Fertilizing White Oaks

[PA Plumber]

'Hey PA, let us know how the test goes, ok?

Soil test does have a price tag. $9.00 for test kit and another couple of bucks to mail in the soil sample to Penn State.

As it turns out, my soil is below optimum for White Oaks. There are 10 values of lab results. Recommendation for my situation for this year only:

Apply 21 lb/100 sq. ft. Doomitic Limestone
Apply 3.5 lbs/100 sq. ft. of 5-10-5 fertilizer
Apply 0.75 lbs /100 sq. ft. of 0-46-0 fertilizer

 

[Log Splitter]

Thanks for the follow up PA Plumber! And I'm glad to see they recommended the lime since I told you I was doing that around my white oaks as well. ATH makes a good point, however, about not raising the pH too much since white oaks apparently prefer the soil to be slightly acid.

 

[Duke13]

Why not have the arborist where you work help you on this one. He will do it if you let him hunt there!

 

[PA Plumber]

Why not have the arborist where you work help you on this one. He will do it if you let him hunt there!

Welcome to AS Duke.

Man, I have a lot of projets I would trade for hunting... Painting the house, fixing the gutter, repairing screens...

 

[Woodie]

Soil test does have a price tag. $9.00 for test kit and another couple of bucks to mail in the soil sample to Penn State.

As it turns out, my soil is below optimum for White Oaks. There are 10 values of lab results. Recommendation for my situation for this year only:

Apply 21 lb/100 sq. ft. Doomitic Limestone
Apply 3.5 lbs/100 sq. ft. of 5-10-5 fertilizer
Apply 0.75 lbs /100 sq. ft. of 0-46-0 fertilizer

I'd love to know what in the heck their point is in getting you to put down that much phosphorous. Phosphorous in high quantities can have very negative effects on other soil characteristics, to the point of wiping out plants' abilities to get at other nutrients.

In addition, phosphorous doesn't leach much, but it can runoff, so I would be very careful in putting down that kind of phosphorous near any waterways.

Those numbers look suspicious to anyone else here?

 

[PA Plumber]

If I can figure out how, I'll try to scan the test results and post them.

 

[PA Plumber]

I'd love to know what in the heck their point is in getting you to put down that much phosphorous. Phosphorous in high quantities can have very negative effects on other soil characteristics, to the point of wiping out plants' abilities to get at other nutrients.

In addition, phosphorous doesn't leach much, but it can runoff, so I would be very careful in putting down that kind of phosphorous near any waterways.

Those numbers look suspicious to anyone else here?

 

[Woodie]

Dang, PA...Ph and calcium numbers like that you ought to cut down all your oaks and plant blueberries!!!

I'm not an agronomist, but that sure seems to me like a he11 of a lot to put down in one year.

If your site is on a hill, a lot of that phosphorous is going to wash away into the watershed, so if that's the case try your best to work it down into the soil. Phosphorous can have some serious effects on water.

Good luck!

 

[PA Plumber]

I appreciate your input. Seems a little disconcerting that an institution like PennState would make these recommendations with outregard to a potential water shed area. You would think they would at least put in a disclaimer.

 

[Woodie]

I appreciate your input. Seems a little disconcerting that an institution like PennState would make these recommendations with outregard to a potential water shed area. You would think they would at least put in a disclaimer.

I take it you are near water there?

 

[PA Plumber]

About 3/8 of a mile away on a down hill slope.

 

[Woodie]

About 3/8 of a mile away on a down hill slope.

Give the school a call...most of the time land-grant schools are good about making their people accessible for situations like yours, and I bet they would be willing to discuss the situation with you on the phone.

It bears repeating...I am not an agronomist. Most of my knowledge comes having known one and from doing lots of "independent research" (read: surfing the web).

In the grand scheme of things, that may not actually be a whole boatload of phosphorous...especially if you're talking about a small area. And adsorption rates might just mean that none of that would make it to the lake...I just don't have the knowledge to say.

But high phosphorus in a lake means algae blooms...and that can strangle a lake.

Bottom line: quit listening to an amateur goofball like me and seek professional help! (From an agronomist... )

p.s. And seriously think of planting some blueberries...they would grow like dandelions there!

 

[PA Plumber]

Give the school a call...most of the time land-grant schools are good about making their people accessible for situations like yours, and I bet they would be willing to discuss the situation with you on the phone.

It bears repeating...I am not an agronomist. Most of my knowledge comes having known one and from doing lots of "independent research" (read: surfing the web).

In the grand scheme of things, that may not actually be a whole boatload of phosphorous...especially if you're talking about a small area. And adsorption rates might just mean that none of that would make it to the lake...I just don't have the knowledge to say.

But high phosphorus in a lake means algae blooms...and that can strangle a lake.

Bottom line: quit listening to an amateur goofball like me and seek professional help! (From an agronomist... )

p.s. And seriously think of planting some blueberries...they would grow like dandelions there!

I do know the black raspberries and wild blueberries are growing like crazy in close proximity to the soil test. The blueberries are very small but delicious.

 

[Woodie]

I do know the black raspberries and wild blueberries are growing like crazy in close proximity to the soil test. The blueberries are very small but delicious.

I knew it...soil like that there's no way blueberries wouldn't be there!

Wild blueberries are pretty much all small, but it you wanted, you could put some hybridized high bush in there and get blueberries the size of canned hams. Plenty of 'em, too.

 

[PA Plumber]

I knew it...soil like that there's no way blueberries wouldn't be there!

Wild blueberries are pretty much all small, but it you wanted, you could put some hybridized high bush in there and get blueberries the size of canned hams. Plenty of 'em, too.

Sounds like a great idea, except I'm guessing the turkeys, deer, grouse, woodcock, local mama bear with two cubs, deer, racoons, chipmunks, birds, etc... would be pretty hard on them. As is stands now, if I happen to catch the berries when they are ripe, I only have a couple of days before they are completely gone.

 

[ATH]

Sounds like a great idea, except I'm guessing the turkeys, deer, grouse, woodcock, local mama bear with two cubs, deer, racoons, chipmunks, birds, etc... would be pretty hard on them.

Isn't you main question about fertilizing oaks for better wildlife habitat? So.....sounds like feeding them blueberries might fit right in with what you want to do.

 

[PA Plumber]

Isn't you main question about fertilizing oaks for better wildlife habitat? So.....sounds like feeding them blueberries might fit right in with what you want to do.

There's lots of wild stuff for them to eat. I hate to go buy a bunch of blueberry trees and have them ravished by the animals. The point of this fertilizing excercise was to improve the white oak trees for production harvest, not animal habitat. I have a couple of food plots in a selected area I am improving for deer. If the acorn production increases from fertilizing, so be it. I would rather just have the trees grow better.

I think UrbanHunter wanted increased acorn production.