MU Extension, Missouri Department of Conservation partner to offer free white oaks

COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension has partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation on a program to establish white oak seed orchards on private land.

These orchards are intended to provide a steady supply of white oak acorns from trees of known quality and growth characteristics, says Brian Schweiss, MU Extension specialist in sustainable forestry.

Interested landowners can receive 50 white oak seedlings after completing a free three-part webinar series. Landowners are expected to plant the seedlings on property they control in a plantation arrangement. After planting, landowners must commit to caring for the trees and monitoring their growth and survival, says Schweiss.

Care would include initial site preparation, planting and controlling weeds for five years. These topics will be covered in the webinar series. Landowners will need a minimum of 5,000 square feet, which is sufficient for 50 trees at a 10-by-10 foot spacing. In a press release, Schweiss said, “Up to a half-acre open area is desired to ensure seedlings will not be encroached upon or shaded by trees or adjacent forests.”

In addition to the technical aspects of planting and growing seedlings, the webinar series will cover the importance of white oak to Missouri’s economy and to wildlife that rely on this iconic species. Mike Fiaoni, manager for the George O. White State Forest Nursery, will discuss how the Missouri Department of Conservation grows 2.25 million seedlings annually at the nursery and distributes them to the public.

While the webinar is open to anyone interested in white oak, the trees can only go to Missouri planting sites.

In time, landowners will need to thin the plantation to keep the best 16 trees. “Ultimately, we hope landowners collect seed from the best trees to sell to the state nursery for future seedling production,” Schweiss said. “While this may take 15-20 years, it is critical we think long-range to ensure quality oaks are available for planting.”

Trees become the property of the landowner after they are delivered, but MU staff will request access to sites to document the progress of plantings, but this is only with landowner permission, Schweiss says.

The webinar series is scheduled for noon to 1 p.m. on three consecutive Wednesdays – Jan. 15, Jan. 22 and Jan. 29. Register at http://muext.us/WhiteOakGardenPlot, or contact Schweiss at schweissb@missouri.edu.

Fifty seedlings will be provided the first 20 registrants who attend all three sessions and have suitable planting sites.