Protecting Baby Oak Trees

Patrick and I have been clearing the invasive species around some of our big oak trees. In doing so, we are uncovering the young baby oak trees that were planted by squirrels and bluejays. 

An acorn planted in fall will sprout the next spring with a handful of leaves. These seedlings are extra tasty to the deer and often don’t last much beyond their first months of life. 

So, we are choosing to protect the ones that are growing far enough away from a parent oak by using a protective tube. These tubes allow air and light to filter in – fostering growth while keeping munching deer out. 

Like most things, once you start looking for something, you notice them everywhere. I’ve been finding more and more baby oaks clustered around these oaks and my heart wants to save all of them, but they wouldn’t grow properly where they are currently planted. 

So, we may choose to move some of them in the fall when it is best to transplant a seedling. Perhaps we can send some home with friends and family?  

Each one feels like a piece of living hope, and each one, if given enough time and space to live, will become food and housing to hundreds of species.