substation orchards. But a shade tree study has proven to be beneficial for horticultural and wildlife research alike.
Nine years ago a shade tree variety test was planted at the Substation to evaluate a wide variety of trees for southeastern production. The test contains evergreens, maples, magnolias, and many other trees, including the sawtooth oak.
Sawtooth oaks, named for their serrated leaves, have become popular for use in open landscapes and wooded areas. "They look good on a countryside type lawn," said Donna Fare, a horticulture researcher working on the shade tree project.
The trees, which are native to the Mediterranean, are easy to transplant and are widely adapted, added Fare. They don't typically produce brilliant fall color but their leaves stay on the tree until February, which cuts down on fall lawn clutter.
"They've done very well in the test," said John Owen, Substation superintendent. "They're large, fast-growing, aesthetically pleasing, and they're heavily loaded with large acorns."
Though acorn quality is not very important to horticulturists and homeowners, it's a real attraction for wildlife. "Acorns can be extremely important to wildlife," said Lee Stribling, a wildlife researcher working on Experiment Station projects. "They can be important to deer, turkey, squirrels, and lots of other wildlife from blue jays to bobwhite quail."
"Acorns provide a high carbohydrate source in the fall, the same kind of nutrition as corn, that animals use to put on fat in the winter," he added. Good acorn years normally are good years for wildlife, but prolific acorn crops are hard to maintain year in and year out.
One acorn management problem is the length of time it takes a tree to come into production. "The native oaks take a long time to reach maturity and to produce acorns," Owen explained. "Under ideal conditions, we're looking at 25 to 40 years."
One big advantage of the sawtooth oak is that it tends to mature earlier than most native species. "By the time it's nine years old it is usually in full production," said Owen. He noted these trees have even been known to produce acorns by the time they are three years old.
Stribling noted that the sawtooth acorn is also highly preferred by wildlife. Owen noted that its popularity among wildlife species is evident at the Substation. "It's extremely hard to find any acorns under the sawtooth trees when they start falling," he said.
All of these characteristics make the sawtooth oak a natural for use in wildlife management. Therefore researchers at the Substation have taken a special interest in the tree's growth and production habits in relation to wildlife management systems.
Stribling noted that annual wildlife food plots require yearly inputs of money and labor. But, once sawtooth oaks are planted, there is very little annual cost associated with them.
Studies at the Substation and elsewhere have shown that "babying" sawtooth oaks after they are planted in the winter will bring them into production sooner. Researchers are now attempting to define the optimum weed control and fertility requirements for these trees in wildlife settings to possibly improve the feed selection for wildlife throughout Alabama.
-30-
Katie Smith
Dec. 12/90
02-09-2004, 03:21 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: WEST PALM FLORIDA
Posts: 2,890
RE: Sawtooth Oaks
These things are awesome producers , and their acorns are larger than white oaks or chestnut oaks . I've seen small trees produce lots and I mean lots of acorns , this is the oak to plant for wildlife .
02-09-2004, 08:34 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Delhi, NY (by way of Chenango Forks)
Posts: 1,706
RE: Sawtooth Oaks
don't know about the length to acorns. but I do know you can buy these and many more trees) from my office and many like them (soil & water conservation districts). we sell them for 10 for $10 - just a thought - call your local SWCD
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