Take The Pledge

The very cool web site Mast Producing Trees has a pledge you can - and should - and will sign promising to plant an oak tree between now and the end of the year.

I know that for most readers of this site, signing a pledge promising to plant an oak tree is akin to signing a pledge promising to breathe! But I think that a pledge drive is a great way to raise awareness of the importance and value of planting oaks.

In the landscape oak are horribly under-planted due to misconceptions about their "slow growth" (to which I say, "Pshaw!") and the insane desire not to "litter" the lawn or driveway with acorns.

In the forest oaks are either:
1. Planted but frighteningly unsuccessfully due to record deer herds, hundreds of exotic and invasive vegetative competitors, and the lack of fire as a management tool and a means for species like bur oak (in Leopold's words "the stormtroopers of the prairie") to gain a competitive edge.
2. Not planted due to fear of and/or past experience with failure as described in #1. How many prime white oak sites in SE Minnesota were planted into red pine it was thought that planting oaks would work (or wouldn't pay)?

So to the pledge I would add a plea and a challenge: Step 1 is planting your oak(s). Step 2 is making sure they survive and thrive. And 21 years after first being introduced to the idea and first writing an article about the concept for my little non-profit newsletter as a means for successful oak planting, I still believe there is still no more powerful tool for oak establishment than treeshelters.

Disclaimer: I still make my living designing, making and marketing tree tubes (among other plant establishment products). I always will.

So kudos to Mast Producing Trees for initiating this pledge. Now go sign it and plant oaks!