Watering sessile oak

• Sessile Oak Origin
• Sessile oak care and location
• Pruning sessile oak
• Watering sessile oak
• Fertilizing sessile oak

Sessile Oak Origin

The sessile oak (Quercus petraea) belongs to the beech family and is widespread in Europe. It is a deciduous tree and can grow up to 20 m tall. The sessile oak is long-lived and can live up to 400 years.

In Celtic mythology, the oak was a sacred tree and represented strength and power. It is said that the Celts made sacrifices under oak trees and that they performed ritual acts in oak forests. The oak was also the symbol of the Celtic god Esus, the god of war and hunting. The oak was also the symbol of the Germanic god Donar, the god of weather and thunder, who was equated with the Roman god Jupiter and the Greek god Zeus.

The sessile oak can be recognized by its smooth, gray bark and its broad, mostly deeply lobed leaves. The leaves are oblong-ovate and have a smooth or slightly notched surface. They are green in summer and turn a deep reddish brown in autumn. The sessile oak flowers from March to April. The male flowers are arranged in umbels, while the female flowers are solitary. After flowering, small green fruits called acorns form. These ripen in autumn and are surrounded by a thick shell covered with many scales.

The sessile oak is an important forage plant for wildlife and its acorns are eaten by many birds and rodents. The acorns are also a popular food for humans and are consumed in flour, oil or roasted as a snack.

The bark and leaves of the sessile oak also have a certain significance in naturopathy and are used to treat some ailments.

Sessile oak care and location

Sessile oaks prefer a sunny to partially shaded location and moist soil. They are adaptable and can also grow in dry soil. The soil should be well-drained to prevent waterlogging. Sessile oaks have shallow roots and form a taproot as well as strong lateral roots. The root system is highly branched and lies close to the surface. The root system is densest at a depth of between 30 and 40 cm and can reach a maximum depth of four meters.

Pruning sessile oak

Sessile oaks do not require regular pruning, but can be pruned for shaping or rejuvenation. The best time to do this is in autumn after the leaves have fallen. To keep the tree healthy, old and diseased branches should be removed.

Watering sessile oak

The water requirements of a sessile oak depend on various factors such as age, size, soil and climate. Rising temperatures and increasing dryness affect the sessile oak and put it under stress. Depending on the location and the climatic situation, it may be necessary to water the sessile oak more frequently during dry periods and on days with full sun than in previous years. The sessile oak has an above-average water requirement and the soil should never dry out completely. The sessile oak is best supplied with a larger amount of water in one watering rather than watering it several times in small amounts. As a guideline, a watering requirement of 75 to 100 liters can be assumed for young sessile oaks and 200 liters for older trees per watering.
When watering with the garden hose a large part of the water evaporates or seeps into the deep soilbefore it can be absorbed by the roots. With tree bath watering bags is watered more efficiently and water is saved at the same time. The irrigation bags have two small holes that release the water evenly and over several hours as drip irrigation into the soil. This leads to even moisture in the soil, which means that the roots close to the surface also absorb the water well. The irrigation bag also covers the surface of the tree disk and thus prevents the water from evaporating. With a tree bath irrigation bag, young trees are supplied with sufficient water. To irrigate existing trees with a larger trunk diameter, two or three irrigation bags can be connected to one another using zip fasteners.

Fertilizing sessile oak

For its growth and health, the sessile oak needs mainly nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These nutrients can be provided by using organic fertilizers such as compost or horn shavings. Regular fertilization is especially important in the first few years after planting. A layer of mulch helps to keep the soil moist and prevent weed growth. The mulch should not be layered directly on the trunk of the sessile oak to avoid pest infestation.