putting chicken wire around 3 small 10 inch tall 10 inch wide dwarf chinquapin oaks - Ask Extension
Hi:
I bought 3 small Quercus prinoides oak trees so they would produce acorns for wildlife.
Q1. I was wondering how tall & especially wide you...
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putting chicken wire around 3 small 10 inch tall 10 inch wide dwarf chinquapin oaks #865119
Asked April 19, 2024, 12:22 PM EDT
Hi:
I bought 3 small Quercus prinoides oak trees so they would produce acorns for wildlife.
Q1. I was wondering how tall & especially wide you believe they will get in north central MD so I can determine how close to plant them to create a small forest in my side yard. I have searched the Internet and see answers from all over the USA showing 6-25 ft tall and wide. But I was wondering if you have a more accurate expectation for the Carroll County area (Finksburg 8 miles from both Westminster and Eldersburg).
Q2. I bought chicken wire to make a fence around them and then on YouTube saw a video talking about burying the wire into the ground to prevent bark damage from rodents and digging rabbits. It did not state how deep to plant the chicken wire. The wire is 1/2" squares which is hopefully tiny enough. Any idea? I would hate to lose these trees are they were very hard to find locally + a bit expensive.
Thank you so much!
Jim
Carroll County Maryland
Expert Response
Hello Jim,
We don't have a more precise prediction for the mature size of those oaks in your location. The weather and soil conditions in your area are not different enough from other local parts of the plant's native range that it would have a significant impact on mature size, and the genetics of each individual plant will be a main determining factor instead. (Plus, unless the supplier stated that these were propagated from local trees, their genetics could hail from anywhere in the native range, further complicating predictions about size in relation to location.)
A ballpark size of 10-20 feet is probably a safe assumption, though plants never fully stop growing as they age. There is currently only one photo of the species in Maryland Biodiversity Project's database, but it does look fairly tall (within the typical size range for that species, anyway) given the apparent height of what looks like a lower branch in that image.
Rabbit barriers can be buried but also bent at an L-shape angle to discourage digging from just outside the fencing. Vole barriers can extend a similar 2-3 inches or so below the soil surface. Make certain that any barrier you put in can accommodate a few years of growth without obstructing trunk expansion or root spread, since roots thicken with age just like branches do, and we don't want them meandering through a hole in the fencing only to be girdled by it later as it constricts around a widening root.
Miri
We don't have a more precise prediction for the mature size of those oaks in your location. The weather and soil conditions in your area are not different enough from other local parts of the plant's native range that it would have a significant impact on mature size, and the genetics of each individual plant will be a main determining factor instead. (Plus, unless the supplier stated that these were propagated from local trees, their genetics could hail from anywhere in the native range, further complicating predictions about size in relation to location.)
A ballpark size of 10-20 feet is probably a safe assumption, though plants never fully stop growing as they age. There is currently only one photo of the species in Maryland Biodiversity Project's database, but it does look fairly tall (within the typical size range for that species, anyway) given the apparent height of what looks like a lower branch in that image.
Rabbit barriers can be buried but also bent at an L-shape angle to discourage digging from just outside the fencing. Vole barriers can extend a similar 2-3 inches or so below the soil surface. Make certain that any barrier you put in can accommodate a few years of growth without obstructing trunk expansion or root spread, since roots thicken with age just like branches do, and we don't want them meandering through a hole in the fencing only to be girdled by it later as it constricts around a widening root.
Miri
Thank you so much, Miri, for your extensive and clear explanations. And especially taking the time to give me 4 useful links in your answers. Most appreciated.
Have a good weekend,
Jim
You're welcome!
